By Narayan Prasad Mishra
Society encompasses all kinds of people living together. Among them, some may be good, and others may be bad. No society or country is without evil, whether developed or underdeveloped. However, the percentage of good and evil may vary. From this perspective, it is not surprising to encounter evil people in our country.
Nevertheless, we should not be overly concerned. Instead, we should acknowledge that this is a global issue. However, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to eliminate evil. We must aspire and endeavor to have more good people than evil ones. Any form of evil–lying, cheating, stealing, corruption, murder, injustice, dishonesty, exploitation, suppression, oppression, cruelty, etc.,–undermines a civilized society. They serve as impediments to development and peace.
We observe that social evils are less prevalent in countries where the majority of people are educated, conscious, and assertive about their rights and justice. Conversely, social evils thrive in countries where most people are uneducated, unaware, and unable to advocate for their rights and justice. Similarly, we notice that countries develop where people are more conscientious about their national duties and their rights. Conversely, countries lag where people are oblivious to their national duties and lack civic sense.
In this context, when we scrutinize our people and country, we witness intolerable social evils, and our people are neither aware of their duties nor their rights. Consequently, they are neither committed to their duties nor raise a strong voice against injustices inflicted upon them. We can observe numerous examples of this apathy in every neighborhood. It is common knowledge that everyone must maintain cleanliness in their neighborhoods, cities, educational institutions, playgrounds, parks, shopping centers, temples, rivers, etc. For this, everyone must have civic sense and refrain from littering. It’s not solely the responsibility of the government and law enforcement. However, our people often lack civic sense in most of these areas. Not only do they fail to keep their neighborhoods clean, but they also contribute to pollution by disposing of their unwanted goods there. This is evident in every corner of our city, even in our most polluted rivers.
Similarly, when we are exploited by government employees in offices through bribery or other means, we endure injustice without raising much protest. Even if someone does speak up, hardly anyone nearby supports the individual fighting for justice. The same scenario unfolds in national issues such as corruption scandals – the fake Bhutanese refugee scandal, the 100kg gold smuggling scandal, etc. Objectively speaking, everyone should condemn such crimes. However, in our country, many people and political parties only denounce them when their opponents commit them. They remain silent when their own people and party engage in such criminal activities.
This is our culture. This is the culture of our political parties–whether democratic or communist. It is disheartening to witness such behavior among parties established to promote the country’s development and people’s welfare. We observe the same pattern among our so-called civil societies and human rights organizations. They fail to open their eyes and exercise their judgment on civil society and human rights issues impartially, instead aligning their stance based on their political ideology. It’s widely known that we have civil societies and human rights organizations affiliated with both communist and democratic ideologies.
When I analyze our problems and attempt to identify the reasons hindering the country’s development, I attribute it primarily to the fact that most people are self-centered. Consequently, they refrain from speaking the truth and advocating for justice, although truth and justice are fundamental pillars of societal progress. Many believe that flattery is an essential tool for advancement. Individuals from all walks of life engage in flattery (chakadi) towards powerful individuals to fulfill their desires and self-interests. Consequently, they hesitate to point out their superiors’ wrongdoings. They derive satisfaction when their selfish desires are fulfilled, even if it’s detrimental to the general populace.
Most of them join political parties not intending to serve the nation or its people but primarily to fulfill their personal agenda through political connections for themselves, their families, relatives, and friends. They are the focal point of their actions, neglecting the country’s and its people’s interests. They learn to remain silent and refrain from speaking the truth their superiors don’t want to hear. They lead their lives this way, hoping to fulfill their selfish desires by flattering their bosses, party, and leaders. Some fortunate individuals benefit from this approach and enjoy various forms of power, positions, and material gains. Selfishness often impedes collective growth as it prioritizes individual gains over the common good.
Due to the abovementioned situation, our country has become a fertile ground for all forms of corruption. Corruption exists at the highest levels of government–Prime Minister, Ministers, Secretaries, etc. It permeates almost all offices. Even parties with poor performance records win elections because people vote for them without considering their performance but rather based on factors like parity, family, caste, and clan affiliations. We cannot envision a bright future for our democracy until our people are educated and conscious enough to discern between right and wrong and act accordingly, guided by their conscience.
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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