Rulers fail to understand Nepal’s ecology

The prosperity and wellbeing of both our neighbors towards the south and towards the north – India, and China respectively are taking giants leaps. The Nepalese people who live on the borderline to North and south suffer in silence under the pressure of embarrassment because they see an obvious difference in their socio-economic status.

For example, caravan based barter economy of northern people needs to be transformed into a commodity economy with the money exchange system. Quarantine facility with Tibet and attractive agro-production with high subsidy facility (agro-economy) of India to their farmers have cast deep effects on the Nepalese people living on the borders.

They have their local problems as they struggle hard to solve them and they move to both sides of the border looking for means of survival.

The Nepalese voters of the border region at both the sides know nothing about politics and governance- capitalist, communist or unitary or federal structure. They are innocent lot easily swayed by the promises made by leaders contesting elections at the local, provincial and federal level.

That is why they frequently shift their voting patterns without understanding its implications. They expect their leaders to address the issues which plague the border areas. They have their local problems as they struggle hard to solve them and they move to both sides of the border looking for means of survival.

To the most one call them migrants and they are not refugees at all. And, migration in the topography like Nepal is quite a normal phenomenon. We see every year how Nepalese people from mountain and hill migrate to low land and people from Terai-Madesh and other rural areas migrate to urban areas where they get employed in the market.

The migration as a whole in current set up gives better lifestyle and life opportunities to most of the Nepalese youths either inside or abroad. Do our policymakers and governing bunch of leaders know the opportunities and challenges involved in migration?

Have they worked hard to arrange and organize the whole migration and other outstanding issues for best of the interest of the people of Nepal? They seem to be busy in promoting favoritism and nepotism at all levels by appointing their friends, family members, and other kith and kin.

Prithivi Narayan Shah used to have them; late Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India had a range of advisors to advise her on important issues.

The moment they are in the seat of power, they forget the people and get busy in setting the path for the family lineage to bring in different family members under the fold of power. It is quite unfortunate for Nepali citizens who have seen their destiny being dictated under the family rule since the unification of this tiny country in 1779.

A ruler must have free and independent thought, strong network to access the people, full-proof security of life and property to people, regular media interaction with state-owned media and expert courtyard counselors (advisors) in different fields as wise men.

All the powerful kings and modern executive heads like Prime Minister and President keep the advisors. Prithivi Narayan Shah used to have them; late Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India had a range of advisors to advise her on important issues.

The popularly elected representatives from different constituencies under the federal structure of the governing model across all the five provinces are yet to act upon developmental plans. They are caught into a clash of powers at different levels of governance—local, provincial and federal. The discrepancies and anomalies of written laws and their application have put voters in doldrums as leaders will swindle them by taking their votes again in next elections.

Furthermore, misuse and abuse of development grants, foreign assistance, tax money, uneven resource allocation, corruption, and impunity are rampant in Nepal leading to anarchism with free for all. Now the new government structure, i.e., a federal system with 3 tires government levels is anticipated to do better in days ahead.

The federal republic constitution (2015) has entrusted and delegated lot of power and authorities in the annex-8 which stipulate local self-autonomous government system enacting rules and regulations as per the need and management of their administration. The local government can address a number of grievances and control the dissatisfaction among the people.

There is no excuse to blame the central or federal government for one’s own administrative negligence bureaucratic lapses at the local level. In fact, all the governments federal, provincial and local are empowered in their respective areas to positively touch the lives of the people by utilizing human and natural resources. Let us hope nation marches on the path of peace, prosperity, and progress in days to come.

(Concluded)