Winner-take-all: Culture of Nepali democracy

"A healthy democracy possesses a culture that is exhibited in behaviors, in practices and respecting certain norms. Culture in this sense, does not refer to art, literature, or music, but to "the behaviors, practices, and norms that define the ability of a people to govern themselves." - Journal of Democracy, quoting Ms. Diane Ravitch, a US scholar.

Adding further the journal (in its June 5, 2004 internet edition) gives equal importance to educating people in building a strong and vibrant democratic society.

It adds further, "Education is a vital component of any society, but especially of a democracy". It goes on to say, quoting the third US president, Thomas Jefferson, "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never shall be."

Evaluating the 14-year long (though very short) period of Nepali democracy, it would be wrong to blame the system itself for its total failure. At this juncture of "exist or extinct", it is very crucial for all to accept that the faults committed by leaders of the system, in no way can be interpreted as the fault of the system itself.

During this democratic period, our uneducated but shrewd and hungry leader’s "winner-take-all and no-compromise mentality" became the definition of Nepali Democratic culture.

Building consensus in making a strong democratic culture, acknowledging contradicting voices, could have been the heart of Nepali democracy in the country of Women and Jana Jatis.

After the failure of thirty year long panchayati autocracy, during which it could not bring together all for the nation building, lessons could have been learned in recognizing views as they come from all fronts that make the country as a whole.

Instead, leaders some born and some educated in northern part of India came to the power and there started the Bihari style of democratic culture. Where there is no respect for contradicting views and corruption rampant, consequently politics and democracy became commerce.

Girija Prasad Koirala, born in Bihar, became the prime minister of the nation for four times at different intervals during the last 14 years. Defending him and his beloved daughter using rhetoric like, " It’s an attack on democracy" or "Democracy is in danger", whenever accused of corruption brought corruption to this austerity. Corruption as a result became a Nepali culture.

Girija, the perfect example of winner-take-all and no compromise attitude, came to the known, as congress party broke into two. This time it was his refusal in recognizing that he is not only the leader in the party who could be the prime minister.

Refusal of leaders of the likes of Late Ganesh Man Singh and Krishna Prasad Bhattarai to remain in the party, who were there since the formation of NC, hints to the failure of Koirala in respecting differing views inside the party itself. They thus became the victim of Koirala’s hegemony. Jealousy thus became a Nepali culture.

His greed again was exposed to its maximum, as wishy-washy Koirala sent signals to the palace "better Surya Bahadur than Madhav Nepal". His never ending desires in remaining in power till the end of his life became the culture of Nepali democracy. Greed thus is a Nepali culture.

But still this does not prove Girija Prasad is the sole person responsible for the failure of 14 years of democratic institution in Nepal. Rather it is those who voted for Girija again and again and brought this country to this political catastrophe.

All these suggest, Girija’s attitude does not posses a democratic culture that is exhibited in his behaviors. Girija in himself is a democracy and whatever he says and does should be a democracy and what ever he says and does it becomes a democratic culture. But we have to bear with him being a citizen of a democratic nation.

The author can be reached at niraj_aryal@hotmail.com

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