By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
Dr. Alok K. Bohara, Professor of Economics at the University of New Mexico, has diagnosed the dilemma/malaise of today’s Nepalese intelligentsia at the internet discussion group nnsdee@googlegroups.com (Jan. 2).
Prof. Bohara divides the Nepali intelligentsia into the “inside-the circle”, and those “outside-the-circle” – meaning those that cater to those in power, i.e. the political establishment, and those that are currently in the opposition.
The opposition is, of course, of two kinds: the so-called ‘loyal opposition’ that opposes the government in power, but respects the current political disposition – the current Constitution and the federal, republican, secular set-up.
The other opposition is radically opposed to the current political system, and wants to do away with the whole political structure. These consists of the royalists/monarchists who plead for the reinstatement of Constitutional Monarchy and the Hindu State.
Prof. Bohra notes that “once granted access to the inner circle of the political fort, many intellectuals – on whom our hopes are often pinned – fall silent until inevitably ousted from the inner circle…these once fervent advocates for change become entangled in the system and go silent.”
In contrast, “outside-the-circle intellectuals find nothing right in what Nepal has done or is capable of offering.”
Dr. Bohra does have a pertinent point regarding the intellectuals supporting the current political system. They have indeed all gone silent.
Thus, there are very few intellectuals opposing the current political system. However, it would not be fair to say that their views are not balanced. Bihari Krishna Shrestha, a former civil servant, writing in The People’s Review, has time and again extolled the work experience of the mother’s groups in protecting/developing/using the community forests.
There is the same dilemma/malaise with the multitude of Nepali research institutes/think tanks exclusively concentrated in the Kathmandu Valley.
Very few bring forth useful or pertinent research material. It is also a case of ‘the silence of the lambs’.
A praiseworthy exception is the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. It has brought out two noteworthy volumes on domestic politics and foreign relations:
- “Rooting Nepal’s Democratic Spirit”
- “Gaida’s Dance with Tiger and Dragon”
However, the current Nepali social, economic and political condition is a lot like a Jenga tower: It ‘seems tall and sturdy’ from the top, but look at it from the side and you see all the missing pieces. Will it topple over in 2024?
[Jenga tower: from the game of the same name of physical skill. Players take turns removing one block (1.5 cm x 2.5 cm x 7.5 cm) at a time from a tower constructed of 54 blocks. Each block removed is then placed on top of the tower, creating a progressively more unstable structure…].
As one participant/commentator of the internet discussion group put it, the pressing need of the hour is to find a treatment for Nepal’s ailments/malaise.
This is not going to come from the ‘inner circle’ – the rot is too far advanced. The serial cases of high-level corruption and scams has now made Nepal the source of the word: ‘scampedemic’.
The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.
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