If the constitutional processes suffer complete breakdown, the "law of necessity" will take up its own course

-Hriseekesh Upadhyay, R.R.Campus, T.U

He is at the moment Lecturer in English literature at the Ratna Rajy Laxmi Campus, Tribhuvan University and has been working there since 1986. He secured his Masters degree in TESOL- Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Northern Iowa, U.S. He has taught English language, literature, composition, communicative and professional writing in Masters, Undergraduate and Senior High School programs in the country. His work experience stretches from Steering Committee Member of the compulsory English subject committee of the T.U. Curriculum Development Center engaged in planning and developing English language syllabus to the preparation of text materials, evaluation and teacher training programs for undergraduate level English teachers of the T.U since 1991.

Hriseekesh Upadhyay has several publications to his credit that include among others, "An Approach to teaching Optional English Course at Three Year Bachelor’s Program"; "Teaching and Testing of Reading and Writing in Undergraduate Programs of T.U. Campuses"; "Fiction and Non-Fiction: Mode of Perception and Representation"; "Some Aspects of Sexism" and finally "Socio-economic Dimensions of English: A Nepalese Perspective". Monsieur Upadhyay has also written a book on "’Prajatantra Ko Bato-Road to Democracy which is in Nepali.

He was the chief editor of Nepalese Linguistics Journal from 1990 to 93; was the General Secretary of Linguistic Society of Nepal from 1994 to 96 and continues to be a member of the Literary Association of Nepal since 1985. He has also served as Language specialist at the ministry of Radio and TV Broadcasting, Beijing China for a year or so.

Mr. Upadhyay is the recipient of the Japan Foundation Award for Asian Traditional Performing Arts and a Fulbright Fellowship (1988-90) to pursue master’s studies in TESOL in the United States.

Last week, we approached this highly qualified scholar who is a known Nepali Language and Culture Specialist for an exclusive interview to which he readily agreed. Below the results: Chief editor.

TGQ1: Mr. Upadhyaya! As a responsible and qualified citizen of the country, how you have analysed performance wise the past twelve years of the multi-party order for the restoration of which so many precious lives were lost. Has it made the people happy which should have been in essence or only those who struggled for its restoration for obvious reasons. Your opinion please.

Mr. Upadhya: The twelve years of the multi-party system in Nepal have been a period of missed opportunities in almost every front. People have had much expectation from the new order because there was a feeling that things could go much better for the whole nation and everybody would get a better deal under the truly open and democratic system. More than any thing else, the Nepalese were impatient with slow pace of socio-economic development in the country and they thought the multi-party governance will be a competitive process not just to form government but to address the real issues of transforming the Nepalese society. Many Asian countries were enjoying higher and faster rate of economic development in 1980s and the prospect for Nepal was not at all very promising. Aside from political freedom and opportunity for personal advancement, the Nepalese people hoped for from the new political set up strong efforts at faster and practical measures to take the country out of the economic and social backwardness. But the experience of the last twelve years have shown that rather than making strides in socio-economic advancement, the country has been sliding fast to all kinds of social ills and disorder. Instead of complete freedom and rights to be treated fairly and under the clear provision of the law, the state system degenerated to such an extent that people are left wondering if there is any functioning state machinery at all. This is a huge let down for the masses who only wished for fair play and equal treatment for all.

Unfortunately the caring, sharing and forward moving approach never took hold in the thought and action of the public figures. Democracy came to be viewed only with the surface forms of organized political activities and periodic elections and occupying public offices. External democratic forms alone cannot be the end object of democracy; there must be democratic substance in the national polity and enlightened approach in making use of available resources.

Essentially, the political groups that came to power failed to come up with clear plan of action for nation building. Take any top five politicians of any major political parties and try to distinguish where they stand with regard to policies and strategies to move the nation forward, one would be lost for any clues because the current crop of politicians has nothing to offer for the people by way of vision or ideas in this age of opportunities and quick surge. Instead one hears of shadow boxing of grand design and external conspiracies. The political leaders who should be leading and inspiring confidence in the nation are literally groping in the dark and they have nothing of positive achievement to convey to the people for the misrule of the past twelve years.

