KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa has said that the political path carved by the people’s movemen, Nepal’s republican ‘highway’, must be embraced, celebrated, and acknowledged with pride.
Speaking at a dialogue program titled ‘Republic Is the Right Path’ on Saturday, Thapa emphasized the need to educate younger generations about the essence and importance of republicanism.
Reflecting on past autocracy, he said, “In the past, we used to praise the king, saying ‘Your Majesty, your command is excellent.’ Today, we at least have the courage to say—‘your way of leading is wrong; either change it, or we’ll change you.’ That’s progress.”
Thapa recounted the ups and downs of the 20 years following the people’s movement. “At times, it seemed our journey had gone off the cliff. But we survived—and what we now call the republic is the collective outcome of that survival.”
He stressed that Nepal’s trajectory, though imperfect, has been more successful than that of many other countries emerging from similar situations. “The system we have today is something to celebrate. Where many failed to move forward, we have.”
Calling the republican system a ‘highway’ built with public effort, Thapa said it should be claimed with pride and passed on to future generations. “We must move the country forward on this very highway we built and chose together.”
Thapa acknowledged existing issues but distinguished them from the system itself. “The problem is not the highway—it’s the vehicles on it. And most critically, it’s the drivers. If you replace the driver, the problems reduce. If you don’t, they only worsen.”
He insisted that current problems—like corruption and lack of discipline—should be addressed individually, without questioning the legitimacy of the system itself. “We must say it clearly: this is the road we’ll continue on.”
Thapa concluded by saying that celebrating the system doesn’t mean denying its flaws, but strengthening it through accountability, reform, and conviction.
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