NATIONAL8 (Spotlight Weekly]

National Interest

By INDRAJEET KARKI

To prosper and grow, a nation-state seek to realize certain purposes expressed in its enduring beliefs and values. These values which remain relatively constant in terms of time and place, are reflected in a Nation's cherished aspirations like "peaceful and harmonious domestic order, welfare of the nation, human dignity, and the pursuit of happiness" etc. National interests (means) seek to achieve national purpose (ends), just as national objectives seek to achieve national interests. However, no standard mechanism exists for selecting national interests. It involves community or political group's preferences, and likes and dislikes which are normally subjective and pluralistic. In fact, "National interest is a compromise of all conflicting interests; a product of constant internal competition". Western thinkers equate national interests with 'survival and security; political and territorial integrity; economic stability and well being; stability and world order'. All these are inextricably related and their relative importance varies from country to country.

Thus, many subjective players and objective factors including the interests of other nations, come into play while discerning and establishing national interests. The main factors impacting on Nepal's interests are her geography, history, tradition and culture, and unfavorable Treaties concluded in the past. Some of the negative criteria based on which our political leaders/bureaucrats have been defining our national interests are: partisan politics, individual advancement, foreign dependency/loyalty, bureaucratic interest, and ethnic/racial criteria etc. Given this brief background, let us take a look at our national interests.

As far as our vital national interests are concerned, the present trends in Nepal indicate a bleak future. Our national unity/cohesiveness is being seriously eroded. Our grip over our natural resources is slipping away. Our territorial integrity was never more seriously threatened. Enduring values essential for integrating the multi-ethnic Nepalese societies are being grossly undermined. Politicization of criminals and crimininalization of politics is rampant. Smugglers and black marketers have formed a nexus with legislators, bureaucrats, law enforcement agencies, judicial authorities and the media. National politics is drifting aimlessly without any sense of purpose and direction. Many feel the country is heading towards a catastrophic civil war. The overall situation, thus, casts serious doubts over our capability to navigate through the ocean of new Millenium as a free and sovereign nation.

Presently, the most vital interest for a small nation like Nepal, no doubt, is the guarantee of her survival and security and territorial integrity. For a nation-state to ensure these vital interests, nothing in the Universe is as crucial as the national integrity and unity. It is also a pre-condition for sustained peace, prosperity, and development. A country that looses its national unity is definitely doomed or unfit to continue to exist as a free nation. Nepalese national unity at present is in serious jeopardy. The various centrifugal forces in Nepal had never reached the present scale and proportion. The traditional sources and enduring values that united the country and kept the nations from disintegration for hundreds of years have been foolishly undermined, thereby, weakening the bonds of national unity. As a result, Nepal has become weak and vulnerable to both internal and external threats, and peace, prosperity and development in the country have become inconceivable. Logic indicates that if no sincere effort is made to rectify the current trend, Nepal's independence and sovereignty will have to face an uncertain and undesirable destiny in the years ahead.

When the Britishers left India, none of our leaders displayed the moral courage to raise the issue of our vast territory lost in 1816. Instead they signed the Treaty of 1950 under the guise of peace and friendship to ensure the continuity of their vested interests. As a result, our nation bears indelible scars and deep wounds in many parts of her body; she is still bleeding profusely without any recovery at sight. It is not clear why Nepalese political leaders are not serious enough to take pains to settle the border issue, once and for all. Is it because of lack of moral courage or lack of loyalty to the nation?

For the Nepalese people, Nepal's hydropower potential is supposed to be the last beacon of hope. However, past experiences regarding the joint harnessing of the water resources of Nepal, do not portend bright prospects. We have been badly manipulated in all the great hydropower projects- Koshi, Gandak, and Mahakali. The same trend is likely to continue in the future hydropower projects. As long as we continue to have visionless and self-seeking political leaders and bureaucrats, the foreigners will continue to take us for an endless ride.

One of the most critical factors seriously impinging on our national vital interests is the controversial Indo-Nepalese Treaty of Peace and Friendship(1950). Frankly and bluntly put, it is an unequal treaty imposed on Nepalese not only by the Indian government but also by the self-serving Nepalese leaders and bureaucrats. We must be aware of the present and future implications of this treaty. Contrary to the true spirit of intimate friendship prevailing among the people and the highest leaderships of the two countries, this treaty seriously handicaps Nepal in exercising her international rights due to a land-locked country; it cripples her economy and drastically changes demographic structure in course of time; and ultimately weakens and disrupts the national unity. If the present situation and trend continue, this treaty, in the long run will create irreversible economic and demographic situation, which may inevitably force Nepal to forfeit her sovereignty.

At the core of all issues highlighted above, is the leadership crisis facing Nepal. Past and present events clearly verify the fact that Nepalese leaderships seriously suffer from moral and ethical crisis, and simply can't transcend the community and partisan politics. Consequently, national interest is suffering too often at the expense of petty individual, community and party interests.

The geo-political and geo-strategic realities dictate Nepal to allot top priority to her security and survival. Internal and external threats to these vital interests reinforce each other. The external threat can never be successfully addressed when the internal threat remains predominant. Presently, far more serious threat to our vital interests comes from within. History testifies that the best defense against these threats is the national unity and integrity. Therefore, to secure our vital interests, decay and degeneration from within must be arrested forthwith, and national unity and integrity in true sense must be allowed to prosper and flourish among the multi-ethnic societies. To save the country, political leaders must honestly review the history, and discern and retain certain enduring values and institutions like the 'Institution of Monarchy' that can play invaluable role in keeping the 'Fulbari' comprising 'Char Jaat chattis Barnas' from disintegration. The 'balanced role' of such a time-tested and revered institution would: rejuvenate national unity; remain a credible 'check and balance' mechanism; and help to keep the country on the right track. Moreover, the leadership echelon and bureaucrats must be genuinely committed to the cause of Nepalese and Nepal.