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| Kathmandu, Tuesday April 30, 2002 Baishakh 17, 2059. |
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Democracy and development
By PRATIVA SUBEDI
After the restoration of democracy in 1990, the
Nepalese people had high expectations for the benefit the country would derive from
democracy. Democracy gave people freedom of speech and the right to be politically active,
but it did not change people’s lives as they had expected. People wanted roads,
electricity, employment, education and clean drinking water in the remote areas, but this
did not happen. Political instability affected not only the general public, but
businessmen and professionals as well.
Consequently, today people are blaming the
multiparty system. In actuality, it is not the multiparty system that is bad, but it is
the leaders who are handling it incorrectly that are the problem. Some people are looking
for a change and they think that the alternative lies in what the Maoist rebels are
offering. But the Maoists are not a reasonable alternative because of their inhuman
activities.
Communism came into existence because of
economic injustices. Some people still believe that communism is a panacea to alleviate
poverty, but this has not happened in practice.
In 1991, the failure of communism in Russia was
the result of dictatorship, production of weapons, and a centralised system. Market and
private ownership of property were prohibited. Communism as an ideology has not worked in
many parts of the world, and it will not work in Nepal either. In China and Vietnam,
communism has adopted a more open-style economy that is more in line with the current
western democratic model.
In a capitalist economy, money and market are
highly focused. An economic system can only be sustained when natural, social, and capital
property can be preserved. The western model of development puts heavy emphasis on money
and economic power. The western development strategy is not ideal for a developing country
like Nepal because it does not preserve the life support system.
Democracy is not the reason why development is
failing in this country. It is how the present government and its political parties have
administered democracy, which is the root of Nepal’s problems. Ideologically,
democracy is essential to development. Development is a process by which people increase
their capacity to produce essential goods and services and meet their demands.
In our country, development should benefit all
the people equally. It should be environmentally and economically sustainable in all
sectors of the community. Women especially, should have a say in the development process.
Development is not just about economic growth, it is about improving the lives of every
woman, man and child.
The key part of democracy is that it allows the
public to freely discuss and make an informed, well thought out approach to improving
their own and their country’s future. Democracy enables the distribution of a wide
variety of information about development, Nepal, and the government. In this way,
democracy should reduce corruption.
The government’s policies, however, have
not worked towards this model of development. Although the Nepali Congress and the UML
claim that they believe in social democracy, they have not put their claims into practice.
The government introduced a liberal economic policy following the restoration of democracy
in 1990. This western-style model of extreme capitalism did not benefit the common
citizens of Nepal. Although Nepal’s economy has grown, the benefits have not been
distributed fairly among the population. In fact, Nepal’s liberal economic system has
made the rich richer and the poor poorer. A liberal economic policy should be reviewed as
to how it could be benefit all.
Responsible and healthy journalism is another
important factor that helps to sustain democracy. Since the restoration of democracy,
newspapers and other sources of media have been informative. A lot of information is
available.
Nepal’s education system is also not
adequate. The government should enforce free education until students complete high
school. The education system in Nepal should teach people to think for themselves and
their country. Education plays a major role for the success of a democratic system.
Nepal’s land reform system also hinders
democracy as it does not adequately give the citizens an opportunity to be independent and
to look after themselves. It does not give women the right to own property - even though
they carry out most of their works on the farm. The government’s distribution of land
is also poorly planned, for it does not take into account the important issues associated
with land management such as soil erosion and water pollution.
The above-mentioned problems are not the fault
of democracy, but they have arisen out of the faulty approach and policy of the party
leaders have chosen to follow. The government could easily have implemented a democratic,
socialist, and people-oriented approach to development.
Even in Japan, they have carried out effective
land reform that has given the people control of their own means of income, hence, their
own lives. Japan did not open up its economy to the cut-throat world of international
competition immediately. They waited until the country’s industries had grown enough
so that they could meet internal demand. Only then did they begin importing and exporting
products on a global scale.
Democracy has provided its people with freedom
of speech and liberty. People are free to express their opinions to the public. Many
people are organised in social and political institutions such as NC, UML and underground
Maoists. However, tolerance and trust between the parties are lacking.
Political parties blame each other for
corruption and mismanagement. No one respects each other’s ideologies or professions.
Civil society, politicians, and bureaucrats do not work in co-ordination in favour of our
national interest. The key to development in Nepal lies with the implementation of a
social democratic system.
Thus, in Nepal, we need to think about building
our own society in creating a healthy balance and ensuring interaction among the civic,
governmental and economic sectors. This is possible in a democratic system. Sadly, for the
moment, many of the significant development issues within our country seem to be sidelined
because of the problems created by the Maoist insurgency. This is clearly the first
problem that must be addressed. Democracy without the rule of law is quite terrible. In a
true democracy, economic and social justice should go side by side.
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