Former Karnali Chief Minister Defends Voters Against 'Sheep' Slurs Following Election Results

Surkhet. The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) achieved favorable results across the country in the House of Representatives elections held on Falgun 21.

However, in Karnali, which has 12 constituencies for the House of Representatives, the party failed to win any direct seats except in Surkhet-2. This outcome has recently led to derogatory comments on social media targeting the people of Karnali.

The people of Karnali are being compared to sheep and goats in the ensuing propaganda. Former Chief Minister of Karnali and influential leader of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, has analyzed this situation differently.

Speaking to journalists in Birendranagar on Wednesday during an hour-long interaction, Shahi stated that the people of Karnali took the initiative during special circumstances and national crises. 'The people of Karnali are great; they presented their role differently even when the nation was in crisis,' Shahi said. 'Unlike urban dwellers, the people here are guided by ideology and principles; they are stable.'

In his view, the people of the Terai region and urban areas are unstable. 'What has happened now is just a passing trend, a result brought about by a gust of wind,' Shahi commented. 'Only the future will show how long this will last. Therefore, the urban mass and the Terai mass are unstable. If we look at political history, they change their stance in every election; they do not remain in the same position.'

But, he added, the people in rural areas are not affected by temporary gusts of wind; they have their feet firmly on the ground. 'The people here are guided by thought, principle, and a philosophy. There is a tendency to consider rural people as naive and unintelligent, while we consider urban dwellers as very knowledgeable. But the unstable ones are the urban mass.'

Therefore, he said, the rural mass does not make decisions that lead them down the wrong path or into accidents.

'The stable mass makes decisions thoughtfully and wisely. The negative propaganda calling the people of Karnali sheep right now is wrong,' he said. He maintained that the people of Karnali made their decision with prudence.

'If Karnali had given RSP a full majority, they could have done anything; they could have made imprudent decisions about the country,' he said. 'They made a decision to raise their voice against any wrong steps they might take; whatever decision they made was in the interest of the nation.'

Speaking further about the unchanged perspective towards Karnali, Shahi said, 'Karnali decides in favor of the nation and the people, not for the benefit of any individual. They are mature people because Karnali is the birthplace of Eastern philosophy. This geography is a golden and ascetic land where sages came to study and research, and the people here are of that caliber.'

Although they may appear ordinary, the people of Karnali possess deep knowledge. Shahi added, 'They teach history in reverse; therefore, these people are not ordinary people; they are an intellectual populace.'

Acceptance of Public Mandate for RSP Nationwide, Review of Weaknesses

Karnali has historically been considered an area of influence for the Maoist party. However, this time, even when various communist factions contested under the banner of the CPN, the results were weak. Out of 12 constituencies, they managed to win only 4, and the CPN failed to win in strongholds of the Maoists such as Humla, Jumla, and Jajarkot. Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, however, won the election in Kalikot.

Shahi stated that a serious review would be conducted within the party regarding the failure to win even in their strongholds.

'We lost some districts where we had a strong base and should not have lost,' Shahi said. 'We lost Humla, Jumla, and Jajarkot despite being strong. These areas could have been won with a little more effort. We will review this matter.'

Shahi also mentioned that self-reflection would be conducted regarding the districts where they failed to secure victory despite having a strong public base.