If NGOs and foreign donation is like HIV/AIDS to this society - they should be banned

-Jagadish Ghimire, Development Consultant

He was born and brought up in Ramechhap district. He did his BA from the Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, with majors in Political Science and History.

With his passion for higher studies, he moved on to the state of Bihar, India and enrolled himself for his masters in Sociology at Patna University. After a brief stint with His Majesty's Government, he later on went to the University of Wales and earned a Post Graduate degree in Population Studies which was later to help him a great deal in his career.

Mr. Jagdish Ghimire, apart from his professional career, is a well-recognized intellectual of the nation whose critical write-ups force the readers to ponder over his well thought analyses. At the moment, he is a development consultant and is associated with the World Neighbors – an America-based NGO whose Kathmandu office is based in Lalitpur.

He also happens to be one of the founding fathers of the Tilganga Eye Hospital located close to the Royal Nepal Golf Club. Presently he is the chairman of the eye above-mentioned hospital. Under Mr. Ghimire's patronage the eye hospital conducted several eye camps in the districts which helped thousands of needy people in correcting their eyesight.

Besides, he is also a well-received litterateur of Nepal with two novels, two short story collections and a drama to his credit.

Last week, R. B. Khatry approached this highly qualified intellectual to share his views regarding the contemporary national events. Below the results: Chief Editor

TGQ1: As a very responsible citizen of the country, how you Mr. Ghimire, would assess the ongoing Nepali politics, specially after the dissolution of the parliament and the split in the congress?

How have you rated the performances of various governments formed after 1990 ?

Mr. Ghimire: The country is in a mess. It is passing through the greatest upheaval and uncertainty ever since the conflict with the British. The performance of all governments since 1990, including that of the interim government led by K.P. Bhattarai has been negative. The interim government failed to lay right foundation. Therefore it was easily deteriorated by every new government. The first general elections were relatively cleaner - and every subsequent general elections became more and more corrupt and so became the governments and administrations that were formed as a result.

TGQ2: As a strong and acclaimed critic, we presume, you must be aware with the already prevalent disillusionment and utter confusion among the lay men including the informed classes thereby causing irreparable damage to the very viability and the suitability of the system itself. Who is to be blamed primarily? Do you have any ready-made solutions to correct the damages incurred so far?

Mr. Ghimire: There is no quick fix and there will never be any- if you want to solve the fundamental problems that Nepal is facing. This applies to all countries and organizations in the world.

As far as your question as to who should be blamed is concerned - I think generally the blame goes to every Nepali. It goes most to those who only moan and complain whether in Nepal or overseas and do nothing about it. The chronic complainer should be blamed most.

Next are the people at the top. The biggest share of blame goes to the highest decision making level in politics, government, administration, business, ngo, civil society and all kind of elite and least goes to the those in the lowest level in the society and economy and are marginalized. Higher the level you are in the hierarchy of "power" greater the blame you deserve. The more you act to help the poorer and weaker in any way you can - the less blame you deserve. The more marginalized you are the less blame you deserve.

TGQ3: A section of senior economists have been advocating that Nepal, as a nation-state, can easily sustain its economy, developmental projects and the likes even in absence of international donors' assistance. How can a beggar-like donor-driven nation such as ours sustain itself without international support? As a man involved in NGOs since long, how you refute the general allegation that the NGOs were nothing but a group of dollar-hungry persons?

Mr. Ghimire: Nepal can do very well without foreign aid if it managed these things properly:

1. Population growth (including immigration), 2. Its boarders in all four sides, 3. Religious resources, 3. Tourism and 4. Water resources.

1. In the last 60 years Nepal's population grew about 4 times - from about 6 million in 1940 to 23 million in 2001. With the present annual growth rate of over 2.3 percent this number will double in another 33 years. This country simply cannot sustain that growth. Today there are over 27 percent or 6 million people aged 15-29. Most of them do not have "reasonable" jobs. In search of jobs and meaning in life, some have left the country and others have gone to the forest. Some are hanging around some party leaders hoping that their leaders will grab power one day and give them jobs or equivalent. This is the main problem that this country faces and needs to be managed. If you do not manage the problem of population growth and unemployment and do justice with people, you will be finished. And that is what is happening today.

2. If you are a country of 23 million people sandwiched between world's two largest neighbors and superpowers each with over one billion population and you have three sides open boarder and one side near-open boarder, you either manage the boarders well or be prepared to evaporate.

3. Water resources and religious resources that we have in this country - Buddhist, Hindu and other traditional resources, if managed well and combined with tourism (development tourism, religious tourism, Eco-tourism, cultural tourism, adventure tourism) we will not need any foreign aid. We will in fact do better without foreign aid.

I do not refute that NGOs are run by donor-hungry persons. In fact I do not know of any average person in the world who is not dollar-hungry if by dollar you mean employment or remuneration. Every body wants to be employed or remunerated if employed. But if you think to accept dollar or foreign aid is to be dollar-hungry - then it the policy that is dollar-hungry than the people who use it. If accepting dollar is wrong it should be stopped. We may even do better, as I said before by stopping it. But it an acceptable practice it should be well regulated.

If there will be no foreign donation 99% NGOs 70% government's development projects will whither. That shows that they are mainly based in foreign donation - whether you call it being dollar-hungry or dollar-satiated or dollar-cultivation (as some people call it). Calling name is one thing but analyzing the problem is another.

There are good and bad NGOs as there are good and bad people. There should be mechanism to promote good and eliminate bad. If NGOs and foreign donation is like HIV/AIDS to this society - they should be banned. This country is county of dollar-hungry people whether they live in Nepal or leave Nepal- all are looking for opportunities, employment, reasonably descent life - that a good job or dollar gives. Every body needs money, needs job. The only concern should be that thing should be fair.

The question that every one of us should ask and ask very honestly and frequently is: what are we doing to make Nepal better in whatever capacity we have and from wherever we are!

TGQ4: The CIAA is already in the move. Panic appears to have pervaded practically all the corrupt sectors of the Nepali society. However, the pace of the CIAA is dangerously slow giving an impression that it is either incompetent or is told to be slow. How do you take the CIAA actions? Shouldn't it spread its tentacles to the upper political echelons widely considered to be corrupt?

Mr. Ghimire: CIAA has done wonderful job. No body should be spared. I believe CIAA is doing its job.

TGQ5: Prachanda is apparently desperate in having talks with the establishment. The government denies talks. In the process innocent lives are being sacrificed and development process has come to an almost standstill. What do you Mr. Ghimire, as a development-economist, think Nepal has suffered due to this government-Maoists adamancy and violent activities from both the sides? What is your suggestion for both the sides given the approaching November election?

Mr. Ghimire: As I said before there has never been in Nepal's history more loss of lives and property in Nepali versus Nepali conflict. Most of all there has never been such overwhelming cynicism, frustration and suffering among the most common people than in the present times. The solution is: talk, talk and talk. There cannot be any substitute for both parties to sit down and negotiate. Conflict is loose-loose game - where both parties loose. Negotiation is bound to happen - the only question is after how heavy loss?

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