Nepal heading towards yet another change ?

Most observers aware of the level of resentments of Nepalis at being looted, defrauded, and discriminated internally; and bullied externally smell that Nepal is almost around the corner of yet another political change. They tell it with all precision that the plan for an ‘ Andolan—a Peoples’ movement’ has reached almost its final stage and is likely to be announced on the Prithvi Jayanti day or some days later with an appeal to the entire hoi polloi to rally behind. This is because the situation at the moment is fertile, ripe and developed to the point of readiness for accepting any revolution that comes with the ‘ fight to finish the thirty-one year (1990-till date) long mess in the country’ mission.

The observers tell that the scattered and scanty street shows are nothing, or a very minute fraction of what is being cooked within the darkrooms in many places both at home and abroad. People like Shyam Sharan and Ranjit Ray seem busy their way talking of and hunting the ‘Shwachhachhabis’ that could be entrusted with the responsibility of running the Interim Government after the change. It is appropriate to note here that Gyanendra also hunted the ‘Swachhachhabis’ in the past that took the nation nowhere near the requirements.

Revisiting the past:

What should not be forgot is that we have had many more revolutions resulting in drastic changes also in the past both in terms of political systems and the actors managing the systems within quick time intervals. Nepal has come a long way from an autocratic feudal monarchy to the consolidation of a federal democratic republican nation.

Nevertheless, the Monarchs of the Partyless Panchayat Regime, the Prime Ministers of the Multiparty Democracy and the Democratic Republic of Nepal failed badly and almost equally to help the people realize their longstanding hope of getting a better tomorrow. Ironically, one of the Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Nepal chose to be a yes-person of the PM.

People kept tolerating all this to a larger extent realizing that country’s overall situation itself places the leaders awkwardly to turn to be the smooth sailors. The leaders conceived it as peoples’ weaknesses and, hence, a license to fail on their part to understand that what counts is the performance in spite of, not in absence of, problems. What Nepalis have found so far are the leaders that always make excuses for their failures. This simply means the search for strong statesmanship and leadership that could turn a negative into positive, adversity into advantage, and stumbling blocks into stepping stones while endeavoring for Nepal’s prosperity is not complete yet. People accept it as writing on the wall that the country could have hardly any such ill-famed rulers in future as they are now. So far, so true!

What change do we seek again and for what ?

Countries like Singapore and South Korea that were nearly like ours during the Sixties have achieved a skyrocketed economic growth amidst our almost standstill situation.

We are slowly and gradually becoming a laboratory to power nations that dare thrust their interests upon us and compel us accept them as if we were their satellites . There is every fear that we may have to face to be yet another Sikkim or Afghanistan or Tibet.

All that we do is we recite Amar Singh and Bhakti Thapa’s names having been cowered in terror to counter any action of encroachment of our territories by our neighbors.

The Congress and the Communists have been treating the private and independent people always as the third class citizens and discriminating them in a manner worse than even what the erstwhile Panchas did to the people non-aligned to them during their rules. A syndicate of the Congress and the Communists is looting the country right from 1990 the way it can, the best it can, and to the extent it can. One could never ever imagine that a nation could be ruled through such a syndicate of parties in power.

Corruption in Nepal grows large under the political protection. I reiterate that corruption is the greatest evil Nepalis have been cursed with which has destroyed the entire economy the way termites destroy trees and timbers. The suppliers of corruption are no other than the leaders themselves and the high officials have long enjoyed the practice of hobnobing them. The CIAA—the so-called anti-graft watchdog — expected to act against all forms of irregularities— is ever constituted comprising the sycophants of the political parties and hence expecting them act with a sense of purpose is something like expecting servants go against their lords. The commoners are wondering if many mega-corruption cases against those who loom heavy and appear to be the living symbols of Nepal’s political drama will ever see the light of day.

The Panchas looted the country in thousands and millions, the Congress and the Communists during the multi-party system in millions and billions, and the rulers after the 2006 April Uprising in billions and trillions. Rumor has it that some of the top leaders are now richer than any of the former Kings ever were. People just do not know one thing: how come that a lad/lass comes Kathmandu wearing slippers with nothing to eat, no roof over the head, and almost no clothes on the body earns billions after having joined politics? What is such miracle in politics and why is politics a factory of amassing wealth in Nepal?

Problems with neighbors especially India:

The increasingly growing trade deficits, timely execution of India-funded projects, issues relating to defense purchases, boarder security, compensation for Nepalis affected by the Koshi and the Gandaki rivers, inundation and flood controls get never resolved once for all; albeit, they happen to be the long-standing problems.

New Delhi never heeds us to compensate the unintentional ‘ bads’ emerged out of its policies . The choicest example is the exchange of demonetized Indian bank notes.

New Delhi is accustomed to frequently bully us as and when we act as a sovereign nation. The example includes the repeated cruel economic blockades it has imposed on us.

Lately, New Delhi dared to publish its new political map having encroached our territories such as Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, and Lipulekh .

India ever holds an intention to pain us more at a time when we are already hurt and pained. We have been wounded every time even before we get our earlier wounds healed. Its campaign against Nepal all the way from London to Brussels to substantiate its blockade on us simply because we promulgated our constitution on our own remains fresh always in our memory. The economic blockade at a time when we have not been capable of escaping the 4/25 earthquake trauma has inflicted such wounds on us that are hardly to be healed ever.

India once again thought to hurt us by encroaching our territory at a time when we have been busy containing the China’s Wuhan-originated contagion. New Delhi has inflicted wounds on us not once, not twice, but many more times.

Guts and insights masterminding yet another change:

It is not that problems as above are insuperable. But resolving them requires placing such good people at the helm of affairs that are well aware of the country’s near- collapse- stage and commit to act accepting the responsibilities as a ‘do or die, or a swim or sink, or a now or never’ challenge. Do the people masterminding the change hold such guts and insights? If yes, make people believe so first.

Remember that a complete elimination of the scourge of corruption is a must if public trust is to be built and make people rally behind the nation building process.