By Ankit Thapa
Everything comes with a price. For example, look at the plight of Prime Minister Balen Shah, who is now being targeted by people who are not happy with him, even though he is doing a good job. These people, who do not seem to like him, are blaming him for every small mistake or shortcoming where Balen may have stumbled.
Of course, not only we Nepalese, but the entire world has been shocked and horrified by this disaster. However, some of Balen’s detractors and critics are blaming him as if he created this disaster and is now doing nothing to provide relief. They are blaming him and some other ministers from different angles, regardless of whether they are doing a good job directly in the affected areas or making policies here in Kathmandu that will benefit the victims of the disaster. Some are being blamed for going directly to the disaster-hit areas, while others are being blamed for staying back in their offices.
But they are all working in different ways to help the victims.
What can the Prime Minister and other ministers do in such an unprecedented and tragic event except formulate policies and take measures to be better prepared if, God forbid, the country has to face such disasters again? This author is astonished that some so-called experts and sections of the media are only trying to find fault with the government’s work. Some media people, especially those aligned with opposition parties, and some foreign media with vested interests, seem particularly vitriolic and critical of every move the government makes, regardless of how well it is performing.
I am neither a serious fan of Balen Shah nor a critic of his. If he does something good, I always appreciate it, but if he does something bad, I will say that what he has done is wrong. My only concern is how some individuals and parties are, in a planned manner, not allowing Balen Shah to function smoothly and perform better than his predecessors, who actually did little for the country.
One positive point for Balen Shah is that this young Prime Minister is going to participate in the United Nations General Assembly, and it is certain that he will be able to draw the attention of friendly countries that genuinely want to help Nepal through these troubled times. Leaders in the past sadly failed to make any impact at such major international gatherings, but now the Nepali public is confident that Prime Minister Balen Shah will reverse this trend. This author can say with full faith that, in the past, only the late King Mahendra was able to leave Nepal’s footprints at important international conferences.
It may not be out of context to mention some of the positive actions of the late King Mahendra, though many political leaders and their followers portray him only as a person who snatched democracy from the people. In fact, if a neutral person assesses the period during which he ruled, it can be described as one of the best periods for the country. People should not forget the immense development he brought to the country and the vision he demonstrated in many other sectors. Though inept politicians like to call the day King Mahendra took over and banned political parties a “Black Day,” it was actually the beginning of better days for the nation and its people.
From opening the East-West Highway to establishing many industries that helped make Nepal recognizable throughout the world, King Mahendra’s period saw significant development. After the introduction of democracy and the overthrow of the Rana regime, there was little except political chaos and the greed of parties and new leaders seeking power. The political parties that existed then were always at loggerheads with each other, and in this process, many so-called major parties even split into numerous factions.
Now, these same old parties, along with some newer ones, are at the same juncture, and we are seeing nothing but squabbling among leaders and attempts by them either to undermine the government or to seize power themselves.
What politicians, experts, media people and other critics should understand is that simply criticizing the Prime Minister or the government at this time of crisis is not justifiable. By the look of things, everyone is trying to do their best to help the victims of the disaster that we have unfortunately had to witness. This is a time when all should be united instead of trying to pull each other down or blindly following foreign interests and money at the cost of innocent people, especially the victims of this disaster.
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