Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Opinion

Dr. Ishwar L. Acharya, MRCP; FRCP, Consultant Physician, Nepal

Can Nepal, a multi-faith society living as one cohesive society make development if rigorous and yet sincerely genuine efforts are carried out? Why not?

The long awaited change for the better has to emerge one day and it has now come out of necessity because for over many decades, no developmental activities in real sense to uplift the economy of nation occurred with many varieties of shows by the old regime in spite of the fact and knowledge that all neighboring countries except Nepal did better, flourished and excelled.

The most important and as a matter of fact the only factor lay ahead of present and future governing body / power to solve all the problems gradually is the ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. It is in a real sense a great challenge. Our nation now needs a sacrificing leader with far reaching visions of economic brain and without any personal or selfish motives but well dedicated to the development of nation. He / She has to motivate people to work together, be innovative and dynamic and at the same time sacrifice for better future of nation to turn what at times appears impossible into a reality stressing bitter truth that the fruit of economic development is not easy to come by although it tastes good.

Efficient economic change to the benefit of needy people can also be accelerated with support and sacrifices of the old leaders of seven parties enjoying present facilities although they are nothing but old wine in new bottles. These are the sort of leaders who pronounced benevolence in the past but practiced hypocrisy betraying themselves, people and the nation. Will they continue to say one thing and mean and do something entirely different? Will they continue to be comforting in sole of others shoes as in the past? Can they make ‘U’ turn to be corruption free? Only time will show how sincere they are to the benefit and cause of the people as they speak and advocate and how instrumental they would not be to sell the properties of the country.

The stable economic development can only be achieved if all parties including Maoists agree in principle and policy to support one line positive thinking without any compromise about i) National development, ii) Defense System iii) Foreign policy and three areas of contribution to present economy of Nepal viz a) Tourism b) Manpower export and c) water and hydro power utilization while preserving, protecting and defending national integrity and not selling nation and national property to others without benefit.

All these can be achieved by:

i) Fairness of policy i.e. predictability taking into account of many challenges and uncertainties in the present world.

ii) Efficient and valued good governance.

iii) Check & balance in Government & Parliament (i.e. opposition in Parliament is necessary where it should be Maoists or vice versa) to ensure Government and Parliament accountable to any wrong doing including the king if he remains to act dedicated to the people as the Thailand King.

iv) Maintain country as a safe and secure haven.

Nepal has to make active and fast strides to gain lost time in development.

Maoists and their supporters can help achieve this. They can maneuver to convince seven parties in order to work together to build a better Nepal in future if they have fought for this purpose. This will be the means for the future government to gain lost trust of the people.

It is not the time for any party to remain defiant and non-chalant nor to allow to continue the atmosphere of insecurity and uncertainty. Time has now come to move from dialogue to action. Both concerned parties may not agree on every issue but agreed issues or areas of agreement can become the basis of co-operation to forge ahead to tackle problems facing the country with recession, insecurity & crisis in every field gradually one by one on priority basis.

Elaborate short term plans connecting to long term master economic plans are also needed for above factors. However prioritization of economic activities can be done taking adequate care of the fact that i) nobody will live without food, shelter, something to wear, securely and safely in a set number of years without robbing or depriving anyone else who has already made headway.

ii) Enough crops to feed people adequately and also encourage producing cash crop for export.

iii) Preservation and conservation of natural beauty, heritage of nation and exploiting their charm to the appreciation of visiting tourists.

iv) Creating atmosphere where investors from outside and inside will actively participate, and thus generate jobs so that people do not have to go abroad through the system of man power which, however, is strengthening our present economy.

v) Creating policy and generating infrastructure to achieve:

a) Road /rail links from East to West and many interlinks between North and South taking help from other nations.

b) Maintaining good efficient sanitation including construction of new drainage system in Kathmandu, supply of potable water to people including that of Kathmandu through Melamchi if needed, sewerage disposable systems through international help. This will ensure / create an atmosphere of confidence that no infective disease is likely to occur in people visiting Nepal as tourist is the second important source of Nepalese economy.

c) Provision for quality class education to all so that above developmental features are appreciated and carried over in future. Above all, education should be meritocratic and egotistic based on good morality and patriotism.

d) Delivery of efficient health care system stressing all preventive aspects. A strong policy to render maximum possible treatment helping pattern through a separate budget/or insurance scheme to subsidize the cost of those who can’t afford is necessary.

e) Utilize water and hydro power of Nepal to the development of India, China and Nepal without any prejudice, harm and hegemony to anyone. Convince eastern giants like China and democratic country like India that there should be brotherly feeling to share the benefit of hydro power, existent unutilized in Nepal, the energy needed for both countries for their future growth. If this could be acquired through mutually beneficial good dialogue winning the heart of Nepalese people, why bother to use unseen force, tricks and treachery as done in the past even to get water from Nepal. Without free water from Nepal, scarcity of water supply will likely to occur even in Delhi in next 25 years. Why is the need for India to create internal animosity when things are likely to come by easily? It is high time that India changes its policy towards its neighbors including Nepal of showing one thing and doing entirely different from inside and giving up the attitude of neo-colonization of its neighbors? So long as India does not change its present attitude towards its neighbors and abolish difference in class system domestically, it can never surpass the economic heights of China no matter what other resources it mobilizes. India should not forget the freedom struggles and slogans so soon and so easily it raised against British Raj to liberate India. India should also not forget that Nepal not only helped tide over monsoon inundation and devastation of its neighboring areas of India but also boost the economy of those areas without any appreciable benefit to Nepal. Thus it should take a step forward to generate trust and understanding as it has offered to protect the straits in SE Asia in order to eliminate the obstacles so that both Nepal and India can move forward. To take correct approach now of course in the interest of India with larger picture and future in mind, not only looking beyond one’s own interest for water, hydropower and market but also giving facility to Nepal to export in order to narrow the balance of payment, bearing in mind the concerns of its neighbors including Nepal, consulting on an equal footing and not imposing one’s own will on the other nation will be an invaluable imprint for India to make its name in history in 21st Century and also will help India to be a big power in Asia which can never be achieved having animosity from its neighbors.

If India can take risk to bring gas for energy from Iran through Pakistan, the one time staunch enemy, why can’t India win Nepalese mind to utilize Nepal Hydro power for the energy they are going to need in future giving perceptible benefit to Nepal as well? It is still not too late to generate trust and understanding between the two countries where there may be more benefit to India and also to Nepal to make prosperity.

At the end, I would suggest the following:

f) Punish severely those who violate the laws whether they are i) cheaters; ii) law breakers; iii) law makers

Nepal must change its face for the better in next 10 years by selling the hydro power at a reasonable price. Let talents and entrepreneurs be allowed to come with money to build our nation according to our long term national plan giving adequate revenue to the nation and taking their share as well in return as part of investment as being practiced by Mr. HUN SEN, prime minister of Cambodia.

This is my personal plea and request to the present day leaders to create a better Nepal in future.