Nepal PM pitches for "participatory" democracy

Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Thursday pitched for a new model of democracy that would involve the highest measure of participation of the masses even as he took a dig at Marxists for being dogmatic and sectarian.

"Our goal is to form a real democracy for the masses that will have the highest measure of participation," Bhattarai said at an informal interaction that kick-started his four-day visit to India. He termed ensuring maximum participation of people in a democracy as a "big challenge".

Admitting that Marxists and Maoists were "very dogmatic and sectarian," Bhattarai stressed on the need for assimilation of various thoughts arising from a people's movement.

"We read about Marxism being practised in far away places. We forget to assimilate various thoughts arising from the real struggle. We have to learn from people's movements," he said.

Bhattarai recalled how he and fellow Maoists had given a call for Peoples' SAARC during the movement against monarchy in Nepal. "Somebody projected it as a 'Red Corridor', leading to our (Maoists) being dubbed as pro-India in Nepal and anti-India in India," he said.

Contending that the model of democracy has failed in the third world countries, Bhattarai said the time had come to "think coolly" about participatory democracy.

"Why not create our own model of democracy assimilating our experiences," the Nepal prime minister said.

Recalling his days of struggle, Bhattarai said the state was created as an instrument of oppression against the toiling masses. "We have to make the state as an instrument of liberation of the people. There lies the real essence of democracy," he said.

"I have fought for liberation. That liberation is not completely over but history has ironically put me in place as a head of the government where I have to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Nepal," he said.

Bhattarai was speaking at a reception in his honour given by the South Asian Forum for Peoples' Initiative and Samakaleen Teesri Dunia magazine.

Favouring unity among the people of South Asia, he said said it is only when the people come together that governments in the region would stop needless military spending. "We have to unite. Some will try to create a cleavage between us. If people of the two countries unite, no force on earth can defeat them," Bhattarai said.