TGQ2: The Maoists’ issue and the violence created by the insurgents have already taken frightening dimensions of late. The insurgents reportedly have formed their own "people’s government" in the far-flung districts. The Koirala government is all set to bring in the band of Armed Police Force through Royal Ordinance. Under such situation , you Mr. Upadhyaya don’t think that Nepalese people have two different sets of governments in the country and that the government in Kathmandu has already lost its credibility and legitimacy both? Also tell us how you take this issue: Whether it is a terrorist activity or a political one demanding political dialogue? What could be the most viable solution, in your opinion, to this overly stretched issue that satisfies both the sides? Your comments please.

Mr. Upadhya: The Maoist movement is the telling example of the complete paralysis affecting the multi-party political system in Nepal. Every shocking news concerning the Maoist movement is yet another testimony for the failure of the Nepalese State apparatus. The Maoists represent the political thinking – a powerful ideology from the days of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto- that declares very clearly that mere promise of political freedom for the destitute without practical means of exercising the freedom is an intellectual dishonesty and barely plausible political stunt. Maoists are convinced and they seem to have their ranks swelling in the past five years to the notion that the multi-party system cannot be pro people and it serves only the vested interests of the traditional power holders at the cost of the suffering of the masses. In this situation the multi-party supporters should have prepared a host of pro-people programmes to improve the livelihood of the vast majority of the people and convince the masses that the Maoists are indeed terrorists groups who cannot stand the peaceful prosperity of the people. Had it been so there would have been no need for violence and unprecedented expenditure on security arrangement. The people themselves would have shunned the Maoist overtures. The Maoist movement is the outcome of the mis-governance and its solution is proper governance where ethical conduct, the sense of public service among the public figures, accountability at all levels of society and strict enforcement of the rule of law become the shared norm.

Nepal is possibly the only country in the democratic world where the ruling party continuously rewards its leaders who have made the mess of governing. The leadership of the current ruling party – those holding government positions- and those desperate to gain the positions- have repeatedly flunked every measure of accountability and there is no discussion and soul searching for what went wrong and how could things made to work. There has been complete drought of ideas and alternatives. While politicians complain against and blame others, they shirk from taking tough decisions and enforcing them sincerely.

The recent upsurge in Maoist activities in political front do not indicate substantially new development but they underline the failure of the multi-party governance. The rebels are making the point that the current political order is devoid of the basic norm of political decency. The government is blissfully unconcerned about the proclamation of the "people’s government " by the rebels because the areas affected were never brought fully within the care and support of the central authority. Both sides seem to benefit from this scenario: the Maoists gain psychological boost and the government can devise further plans to bolster defense expenditure. The casualty in this situation is the people’s right to peaceful life and erosion in public’s faith in the multi-party democracy.

TGQ3: We talk of civil society, good governance and what not what not for the betterment of this country. Despite the never-ending rhetoric from the government quarters, nothing so far appears to have been done by the establishment to meet the minimum grievances of the marginalised section of the society. To recall, prior to the advent of the order, it was this set of politicians who pumped up the aspirations of the lay men to the extent that the people too it at its face value. However, things as stand today, you are perhaps aware of the situation. How you assess this situation and what would be your suggestion to the men manning the system to arrest all these anomalies so that ultimately the people benefit from the new order.

Mr. Upadhya: Democratic governance and accountability. What sort of civil society we are talking of when more than 80 thousand teaching posts remain unfilled for five years? Is there a semblance of good governance when party hacks are appointed at sensitive public institutions? An ambassador, a director, a vice chancellor is the position that should go to a duly qualified and competent person- when a nincompoop occupies the chief’s position the whole institution starts crumbling. And the same failed hands have been imposed repeatedly on various institutions a la ministerial portfolio. The political combination holding power in this country have yet to behave in the knowledge that the country belongs to all and the best hand should be entrusted to lead the public institutions.

