Editorial (Spotlight Weekly)

Both India and Pakistan have just celebrated their 56th anniversary of deliverance from colonial rule. Nepal has friendly and cordial relation with both. If it is her compulsion to maintain friendly relations with India despite numerous humiliations and harassments, it is her policy of developing friendly relations with all countries of the world that influences her cordial relations with Pakistan. Since the establishment of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation about seventeen years ago, it has almost become imperative for all the seven member nations that constitute the organization to sink their differences and work for strengthening the Association for the overall betterment of the world's one of the poorest region they belong to. Unfortunately, this has not come to pass as yet. The unmitigated enmity between the two bigger members and the overbearing attitude of the biggest and most powerful nation towards her smaller neighbors have been working as the irremovable bulwark in the path of achieving that goal. A region with the potential of leading the world has been relegated to the position of a parasite simply because of the obduracy of India not to live in peace and harmony with her smaller neighbors. The colossal amount of money being spent in defence and nuclear race would have contributed to alleviating the poverty of more than half a billion people who are forced to live the lives of destitutes. India's ambition to lead South Asia is not unattainable provided she starts treating her smaller neighbors with the dignity and respect they deserve as equal partners in the comity of nations and thus win their trust and goodwill. Because of her unrelenting attitude, SAARC, the regional organization that could have greatly changed the face of all the smaller members, has become a mockery — a show piece used for occasional wining and dining. India as the giant towering over all other member nations, bears the brunt of responsibility of developing this institution into a pivot of economic development and all round progress of the whole region. But she has callously ignored the well-being of the region in order to cater to her soaring ambitions that will always remain a chimera as long she is unable to win the confidence and unstinted cooperation of her neighbors. And this demands that she relinquish her colonial mindset, stop harassing her neighbors and solve, for all time, the mother of all problems — Kashmir. Since Kashmir was virtually annexed by India without the consent of the Kashmiri people, she has to restore to them the birth right of self-determination already agreed to by her in the United Nations more than half a century ago. As far Nepal is concerned, India has to put in practice, without any reservation, what she never tires to profess. Nepal, because of her physical constraints, has suffered a great deal. The peanuts India has spent in Nepal in the construction of minor infrastructure can, in no way, either compensate or condone, the numerous injustices that Nepal has suffered at her hands. Since global politics has taken revolutionary turns and twists in bilateral and multilateral relations and the prime concern of all nations today has become to root out terrorism from the face of the earth, no country can afford to ignore the call to fight terrorism except at its own peril. In the context of Nepal's friendly relations and traditional open border, India can no more dilly dally to stop the Nepalese terrorists from using their contiguous territory as a safe sanctuary. Without India's active cooperation and sincere support it might be rather difficult for Nepal to smash the Maoist insurgency. Since, it would also be in her own interest and the interest of other peace loving nations, India must join hands with Nepal, without delay, to suppress terrorism in Nepal. And if India is seriously desirous of permanent peace in the region, she must start expeditious measures to give the Kashmiri people their inalienable right of self determination without which South Asia cannot even dream of peace. She has also to stop her blatant double standard of abetting terrorism against tiny Nepal while vociferously crying against cross border terrorism against her. As long the hundreds of millions of poor of the region are deprived of the basic necessities and as long the whole region is plagued with the scare of a nuclear war, celebrating independence spending millions is nothing but a criminal force.

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The recent raids in the houses of civil servants by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) in an unprecedented anti-corruption drive in the capital have generated an unexpected wave of delight for the people of Nepal. The news of the raids was received with a great sense of relief. That CIAA has taken a very bold action, even though much belatedly, has raised new hopes in the hearts of millions of poor Nepalis that after all, corruption which has devastated the lives of millions of poor Nepalis cannot thrive for all time. A day has to come, sooner or later, when corruption will be meted out just punishments. But, apprehensions that these enemies of the state and society might be rescued by lawyers still lurk in the minds of many Nepalis. As a matter of fact, law has to take its course irrespective of the Status of the criminals. But, CIAA has, at last, made a good beginning and will continue its drive against corruption without fear or favor. Even though the fish in this dragnet are not very big, by and by bigger fish are sure to be trapped. While commending the CIAA for its act that has assured the Nepalese people of some kind of cleaner administration, the Nepalese people are urging the CIAA to take similar action against the corrupt politicians. Since the politicians are mainly responsible for corrupting the administration and the society, they deserve more stringent punishments, so that they may never be able to raise their heads and foul the atmosphere again. If the CIAA cannot pluck enough courage to nab these stinking politicians, the King must come forward to cleanse the society of these vermins. As long these social termites are not exterminated, our administration cannot be clean and efficient. It is these people who have pushed our infant democracy to the brink of the precipice. If they are out of power and cannot loot the country they start shouting that democracy is in danger. It is actually these people who have soiled the image of democracy. Unless these social pests are totally destroyed there can be no better future for the country and no future for stable democracy. Consequently, all the patriotic people of Nepal, the judiciary, the CIAA and ultimately the King, all have to work together to rid the country of these abominable leeches so that democracy can function smoothly.