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Kathmandu Saturday July 01, 2000 Ahsad 17, 2057.
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Ensure human development
The Human Development report prepared by the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is by no means a perfect document. It does
give a fairly accurate account of the state of affairs in various sectors; whether they
are based on western concepts or our own values. The fact that Nepal ranks 144th among
those whose Human Development Index (HDI) the UNDP has prepared is neither surprising nor
elating. We could not have expected anything better with the series of our governments
really not governing but busy holding on to the reins of power and, therefore, the purse
strings of government coffers.
Human development is never possible without
two fundamental factors reaching the common man. One is education and the other is health
services. Even in these two vital areas, politics is rife. Teachers, employed on the basis
of their political beliefs, are more busy indoctrinating students than helping them to
think freely and logically for themselves. The health sector is no better. With this kind
of government attitude, it would have been surprising to see an improvement in our HDI.
Even the fact that Nepal’s HDI stood where it was the previous year is no mean
achievement. This HDI of South Asian countries in general has not been very encouraging
but countries like Sri Lanka whose HDI is in the eighties have indeed done better.
The theme of this year’s HD Report is
"Human Rights and Human development", a theme that is all encompassing. In this
regard, the picture presented of Nepal should be an eye opener to political leaders both
inside and outside the government. Like in other developing countries, the gap between the
rich and poor is increasing despite the magic "mantra" of globalisation and free
market economy. The 20 percent rich in Nepal, probably not all of them Nepalese, possess
over 44 percent of the nation’s wealth while the poorest 30 percent have to make do
with just over 7 percent.
The clear signal to the government and all political parties
is surely that it should address this problem with a sense of war-like urgency. Otherwise,
the sense of alienation among the poor will continue to increase and they will continue to
be deprived of essential services by the government and other concerned authorities. HDR
will lose its relevance if it is unable to propel governments to do their utmost to
improve the status of human beings all over the world. In cases like that of Nepal whose
position in the index is none too enviable, the task of the government and other
organisations is even more difficult and challenging because of topography, lack of
infrastructures and, above all, lack of firm political will. But this is a challenge any
government worthier than its name must take up.
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