No one has heard of reward for committed and competent officials in recent years and needless to say many eggheads have been to the top of the critical public institutions.

In the decade of the multi-party decay, a lot of appointments have frustrated the interest of the institutions affected. The politicians have been mouthing stale speeches neither they wrote themselves nor understood anything about them. Not many politicians would agree to your suggestion that things are this bad in our country. They would certainly not agree to the conclusion that they are the root cause of all the problems. ( I think we haven’t talked enough and acted sincerely enough about civil society.

TGQ4: Corruption at the highest political echelons, ministerial and bureaucratic levels have become common and the tragedy has been that no institution so far has dared to penalize the declared corrupts or even initiate charges against them. As a result of this the people question the suitability and the viability of the new system now in place. King-the constitutional monarch- is a silent spectator. This means that we have become guardianless citizens. What would be your advice to the King? Is it timed that He should at least alert the Cabinet and the politicians to arrest the deteriorating situation of the country or leave the matter to the mercy of the managers of the system? Your remarks please.

Mr. Upadhya: The institution of Monarchy alone has risen in high esteem in recent years. There was widespread speculation when the multi-party democracy was restored in 1990 that its fate could not possibly be very different from that of the earlier version in 1960. Indeed the style of governance and neglect of the basic interest of the masses accompanied by the story of high level corruption, deteriorating law and order situation have been the same as before. At present the unresolved Maoist problem and host of social crises including the Kamaiya issue, widespread joblessness among the youth have once again evoked the question of the longevity of the multi-party polity in Nepal. Most people are saying: Things cannot go on like this anymore. But what can be done to restore the sanctity of the rule of law and people’s abiding trust in the constitutional process?

His Majesty of course is fully cognizant of the volatile situation prevailing in the country and one can only surmise that the Prime Minister and Cabinet are sufficiently warned and advised of the required steps to restore normalcy in the country. And this is the logical advice one could tender at the moment. Here too, more than any constitutional power center including the constitutional Monarch, the critical input and initiative must come from the major political parties, especially from the duly constituted Cabinet. So far as the constitutional provisions are in force, one can look upon His Majesty to uphold the constitution and it is the cabinet, parliament and major political parties who should make sure that the constitutional processes do not suffer complete break down. If that happens irrevocably, the law of necessity takes up its own course.

TGQ5: Nepali media is also politically biased. Civil societies apparently toe the political line. Malgovernance and misperformance or no performance has become the order of the day. Fighting in and among the parties have become disgustingly common . Nepal’s prestige whatever we possessed in the past in the comity of nations has declined. The economy is, we are told, is about to collapse. Under such circumstances, what you would suggest to your community of intellectuals to do inorder to save the country from the approaching collapse?

Mr. Upadhya: Of course it is not uncommon for mass media to be politically biased. Besides carrying their baggage the media could do a lot of things to educate the public. The media too has yet to learn its professional role in society. They do not yet seem to understand how valuable their work could be to empower the common readers. By toeing the petty political games of the small time political actors the media have compromised their credibility and it is a huge loss to the nation.

The economy is certainly not in the best of shapes but it is also not really in the state of impending collapse. People will not complain of a little belt tightening if they can trust that the leadership is striving for common good. And this has been missing far too long. One good thing about the country the size of Nepal is that things could be turned around pretty quickly with visionary stewardship. What has dominated the last decade of the mis-governance is the unrelieved gloom and complete absence of the feel good factor. It tells a lot for the failure of the political system when the whole nation misses any hope for the turn of the better.

The same applies to the national prestige abroad. In the post-cold war era of economic liberalization and democratic resurgence countries like Nepal have faced unforeseen complication in international relations. To gain respect abroad the domestic front must be handled astutely. When the nation’s politicians are constantly engaged in wheeling and dealing of the nefarious kind it is natural that the international community finds it convenient to ignore us.

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