The Hindu : Front Page : Nepal’s leaders unite on field

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Monday, Jul 13, 2009
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Nepal’s leaders unite on field

Prerana Marasini

They take part in a football match to help a volleyball player who needs kidney transplant

— Photo: Chandra Sekhar Karki/Republica

COMMON CAUSE: CPN-UML chairman Jhalanath Khanal (second from left) watches former Prime Minister and Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal passing the ball at a friendly football match in Kathmandu on Sunday. Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel, wearing the 20-number jersey, looks at the soccer skills of the Maoist chairman.

KATHMANDU: Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda,” CPN-UML chairman Jhalanath Khanal, Nepali Congress vice-president Ram Chandra Paudel — three top leaders belonging to three major parties of the country who usually find it difficult to forge consensus on political issues — on Saturday found it easy to work together.

They wore the same outfits and “worked” for a common objective — to help volleyball player Dinesh Baniya who is in dire need of kidney transplant.

The leaders in “consensus” played as one team in the fund-raising match — Constituent Assembly members versus television artistes. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal who came in his official dress — Daura Suruwal — to the Dashrath Stadium inaugurated the match, handing over the football to a referee.

Full of expectation

Though the leaders’ team comprised other known figures, the stadium in Kathmandu was filled with thousands of spectators mainly to see whether Mr. Prachanda, Mr. Khanal and Mr. Paudel would strike a goal.

40-year hiatus

Mr. Prachanda, captain of the team, had come on the ground after 40 years, wearing a nine-number jersey. However, the popular number could not turn lucky for the 55-year-old former rebel leader.

His team was defeated by the artistes; nevertheless, his teammate, Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa scored one goal.

Though it rained during the match, the spectators did not disperse; some took out their umbrellas while some enjoyed the rain and the historic soccer match in which the leaders were trying their best to pass the ball around.

A positive sign

Ramesh Shrestha, a teenager, who watched the match, believed it was a positive sign that the top leaders of the major parties had agreed to do something together.

“If they indeed show consensus in politics, our many problems would be solved and we could also get our new constitution in time,” he told The Hindu.

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