Maoist supremo in Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal popularly known as Prachanda has got himself a multi-wing mansion in the posh area of Kathmandu complete with swimming pool space and badminton court. It is goodbye to Maoist principles and the ascetic lifestyle of a former guerrilla chief. His family and associates have said that the house is rented. But a Nepali tabloid says it has been bought on terms that are shady, as a result of which a local businessman has made a favourable deal. In any case, Prachanda as chairman of the Maoist party appears to be living beyond his means. He has been amassing ill-gotten gains since entering mainstream politics in 2006. What is worse, he does not care to hide it. He is not the only Maoist in Nepal living it up. At a party plenary in 2007, Maoist general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa publicly criticised the lavish lifestyle of some party leaders. He also had a swipe at the gap between the affluent living of leaders and the enforced austerity of the rank and file.
The Maoist leaders are now potentates, not insurgents. What is disturbing is that Prachanda has never bothered to explain their actions nor have other Maoist leaders. It throws doubt on their integrity. The government in Kathmandu is unstable. Accountability is low. Elected leaders are unassailable. Meanwhile, the Constitution remains to be drafted and adopted. Nepal politics continue to be in disorder. The Maoists, the leading party, should guide the country to good governance. But there leaders including Prachanda seem to have gone astray.
