On/Off The Record
By P.R. Pradhan
All the impairments that we can see in this “new” Nepal! When we see the perversion in the so-called independent court, one cannot hope for a better nation. Some of the recent court verdicts have questioned the impartiality of the court. The court is the last hope for those helpless and exploited people in society in getting justice. If the court gives its verdict in favour of those fraud, criminals, and murders, it reflects the real picture of a nation. The same picture we have been seeing in Nepal. The recent verdict of the Supreme Court in favour of a wife’s murderer Ranjan Koirala, the then sitting Armed Police Force DIG has raised a serious question on the court’s transparency and accountability. Koirala had not only killed his wife but also had tried to wipe-out pieces of evidence to get rid of the murder crime.
It has already been two years since the murder of Nirmala Pant after rape. The Police are yet unable to identify the murderer. This issue has raised questions on the professionalism of the Nepal Police. The above are some examples illustrated here. Everywhere, there is a perversion in the society in this “new” Nepal!
In the “old” Nepal, there was a popular saying, “If justice is denied, go to Gorkha!” It was thus said that even if the court will fail to grant justice, there was one door to knock for justice, that was the Palace and there was the King! The “new” Nepal, has adopted republicanism, secularism, and federalism, which has finally destroyed everything in this beautiful, culturally, naturally and religiously rich nation.
Noted satirist Madankrishna Shrestha and Haribansha Acharya have penned a song, “Oh God, you gave everything to Nepal, except a good leader!” This is true. If we see the government organs, everywhere, they have been politicized and they have been non-functional. The court is not the only organ which has been destroyed by partisan politics. The main formulator of the present state in the court is none other than the then prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and the then law and justice minister Narahari Acharya. They wanted to assign their men in the Supreme Court, later, other leaders also followed the same.
Indeed, such a political intervention in all the government organs, started from the period since Koirala became the prime minister, destroyed all the government organs. Today, one can buy posts such as a proportional member of the parliament, justices in the Supreme Court, ambassador, VC, rector, registrar in the universities, posts in the constitutional bodies, among others. When one will bag these positions by paying cash that too in advance, his first priority will be to refund the investment immediately after the assignment. To expect good performance from those assigned on the basis of financial give and take and partisan basis is total nonsense.
Look at the secularism, the religion is on sale. If one will converse his religion from Hindu or Buddhist to a Christian, he will get money.
Look at the federalism, corruption has reached to the provinces, municipalities and even to the ward level. Look at the development cycle, in the dry season, the ward members, — also the owner of dozer and excavator — operate them in the name of construction of roads without engineering alignment and during the rainy season, the constructed roads are swept away by landslides. Again, the budget will be allotted to reconstruct the very roads!
The finance minister, even after levying and increasing tax on every service, products, and imports, is saying that he is unable to manage the fund to run the government. People are compelled to pay tax at three levels – central level, province level and local level. The taxpayers’ money is rampantly misused by the “people’s representatives”. There is no need for the provincial governments and also no need for such a large number of local bodies in Nepal like a small country. These organs have become a white elephant for the nation. Surely, the nation will become bankrupt if we continue the present system further.
Look at the President! The President is unable to become the President of the nation but she has become the President of the Nepal Communist Party only. Within the party also, the President has become the President of one faction only. We are not the people to blame the President but the very people from the ruling party and those democrats are saying it. What the nation achieved since dethronement of the King as the President is performing the luxurious lifestyle more than the King. Hundreds of kings are seen in the country since the adoption of federalism! When we see dark days to come, it is the time to act and to restore the system that we have by mistakenly yielded away. Let’s return to the 1990 constitution for betterment and prosperity of the nation, let the system provide space to all the sectors!
People’s Review Print Edition
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