By D.M. Thapa
Right now there is a complicated battle raging over the political landscape of tiny Nepal. Not only are huge parties enmeshed in this struggle, but small factions within them are also at each other’s throats. Ask any foreigners, that is if they are government officials and they will vouch for it, though in their own diplomatic ways. Of course, they will always paint a rosy picture of Nepal and never forget to add how eager they are to help in the development efforts of this country, The influx of high-level delegates from powerful countries also indicates that Nepsl is turning into a playground for foreign powers and we must not forget we have two military and economic giants as our neighbours to boot. Just to get at each other and for foreign powers from further away to always meddle in Nepali internal affairs makes things even more complicated.
There are many wishes in the hearts of the Nepalese people. If politicians were not so visionless and not greedy for foreign funds, if the authorities in the Foreign Ministry were more capable diplomats, if our diplomats, mostly cousins and party workers were more polished and trained, and if this and if that, wishes came true Nepal would be heaven on earth, But our wishes have always remained only dreams.
The only worry now is whether these brainless and most unpatriotic fellows will push Nepal to become another Ukraine or Afghanistan or so many other impoverished countries, where, forget military intervention, just a few dozen mercenaries are enough to topple or form a government. Naturally like in Nepal, corruption is rampant in those nations as well. And no one has to be told corruption is the worst form of illness that eats away at a country and we are neck deep in this illness, which is succinctly manifested in our economy and bad and exorbitant plans.
Take our country as an example first. From politicians to authorities who look after the administration, to the police who should be arresting wrongdoers to many others, they are all involved in corruption. The saddest part is that society has accepted this malady as a part and parcel of day-to-day life and this is very hard to ‘undo’. In fact, it may take generations to understand that corruption will not only destroy the economy but it will also badly damage the moral values and sense of ethics in the minds of the majority of the people. This is what makes the country a loser in every way possible.
Meanwhile, the taxes people pay in Nepal, are perhaps some of the highest anywhere in the world forget a real semi-socialist country like nrighbouring India. That Nepal is an import-based country even collector makes it worse.
It is sure that corruption also existed like it is said of another ‘profession’ and it started to grow and grow. Surely, it existed during the dictatorial Rana rule and many of us are witness to the tremendous increase in the volume of the national ‘ill’ which really took off from the time when Surya Bahahdur Thapa became the Prime Minister and he was given a free hand to rescue the Panchayat System from the clutches of multi-party democracy for which almost fifty per cent of the populace were rooting for. The Panchayat System won under the guidance of the late Surya Bahadur but corruption also won in a big way after that,
Then about a decade later, there was a change of political order when the late King Birendra gave way to the ‘voice of the people’ and there was a comparatively smooth transition to multiparty democracy, The first year was OK, but as soon as late Girija Prasad Koirala took over as Prime Minister after the first General Election, the flood gates of corruption really opened fully and there has been no looking back since then. The alarming thing is the seeds of communal disharmony were also sown by the acts of this gentleman who has already died no so he did not fully see the downfall he created for the country. Even now, despite lines drawn on communal and ethical rights, the less said about this issue the better. At the same time, it is perfectly alright to seek communal identity, but not at the cost of the division of the country. The so-called Maoists started an armed rebellion that completely destroyed communal harmony, not even the expensive policies with all the trappings of a federal government have become even more burdensome, though anything said about will bring the wrath of the traditional political parties and especially the Maoists which itself has splintered into several groups. Now there is even talk, starting from none other than the current Prime Minister and Maoist ‘supremo’ that the party could drop the part of Maoists from its name! The biggest party in the Parliament now, the Nepali Congress split and changes its name many times since its inception the last time it was then young Sher Bahadur Deuba who solicit and changes his party’s name, but what came out of it when the same faces were n power. Similarly, the CPN (UML) has changed it an equal number of times, if not more, but again with the same old people at the helm, no radical changes could be felt. Two vibrant young parties came to the fore after the last election, but being much younger and novices in the game of dirty politics, their voices have gone largely unheard even in a sensitive issue like a provincial system suits a small and impoverished Nepal.
Therefore the parties are enmeshed in issues like who will be the next President, a largely ceremonial post, whether the Rastriya Swatantra Party will come back to power or not, whether a jailed former MP should be released or not and smaller issues, these veteran politicians seem to have no time except to hang on to power or earn money. This is a trickle-down effect and reaches down and reaches all labels in all sectors.
So the future looks very bleak for the country unless a strong young man with a vision and good intentions comes to power or the nation is willingly forced situation of being a failed state.
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