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| Kathmandu Saturday April 06, 2002 Chaitra 24, 2058. |
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Another prank?
"Unprecedented solidarity formed against
rebel-called bandh" read the headline on your newspaper on April 1, 2002. At last the
political party leaders seem to have got some sense.
Since the restoration of democracy, Nepal has
seen innumerable maladies basically because of weak and sycophancy based leadership driven
by personal and short-term gains rather than the interest of the nation and the people. We
have also seen governments run by all the parties and even coalitions based on convenience
for the benefit of the leaders and the parties rather than for the strengthening of
democracy. Corruption has made tremendous progress creating a new class of nouveau riche
overnight from among the politicians.
While our lawmakers should be busy making laws
and discussing the future of the nation for the next millennium, we witness unproductive
sessions in parliament. Our MPs are busy mostly in formulating laws that are beneficial to
them and extending the sessions with boycotts, while a Nepali brother kills another in the
name of some ism, resulting in the total collapse of the law and order of the country, and
the general population feel insecure in their own homes.
The economy is in a shambles, industries are
tottering, public security is in tatters and the country continues to bleed while our so
called leaders feel no shame. Instead they continue to play their dirty game of power.
Even at times of crisis, the political parties are busy blaming each other, while every
Nepali knows that the sole responsibility for bringing the nation to this miserable state
lies squarely on the incompetence of the politicians who have adopted politics as means of
serving their personal interests.
One can expect governance from those who are
disciplined, virtuous and democratic. Politicians of today’s Nepal have shown, in the
last twelve years that, they have none of these qualities. To clean a body, one cannot
begin from washing the feet. Washing needs to be begun from the head. For correcting the
present political maladies can the present leadership form solidarity in beginning this
political cleansing? If they cannot the said solidarity will only be another April Fool
prank.
Jaya Dev Baidya
Thapathali, Kathmandu |
