A word to the donors!

It is altogether a different matter why Nepal has not been able to develop the very basic infrastructures as yet despite the pouring in of donations, grant aids and soft loans from the good old days of the Panchayat that continues till today. A sizeable chunk of the intellectuals here now strongly believe that for all the dismal performances seen in our developmental efforts were solely due to our own short sightedness, faults and the rampant corruption those exist so deep in Nepali society that a person who dares to investigate perhaps himself will come out corrupt. The corrupts will definitely corrupt him as well. The level of corruption has gone up dramatically after the advent of democracy. We can ask today as to where the money went in the past and yet goes which we so generously receive from our friendly countries. Why we have become so corrupt that the money that comes for the overall development of this country from different parts of the globe, we eat them up for our personal ends? Panchayat or no Panchayat the eating up continues unabated. Billions and billions of dollars might have already come to this land but the net result is a big cipher.  If the progress of Kathmandu means the progress of entire Nepal then we have nothing to say. But if Nepal means those children living in remote mountains who are denied of two regular meals, education, drinking safe water, vaccines and basics of human needs then the statistics reveal that those destitute have yet to wait decades and decades more when fruits of development ultimately reach to them. Ask a hungry poor man in Humla and Jumla as to what he means by the term democracy. He will certainly say that he needed two meals for his children and himself and nothing more than that.  He doesn't want to know as to what the democracy means! The volume of donations is increasing and with that the people falling below poverty line is also surprisingly increasing. What a tragic situation. This being a democracy and my self being in a daring profession I hereby suggest rather request the friendly nations that while granting aids to this country they, as Professor Pyakuryal.Bishwambher talked to me in his interview a few weeks back, should forward some conditions upon this government.  Until the donors are assured that  greater portion of their 'donations' get utilized in real 'Nepal' they should not sanction the amount. For this a mechanism should be devised at the earliest. This process will automatically divert the 'funds' to the areas where the people need most. This will force the government to go to the poor.

The same request applies again to the friendly nations on devising ways and means on their liberal funding(s) to different NGOs. Albeit it is their money and who should they fund is not my business. Yet we dare to advise them to go in for funding with care. This is our climate and the climate here is such that encourages corruption. The best way to fund local NGOs would be to give them first a Project (as per the proposal) and upon completion of that project the funding should be made. This will automatically reduce the funding and will be a result- oriented project. Indeed, the 'donor' must be able to visit the sites of projects and on an unannounced basis.

The five star hotel lectures followed by a dinner have all become farce in Nepal's context. We have seen a few NGO chairmen and their hand picked office-bearers to have been enjoying  their best by pocketing the greater shares of the funds thus donated by the friendly government.

Five or six year's back, I met an American at a Soaltee Hotel reception. After the introduction I felt that today I found a very sensible man with whom I can share my feelings. Later, when I suggested him to tell his senior friends not to fund Nepali NGOs directly because this in my opinion encouraged corruption, the American Embassy official blasted at me. When I saw his reddened eyes I quickly convinced myself that it was very difficult to convince the Americans over this aspect. But, whether Americans like it or not, I yet posses the courage to remind all the donors as well friendly countries to put and end to the direct funding to the NGOs. In paper, in statistic work who can compete our NGOs? If one were to believe the paper works and the already propagated news then the environmental degradation of this country should have already stopped. But the reality is the other way round. I suggest the donors who are currently engaged in pollution controlled efforts through the NGOs to visit the riverbanks at Kalimati and Bagmati also. This will open their eyes. Or I advise them go to the German embassy gate in Gyaneshwar. Here the fault of the municipality is also responsible.

Finally, if the donors really want to see a Nepal where the fruits of development reaches the lowest rung of the society, if they really want to see a real smile in the face of the peoples living in the remote mountains, if they want equally to see their money utilized then they should think twice before they donate money either to the government or almost to the fake NGOs. A string has got to be attached some where  just to control 'embezzlement' which is very high in our society. However, this string shouldn't be considered as interference in our internal politics. At least my newspaper will never think of that. Needless to say, a donor too has a strong desire to see his funds properly utilised. After all, the money belongs to their tax payers back home.