Political Parties
Contradictions Should Go Away

By Narayan Upadhyay

TALK about Nepalese political parties and our thoughts are often tinged with a sense of contradictions inherent within the parties and politicians that frequently lead to the parties' unsavoury beak-ups.

Power

An acute lust for power has invited many irritants that have still been ripping the parties apart. Blatant disregard for democratic norms and spirits within the party for which the political leaders themselves make loud rhetoric, the lack of integrity and commitment to the party's well-being, a sense of self-righteousness and a penchant for insincerity among the leaders have remained at the forefront, paving the way for stringent differences that ultimately lead to the cracks in the political parties.
These were enough to produce negative effects for our political parties that would last as long as leaders and parties are not able to rise above their individual or and group's interests. The national polity would further suffer if differences and splits continue even at a time when joint efforts among ranks and files of various political parties have become indispensable to negotiate with the current political situation.

Another reason for the cracks in the party is that stooges and lackeys fuel passion of leaders not to forsake the chairs, lest they would be left in the political wilderness without the benefits that come along being near to the powerful. The love of power and perks became intolerable for rival groups. It seems that leaders want to have control over the party. The control over the party not only held sway over the party itself, but also may give a chance to obtain coveted powerful post in the event the party comes to the power. This invariably gives rise to internal differences among the leaders.

The splits in the political parties and differences among leaders witnessed during the 12 years have been at the root that gave rise to the rampant corruption, bad governance and more dangerous of all- the seven years of bloody insurgency. The hunger for power among our leaders became unprecedented by any measure as the nation experienced 13 governments in the past 12 years. Ministers, bureaucrats and civil servants have come under scrutiny for their abuse of authority and even have suffered imprisonment over the financial irregularity charges. Bad governance blocked development works, which, along with abject poverty in villages, had helped increase insurgency.
But the political parties seem to be in another realm, where individual differences and interests are ruling the roost. When we take into account the splits in our political parties, especially after the restoration of democracy in 1991, the Nepali Congress has a pride of place in leading other political parties.

During 1994, the internecine wrangling reached a climax in the collapse of the government that came to the helm of the state affairs after winning the 1992 general elections with clear majority at the Lower House of the Parliament. The leaders of the party of the late B.P. Koirala, sadly though, fought, not over the principle, but for a share in the power that continued until it actually broke up into two about ten months ago.

Sensing that he was going to face the sack, the incumbent Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba even dissolved the Lower House to pre-empt a likely censure motion against him to be carried out by his own party members. A chunk of his splinter group created another party- the Nepali Congress (Democratic) to complete an unsavoury split that continued to haunt the party for so many years.
The two factions are still at war. The followers of Democratic and the mainstream Nepali Congress do not waste a chance to hurl vitriolic diatribes against each other, hampering the reunion, although the Congress splinter group have been feeling the heat due to the new political atmosphere to come under a single party umbrella.

It does not mean that the malady has only hit the Congress. Other mainstream parties are not aloof from the rot, actually set in by the Congress, the party that spearheaded the struggle to reinstate democracy after 30 years of political wilderness.

The spark of bitter differences once again hit the second largest political party- the Communist Party of Nepal (UML). The seventh national convention of the UML has provided a glimpse of this. It is now a fact that there is no love lost between its two top-notch leaders. Their respective supporters backed each of them up over whether the party should follow the general secretary or presidential system. The party is not out of woods, though leaders have spoken of emotional unity after the end of the Janakpur convention.

The UML had in the past been rocked by the differences among its leaders. Four years ago when the UML was one of the coalition partner in the then government, the disagreement among two of its leaders-the then Home Minister K.P. Oli and UML MP Bamdev Gautam over the rectification of the Mahakali Treaty with India- surfaced leading to the break up of the party.

The breakaway group then alleged the other side for their marginalisation when they were still with the UML. After UML broke into two, the rift between them deepened more. The splinter group formed a separate Marxist-Leninist (M-L) Party, which enjoyed its share in the coalition government during 1996-97. Gautam, leader of the M-L, went on to become the Deputy Prime Minister with the help of 46 ML MPs. After both of them were out of power, they continued hostilities and made scathing public denouncements against each other.

