PM's call for enlightened politics

The PM's call for enlightened politics is extremely heartening, for that is what politics should be like. Just as we are enthused by the call, our upbeat spirit wilts a bit considering that she has not stated what her government needs or plans to do to facilitate enlightened politics in the country. What we heard instead was a carping criticism of the opposition delivered in a rather condescending monotone. It was bereft of any direction that people had expected her to provide for the sake of 'illuminated' politics.

That is, in our view, the crux of the problem with our politics. The very approach that the fault always lies with the adversary is responsible to a great extent for the political quagmire that the nation today finds itself in. We agree that the opposition has shortcomings and limitations and the PM's recital of these is not out of context. The foremost of which was the call for toppling the government on April 30. We condemned it then, and do so again, as politics of misadventure repugnant to all democratic sensibilities. But does that mean that the government should be oblivious of its own drawbacks? There is not even the slightest hint of admission on the part of the ruling party that it has mishandled its relations with the opposition.

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The people want politics of enlightenment. And the PM has rightly laid emphasis on this feeling the pulse of the nation correctly. To that extent, the PM has hit the nail on the head. We extend our full support to her agenda to bring about enlightened politics.

We can ill-afford to forget, however, that enlightened politics demands participation of the opposition as a major stakeholder in national politics. But the PM's speech did not spell out any blueprint for drawing the opposition into any meaningful interaction with the government.

The PM has put the blame for all terrorist incidents squarely on the opposition. Hasn't her own student wing engaged in gunfight from time to time in the academic arena? Wasn't there several instances of factional fighting erupting into armed clashes of her party and its front bodies? She unfortunately ignored them. We may recall here that her party's return to power was immediately followed by the abolition of the then JCD central committee. But since then there has been no more demonstration of this robust resolve to weed out criminal elements.

While we echo the PM's call for enlightened politics and fully endorse it, we urge her to see the necessity for an enlightened approach from her side as well. The effort will have to be from both sides of the aisle to make it happen. Ruling party naturally has to take a greater share of responsibility.