Development
As A Political Agenda

By Gandhi Raj Kafle

ECONOMICALLY, the world’s agenda of reforms for achieving higher growth rate is once again stealing the limelight. However, the interesting thing to watch is that the global policies introduced to address economic problems are being reviewed sincerely. This new initiative may work for small economies like Nepal. The policy makers of the developing world will have one more opportunity to work for boosting production at grass-roots level.

Goal

Certainly, things do not move as desired. Even China, which today has achieved higher economic growth rate admits boldly that adaptability in different social set up may gradually gain strength to prove beneficial through the process of privatisation. But, what seems to be certain is that China has apparently recorded higher benefits from the policies of open economy, which the country is pursuing today.

China does not want to roll back its processes of economic reforms. Instead, the country vows to restructure bureaucracy for sincerely and effectively implementing norms of globalisation to benefit the people. But, it all cannot be achieved by discouraging grass root-level production in the name of privatisation. China’s policy thrust, thus, is to boost local production for making the nation a strong economic power. Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji highlighted all these issues of his country’s economic policies and plans recently.

For Nepal, there is yet another socially and culturally very close nation to consider. This is India, which also aims at prospertly. Unlike China, this country must not have any reservations for keeping abreast the norms of privatisation to globalise its economy for greater benefit.

Sounds unbelievable, but India is set to achieve nine per cent rate of economic growth. Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajapayee has fixed it and claimed it as a practically achievable target. But, how it can be achieved? Policywise, there is no major shift. The main focus is still on private sector and to gain maximum benefit economic globalisation has become the ultimate objective of modern India.

Thus, Nepal’s two big neighbours – India and China – are treading a broader road of globalisation cautiously, but strategically. As far as economic development of the countries is concerned, their ideological inclinations and concerns too are not detrimental for the mobilisation of resources. This is indeed a pragmatic approach, which needs to be praised because the entire world is in favour of accelerating the rate of production. And, Nepal, though its economy is yet to show convincing performance to benefit from the global offer, too hails India and China’s economic successes.

What is more important for Nepal is to harmonise its own agriculture, trade and industrial sectors through the participatory approach of the producers themselves for the success of the government’s national development policies and programmes. Will it be achieved? People’s participatory approach in development activities is the main thrust of any democracy. If it’s so, why is Nepal’s economic performance dismal? If is really a serious question to be addressed.

There is a full-fledged democracy in the country and every government formed during the decade of democracy claims that they did every possible work to strengthen the hands of the Nepalese people in the process of economic development. Yet what are the reasons behind these failures?
In fact, it’s not possible to single out any individual, party, organisation or a certain section of the society for this situation.

However, the truth is that the people of Nepal are increasingly becoming conscious about development issues. If it had not been so, corruption issues would have gone unnoticed. There would have been no massive media coverage against it. Researchers, development watch groups, intellectuals and professional people too would have been tightlipped about it. But, to tell the truth, there is an uproar over these issues, which is good for our future.

So, in the quest of better standard of living, democracy has illuminated our hopes. The people have their choices and they can decide on their own. Yet, the question is why can’t we boast of a rapid economic change? The democracy, with so many contradictory elements, can’t bring us the desired result. There is rampant corruption and, it seems checked and balance system, which we have embraced for democracy, is not functioning well. This situation still leaves a room for reforms.

Indeed, the trouble is that the leaders in and out of power all claim to be clean, dutiful and transparent in action and behaviour towards the people. But, the performance does not reflect it. Someone must have failed. In fact, the leaders themselves have to search their soul because the people do not fail in a democracy. So, whatever has happened is the failure of the people’s representatives only.

Responsibility

Therefore, responsibility must be borne with determination to move ahead for impressive economic development. The people demand this and also raise their finger at the responsible persons because democracy leaves no confusion as to whom to point too.

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