By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel
With the collapse of the then king Gyanendra’s 14-month direct rule, democracy was reinstated in the country in 2006. The April uprising popularly known as Jana Aandolan-2 paved the avenues for transformative structural changes. The 240-year-old monarchy was abolished and the country was ushered into a federal democratic republic. The new constitution written by the constituent assembly consolidated these mammoth achievements. But it is strange to note that even within 18 years of political transformation, our democracy has not been true to its essence. But why? Following the epochal upheaval, there was a debate on loktantra and prajatantra among our politicians though both denote the same meaning–democracy. It is even very surprising fact that the debate continues to date in the political corridor.
Prajantra comprises two words- praja (subject) and tantra (rule). In Nepalese feudal society, mainly during the Rana regime, prajas signified raitis who are far below in social hierarchy in terms of power and economic structure. On the other hand, loktantra also comprises two words lok means folks while tantra is rule. However, the literal meaning of lok is folks while praja is demos (people) and has a broader theoretical underpinning to the collective consciousness of the Nepalese.
It needs to be mentioned here that prajatantra was the key lexicon of the parties spearheading the crusade for the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1951 and 1990. It was on the lips of every political party who were fighting for democracy. In contrast, the word loktantra dominated the 2006 April uprising negating the prajantra which was the key slogan of the political parties in 1951 and 1990. Any tantra whether praja or lok seems to be failing in Nepal as we are fighting the politicians who are more oppressive than all the previous regimes combined.
Our political leaders who claim to be the torch bearer of democracy are unaccountable, ruthless, stubborn, un-transparent and incompetent. They do not hesitate to resort to any tactic that prolongs their political career even if it comes at the cost of democracy. One may wonder whether our leaders have time to make an appraisal of how democracy is working and benefits the masses. The answer is big no. The present political leaders are so much concerned about power and they do not care how people are coping with their day-to-day problems.
There was euphoria among the people following the abolition of the century-old monarchy thinking political transformation would end all past injustices and inequalities building a just and democratic society. But this fascination was very short-lived. Poor governance, rampant corruption, abuse of authority, poverty, unemployment and nepotism continue and thrive. Easy access to quality health services and education, employment opportunities and social security are the expectations of Nepalis. But this has just been a daydream for them.
In any democratic society, the political leaders are supposed to serve the citizens. They are also supposed to be accountable to the people. On the contrary, the political leaders in Nepal are not even bothered to think about what people are thinking about their undemocratic and unconstitutional move. Democracy is a concept that instantiates a system of government that is “of the people, by the people, and for the people”. Clearly, this is not the case in our country.
Our democracy is controlled by a handful of political leaders who under the veil of politics have been looting the country. Ranging from large parties to fringe parties, adolescent leaders have often expressed their dissatisfaction over the functioning of the senior leaders in running the party. Over the years, many leaders have deserted the parent party and formed new ones under the leadership citing dissatisfaction. Our senior politicians must realize that this does not work in a democracy.
It is an open secret that non-state actors mainly media are pillars of democracy. It is also a fact that the media have stood by politicians in the fight against oppression. But our political leaders view the media as its greatest enemy. They hold the view that too much press freedom is injurious to the health of democracy. In 2019, the then government under the leadership of KP Oli tabled the media bill curtailing press freedom and individual liberties. After widespread protest and criticism, the bill was finally withdrawn giving the message that vested power lies with people in any vibrant democracy.
The three branches of the government are the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. The three have distinct functions to perform. They are independent of each other in terms of function and responsibilities without overstepping their respective jurisdiction. In plain words, they act as a check and balance in functioning democracy. But we often come across the news these braches overstepping their jurisdiction making the separation of power a subject of ridicule.
As things stand now, the citizenry across the country is losing faith in democracy. This is manifested in growing pro-monarchy voices and movements throughout the country. Attempts are being made to reverse the achievements of several democratic movements. Such attempts are normal when leaders who are supposed to defend and strengthen democracy are themselves transforming into autocrats backed by a third majority.
Robert Higgs, in his famous article “Blame the people who elect them”, said that democracy will be in crisis when we elect the wrong person. This saying seems to be very relevant in our context. We lose our critical, rational thinking and judgment during elections and as a result, we elect the wrong candidates risking the hard-won democracy.
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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