FEATURES NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

Decentralised Development The Late King’s Vision

By Gandhi Raj Kafle

SOMETIMES it’s too hard to add the word ‘late’ for calling the name, which was respectfully spelt out for long in the life of a nation. How can the faith, which the people enjoyed to give some one highly honourable, crumble all of a sudden? That’s why even death sometimes becomes very unbelievable. The reason in the case of Nepal recently is that nobody even in his dream had ever thought of such a macabre ending of life of the highly revered personalities of this country. So, the countrymen in the beginning were seemingly firm not to believe this incident because they had the unshakable good wishes for long life of the then King. But, truth is truth, it makes every one helpless. The history of the nation has already received a mind-shocking wound and the tragedy of this unimaginable incident is that there has been no medicine available in the world to heal this painful injury of the Nepalese history. That’s why the people of this country with their heavy heart and tearful eyes are bound to add the word ‘late’ before the name, which they spelt out with deep sense of honour for so long.

So, it was quite natural for the Nepalese people to break into tears because their heart spontaneously reacted spilling all the innocent love, which they had been storing for the long and prosperous life of the monarch. And, in this course of sharp and innocent reaction, they continued to disbelieve their own ears too and all the printed words that spreaded the bitter information seemed only a delusion for them. In fact, the grief gripped the Nepalese citizens suddenly, the tears rolled down from their eyes automatically and the cloud of gloom overshadowed their face intensively. The people for the first time came to realise how harsh it was to feel the pain when truth begin to tell something unbelievable.

The very tragic case in which every one became sad is here. All the Nepalese people and all the friends of Nepal in the entire world remained deeply stunned and shocked in this incident. this, gigantic tragedy for the monarch loving people of the Kingdom of Nepal is the passing away of His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah, His Majesty King Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Prince Nirajan Bir Bikram Shah Dev, Princess Sruti Rajya Laxmi Devi Rana and other senior members of the then Royal Family in the incident that took place on the fateful Friday night of the first June of 2001 at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace.

But, the grim reality is that nobody can alter this truth. The living beings, who leave for the heavenly abode once, do not return back. His late Majesty King Birendra too does not came back. So, the extremely bitter truth, for which the Nepalese people are mustering courage to tolerate some unimaginable shock, at the crucial times of national mourning, too is an unalterable fact for all the grief-stricken citizens of this Himalayan Kingdom.

But, to console in this time of grief, the words of His late Majesty King Birendra are there. His wisdom to guide the nation, his pragmatic style to direct this country and his tireless efforts to help the people of this Kingdom prosper too are there. King Birendra is no more with the people today, but, to tell the truth, these things, which he has left for the country during his glorious reign will not simply be forgotten. Actually, the late King had both the vision and pragmatism to do good for the nation.

Late King Birendra was for balanced development of Nepal, for which he had divided the country into five development regions. This concept for accelerating the process of economic development in the country is praised by all. In fact, regional disparity in distribution of natural resources and the region to region gap in physical infrastructure are the unavoidable things to ponder seriously for the country’s development strategy. His late Majesty’s primary concern was to narrow this gap through the proper process of national investment in carefully chosen fields of production, for which every development region holds special offer to attract potential capital to maximize the benefit for the people.

Actually, if we think of Nepal’s economic development in terms of topographical variations, late King Birendra’s concept to resources mobilisation holds special significance. Nepal’s Himalayan region can attract thousands of mountain loving tourists of the world every year giving the country its much needed foreign currency sustainably. Similarly, hill region is fit for fruit farming and Terai of Nepal can give surplus food, which can be exported do correct the existing adverse balance of trade of the country.

Thus, three geographical regions and three apparent potential to tap in Nepal had been late King Birendra’s long term framework for economic development, which can’t be forgotten also in the days to come. Actually, man dies, it’s universal truth. In this vein, the bitter truth for all of us today is that King Birendra is no more with us. But, what philosophers believe firmly is that thoughts never die. Late King Birendra’s thoughts too will not die. So, the people in general and planners of the country in particular will not be derailed in the path of duty, for which His late Majesty has left many evergreen thoughts to remember for the good of the nation.

Other Stories