5 Questions The Telegraph - Weekly (Nepal)

5 Q U E S T I O N S

Civil society must try democratizing policy procedures - Rajendra Prasad Gupta, Reader, Mahendra Morang Campus, Biratnagar

TGQ1: Nepal has become already unstable politically. What the "civil society" should do from its part to press the establishment and the opposition so that the nation takes a smooth course?

Mr. Gupta: The present political scenario is the result of the lack of political foresight in the political parties in general and among the leaders in particular. The advent of democracy in 2007 BS brought many hopes to the uneducated but conscious people of Nepal. The 2017 BS setback came so suddenly that even the political leaders became paralyzed. The three decades of the dark, Panchayat brought the pleasant memories of the eighteen-month of democracy afresh to arouse the people as a whole to revive the parliamentary democracy. The success brought a dazzling morning, but it was so bright that it blinded the leaders. The unstable political situation is because of the blindfolded moves, plans and policies of the political parties and the governments. Democracy needs and allows criticism for which the critical sense is required. However, the people have not been allowed to develop critical approach to introduce real development that can strengthen the system and consolidate stability.

The "civil society" should think of this and make the people aware of the political activities that cause instability. Besides, stability of a democratic system depends on the democratization of the policy-making procedure, which has never been thought of by any of the governments since the revival of democracy. Policy making procedure can be democratized by making the people aware and conscious politically. Hence the civil society, the treasury and the opposition benches must think of training the people politically to democratize the policy making procedure to help the country get stability.

King should advise the present day leaders - Jiveshwar Lakhey, Reader, Mahendra Morang Campus, Biratnagar

TGQ2: What you think of the role of the Constitutional monarch in handling the present chaotic situation. Should he intervene or let the things go as it is?

At the outset, I would like to state that the present problem is the result of our past blunders or our efforts to find out the shortsighted solutions to tackle the serious situations. We never cast upon the goal of the distant future and the larger objectives. We always went for immediate gains. It is the duty of the Chief of the Executive to come with proposals acceptable to all in the larger interest of the country and the people.

Statesmen should always think of future generation, not of the next election. If situation so demanded all should be prepared to have even certain novel amendments in the constitution. A constitution stands for the people and not the people for the constitution. So keeping his constitutional position in consideration, His Majesty the King should advise all quarters to have proper solutions failing which history will take its own natural course whatever may be its consequences. Read the writings on the wall.

Nepali economy can’t withstand such bundhs’ - Dev Raj Shrestha, Chief, Management Campus, Purwanchal University,Biratnagar

TGQ3: As a responsible citizen of the country, how you think of Nepal Bandhs? Can a country like Nepal and its meagre economy withstand such regular bandhs?

Mr. Shrestha: The regular Nepal bandh program perhaps is one of the most undesired and unfortunate events that the Nepalese people have of late been force to endure. Otherwise who knows what would happen to those who do not comply with the dictates of the bundh sponsors. Things may depend on the mercy of the organizer. At this point it seems difficult to assess the role of the concerned body. Also the value of such a bandh depend on how positively the concerned body takes it.

It seems the bandhs are conducted largely at the cost of common people’s interests. The bandhs may have their origin from the politically unsatisfied minds. They should, however, think from the perspectives of the common people. The bandh is only serving one-way communication; the organizers call for the bandhs, the people comply with that. The politics of bundhs’ must also think on how to boost the socio-economic conditions of Nepalese people in general. Nepal and its meagre economy in no way can withstand such regular bandhs. This may be equally applicable to other economies as well. A day’s bandh means a total bandh in the overall economic activities of all productive organizations, working people as well as entrepreneurs. Indirectly there may be several thousands of people involved in that loss. The total effects are well reflected in the budgetary performance of government in terms of development and welfare works. In a nutshell, the bundh should not be only for bundh. It should not be fashion like and a primary tool to exercise or show one’s influence. There may be alternatives to these bandhs. It is necessary to secure voluntary participation of people in such bandhs. It is now, high time to rethink and assess the usefulness and effectiveness of such bandhs.

Personal and partisan interests have triumphed over the national interests - Mr. Megh Prasad Upadhyaya, Intellectual and Social worker, Janakpur Dham

TGQ4: How you, Mr. Upadhyaya, assess the situation in the country since the restoration of the democratic order in 1990? Your comments please.

Mr. Upadhyaya: Our experience for the last 13 years has proved that "Democracy as the best system amongst all", no longer remains valid. Multi-parties' polity has not delivered in Nepal. During this period we have had an experience of both single party rule and multi-parties coalition, but every formation was found wanting. Instead of channeling their efforts for the national development they fritter away their energy for internecine quarrel. Personal and partisan interests have triumphed over the national interests. Every means, fair or foul was resorted to enrich their personal coffers. Corruption and nepotism have their hey days. The enumerate bundh and strikes at the drop of the hat have wrought a havoc in the national economy, tourism which is the backbone has to bear the brunt. The law and order situation in the country is going bad to worst. Not to speak of villages and remote areas of the Kingdom, even in the very heart of capital, people do not feel themselves secured. To top it all, the menace of Maoists specter has added fuel to the fire of prevailing frustration and discontent.

Maoists have capitalized governments' past weaknesses - Mr Dhanendra Prasad Rauniyar, Businessman, Janakpur

TGQ5: Mr Rauniyar, what would you suggest the government and the Maoists given the present situation in the country? Your remarks please.

Mr. Rauniyar: The non-performance and the bad governance in the country after the advent of this system in effect appears to have prompted the Maoists to take on to this course. In the beginning, the establishment neglected the issue and concurrently it, read the government, became very unpopular among the people in the remote areas. The government utterly ignored the people's rights of peaceful living, which the Maoists capitalized, to the hilt. In the process, the insurgents motivated the people who were grossly ignored in the remote areas. The Maoists gradually became popular.

Now both the government and the Maoists are saying that they stand for the welfare of the people and the killings in the process were nothing but for achieving prosperity.

The present situation of terror should be immediately ended once and for all. In effect what has got to be done is to bring the increasing support of the people which the Maoists enjoy in abundance and the government's authority, power, and the national resources and combine these two together for the benefit of the nation.

In the process, the government authorities must abandon their greed for power and pelf and similarly the insurgents must renounce their violent activities.