But sadly for the M-L, it suffered a whitewash in the last general elections. Most of the leaders left licking their wounds before they finally came to the UML fold about one year ago. Some of erstwhile M-L leaders are still playing their ball even after the party's merger.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party that earlier broke up into three- each of them led by Surya Bahadur Thapa, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, and Rajeshwor Devkota- has also passed through the same experiences. The party, even after Thapa and Chand came into a single party fold, has witnessed conflicts within its top echelons. It became clear in the Pokhara national convention some two months ago.

The Nepal Sadvabhana Party has become the latest victim of its internal dispute that has almost torn the party vertically. Successive rounds of expulsion of leaders by two warring factions- led each by the Deputy Prime Minister Badri Prasad Mandal and General Secretaries Hridyesh Tripathi and Rajendra Mahato has made the matter worse for the party. The Tripathi group even showed its resentment to the government and warned Mandal to resign from his post.

If we look into myriad of communist parties, we can be able to see why the number of communist parties in the nation is so large. Differences, self-centrism and a culture of intolerance have played havoc for the left parties, perpetually marred by one after another split before and after the restoration of democracy.

Unity

These are some of the examples of how Nepalese political parties have suffered the many rounds of splits. Now is the time that they should forget all the past mistakes to join hands with the sides so that they can tackle the new political situation. If they fail to do so, it will take many years to set things right. What they must remember now is that divided they would certainly fall but can deliver as long as they remain united among themselves.

For Rural Development

By Indra Adhikari

NATURAL resources are the backbone of development of any country. These natural resources are mostly concentrated in the rural areas and are often left unused for years. Proper exploitation of these resources can contribute immensely for the national economy that means development. For this to materialise there should be regular and adequate investment from the government as well as the private sector.

Vital

Rural finance plays a vital role in the overall development of a country. The prosperity of a country and the living standard of its people would be marginalised in the absence of rural finance. The life of people would worsen if proper and effective measures are not taken to uplift the rural economy.
There are ample instances of countries which have made significant progress in a short period through good investment for rural development. Rural development is only possible through the optimum utilisation of the natural resources in the country. Yet, a judicious selection and use of natural resources is suggested mainly with reference to not jeopardize the environmental balance. The countries that have done well socio-economically have given importance to both development and environmental conservation.

Rural finance in Nepal, in the real sense, started in late 1960s. During the short period since the scheme was initiated, significant improvements in national development have been recorded. These rural development schemes in the country were started with the establishment of the Agriculture Development Bank, Nepal (ADBN) in 1967.

The bank provides loans for biogas plants installation, micro hydropower generating plants, establishment of Solar Photovoltaic and many other small schemes. After the government permitted private sector for the establishment of small hydropower generating plants, loans to this sector have increased rapidly. This has led to private sector participation in the rural development.

Together with the Agriculture Development Bank, there are other development banks, micro finance institutions, cooperative societies and INGOs/NGOs in the country joining hands in the rural development sector.

Investment for rural development was further strengthened with the establishment of five Regional Rural Development Banks (RRDBs) in all the five development regions of the country, under the ADB/N. They have also been providing loans at the lowest possible rate of interest to the local people, especially the farmers for buying improved seeds, fertilisers, finding the market for the produced goods and providing training, etc. They have proved to be the basic tools for raising up their living standard and their economic status.

Furthermore, there are Rural Micro Finance Centers (RMFC) and Micro Finance Development Banks (MFDB) in the country under the ADB/N that provide small loans to farmers to start small enterprises. Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) established in the private sector by the local people are additional get-up-and help raise the economic standing of the people concerned. RMFC and MFDB also provide wholesale, rural and micro finance loans to rural MFIs in the country through which it reaches the local people.

The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has licensed rural based savings and credit cooperatives and financial intermediary NGOs and FI-NGOs and playing an important role in rural financing. As of July 2002, the NRB has given such licenses to 11 savings and credit cooperative societies and Micro Finance NGOs in the country. They are mostly registered for providing limited rural finance services.
However, there are at present 2,200 Savings and Credit Cooperative societies under the Cooperative Act 1992. Many of them are providing rural finance services to their members and others giving financial support to all the local people.

The NRB has given top priority in issuing licenses to MFIs if they come forward to serve in the western and the mid-western regions of the country at present.

The programmes of all these institutions are focused on poverty alleviation. The poverty alleviation programmes are given priority in the tenth 5-year development plan, 20-year long Agriculture Perspective Plan and Poverty Alleviation Fund as well.

