On/Off the Record
By P.R. Pradhan
Since the introduction of the multiparty democracy in 1989 in Nepal, we have already spent 32 years practicing different political models of democracy with the institution of monarchy and now federal republic to which those leaders sponsored by RAW say “loktantra”. At the time when we adopted the multiparty democracy, China had just started a process for economic reform based on socialism and she invested all her resources in infrastructural development. Today, China is the second-largest economy heading for becoming the No 1 economy soon. Just last week, China announced a complete victory in eradicating absolute poverty in the country.
India too adopted a liberal economy but she didn’t dispose her previous policy of running the government undertakings and also the policy of subsidizing low-class people in the different profession including farmers. Where stands India today, it is open to us. However, comparing the economies of the two giant immediate neighbours illustrated above, China’s progress is a miracle, whereas, India’s progress is not satisfactorily as the gap between the rich and poor people is very wide. The majority of the population is under the poverty line and a small group of people are enjoying the life of the higher class American standard.
Vietnam, an East Asian country engaged in a bloody war for decades has made tremendous economic progress. The World Bank has ranked Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia respectively as the highest GDP earning countries in South East Asia.
The economic prosperity of petrol producing countries is different. Otherwise, economic achievement based on the hard work of the people, optimum utilization of natural resources, optimum development of the infrastructural development are the real base of economic growth. To achieve the economic goal an appropriate political system aimed at socialism with a strong anti-corruption derive is essential.
Talking about our own country, along with the introduction of the multiparty democracy in the country, the government started to dispose of almost all government undertaking industries in the name of liberalization and the remaining industries have also been ruined due to the massive political intervention, corruption and mismanagement.
In the name of the beautiful word democracy, we invited all the anomalies by destroying all necessary organs essential to run a nation. No doubt, we followed foreigners’ idea discarding our learned ancestors’ experiences for achieving economic prosperity.
The Western model of democracy cannot be appropriate for all countries. What could be the definition of democracy in a country where political leaders forget all the morale, norms and ethics and social values, make politics a profession and want to remain in power forever through conspiracy, encouraging nepotism, favouritism, sycophancy, corruption!
The definition of human rights is very vague. In a poverty-ridden country, the basic human rights are to get two-time-meal and to enjoy the right for survival. The definition of basic human rights in America and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the poorest country in the globe, is different. Human rights have to be defined on the base of the economic position of a country.
To talk about the values of human rights will be meaningless without achieving economic prosperity. Therefore, the prime goal of the country’s political system should be for achieving economic prosperity based on socialism by ensuring social values, culture, religion, tradition etc.
The present constitution of the country has stated that Nepal a country “heading towards socialism”. Is Nepal really heading towards socialism, it is a burning question. In fact, the federal government is under the grip of a group of brokers. Namely, Deepak Bhatta, the Yeti group’s owners and some others have controlled the federal government. They hold the capacity to formulate the country’s policy as per their benefit. The syndicate of those brokers is becoming stronger as they have strong reach either in the ruling party or in the opposition parties. It seems the political parties cannot exist without the support of the brokers. It seems it has become impossible to break the brokers’ syndicate in all sectors. If the government will start to run standard schools and hospitals the profit-oriented schools and hospitals will be automatically replaced. But the leaders in the government cannot take such a step. The plight of a country heading towards socialism is that the sugarcane farmers are unable to get years-long dues from the sugar factories and the government is unable to help poor farmers against the exploitation of the businessmen running sugar factories. To recall, during the Panchayat days, the government-run sugar factories were paying sugarcane farmers in advance. Unfortunately, all the government-run factories have been shut down today.
Who is a clean and non-corrupt leader in today’s Nepal, it is very difficult. Netra Bikram Chand Biplav publicly asked the Maoist leaders to make public the details on the misuse of 19 million rupees in the name of Maoist PLAs in the cantonment. Has the Commission for Investigation on Abuse of Authority listen to it? Is the Central Investigation Buro aware of it?
The situation in the country is hopeless as the political leaders are under the grip of the mafias all around. The need of the hour is to fight against the present corrupt system, to fight against the mafias and to rewrite a democracy appropriate to our soil.
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