Though there are numerous institutions working in the rural financing sector, ADBN occupies the major portion of rural finance credibility today. More than 60 per cent of the total financial support that goes to the rural areas is made by ADB/N at present.

The NRB has conducted a Rural Credit Review Survey in 1991-92 with the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank, Manila (ADB/M). The result of the survey said that ADB/N services reach to 85 per cent of loan borrowing families in the rural areas.

But these services reach the local people through informal sources. For instance, a person takes loans from ADB/N and he then distributes them to the villagers at a higher rate of interest than he has to pay the bank. This has become a serious problem to make loans reach the local people directly.
Besides this, there are many problems and obstacles that these banks, institutions and cooperative societies have to face in providing the services such as political instability, conflicts and inadequate infrastructure. The system has not been so effective and efficient as was aimed at in the initial days. This is because of the lack of market and access of the products to the towns.

Inadequate financial structure, various institutional weaknesses, weak cooperative and financial governance, lack of proper auditing and accounting systems, improper management and information system and inadequate regularity and supervisory environment and framework are some of the drawbacks seen in the rural financing scheme in Nepal.

Example

If appropriate improvements can be made, the rural financing in the country would be a good example in national development integrating the importance of remote areas.

Modern Communication

By Hari Bandi

COMMUNICATION in its most general terms, is considered as a chain of events in which the significant link is a message. The chain connects a source that originates and a destination that interprets the message. The process also involves the production, transmission and reception of messages. In its broadest sense, communication is a source and extension of imagination in forms, perception and understanding of messages that bear man's notion of what is, what is important, what is right and what is related to something else.

Messages are communicated through speech, cave and home arts. Writings found in remote caves of Australia and other places reveal the development of communication system in extensive ways. Development of the new technologies in the area of recording images and sound, photography, radio, television and world communication consisting of news network through mass media and internet information dissemination system has revolutionised communication in modern era.

Notably, photocomposition has largely replaced conventional printing, and facsimile broadcasting can connect art galleries or libraries. Xerography, chemical and photo reproduction methods, and microphotography can copy, reduce and store almost all visible and some invisible forms.
Communication flow are mostly analysed in terms of intended political theories, psychological and sociological theories. The most comprehensive summaries of sociological and socio-psychological theories of mass communication process and effects, taken together with the findings of psychological research, suggests that mass communication cultivates the dominant perspectives of society. Individuals are selective in choosing a communications medium, generally to reinforce or confirm what they already think, know or want.

Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) seeks to materialise information education and communication (IEC) to make difference in reality. To achieve this, a holistic approach has been launched through different models to click the messages. Various procedures are adopted. One of such renowned tasks accomplished by Johns Hopkins University, Center for Communication Programmes, has been introducing scope, an exciting, easy-to learn, computer software programme guides learners through the steps of designing effective communication and advocacy strategies for nearly two decades. The programme is focused on assisting public health communication programmes in more than 60 developing countries.

Modern communication methodology consists of strategic thinking to design communication programmes. To sustain programmes building institutional capacities, managing project and strengthening community mobilisation at grassroots are carried out in stages. Modern communication system emphasises on client-centered counseling and materials and developing skills and face-to- face interactions to improve traditional approaches of interpersonal communication.
To accelerate the communication programmes, technology-based approaches as well as bodily expressions are found most effective.

High-tech communication systems are mostly based in satellite system and digital broadcasting in areas of telemedicine, computer network connections and various audio- video technology. Efforts are being made to switch audio into video applications. Experiments are in fast pace to serve the broader audiences. Cost effectiveness also is being considered to bring messages within the reach of maximum masses. Modern communication does not work in isolation but has multisectoral support through three 'M' system that is manpower, management and money. There are various models developed in modern communication, such as country based communication study 'SCOPE ' in computer programme, solution to problemme models, learning by doing process in practical training sessions. Whatever method is applied, a baseline study is fed to access the situation in pros and cons of great details. Innovative creativity is also carried at individual and group exercises. The whole approaches are observed and evaluated at steps followed for fruitful outcome. Focus is centred to make a difference to achieve the goal. Individual and organisational efforts are highlighted to perceive the real success story through visual presentations. People like Gandhi, Mother Teresa's inspiring glimpse of glories are given demonstrating one's man power to bring change.