On/Off the Record
By P.R. Pradhan
During the Rana regime, Nepal had helped the United Kingdom. In the second World War, Nepal had helped the UK government both by sending its Army and providing financial add.
When the great earthquake hit Nepal in 1934, the British government had wished to provide financial support. But the Rana rulers discarded the foreign donation. The government provided the loan to the earthquake victims and the reconstruction works were completed in a very short period of time. Later, the Rana ruler had exempted the loan for the quake victims.
We had our own railway service in operation from Raxaul to Amlekhgunj and from Jayanagar to Janakpur established during the Rana rule. We had several factories in operation.
If the Rana rulers had not constructed different palaces, we would not have suitable buildings to run different ministries. Still, Singha Durwar, constructed by the Rana rulers is the government secretariat. The President’s residence Shittalniwas is the Rana palace. The Rana rulers had given many things to the country.
The Rana rule was ended following the democratic movement in 1951, introducing the multiparty democracy. In the multiparty democracy period between 1951 to 1960, we saw political mess, unstable politics and anarchism in the name of democracy. The multiparty democracy was thus replaced by the partyless Panchayat democracy. The first decade of the Panchayat democracy under the active leadership of the then King Mahendra is known as the heyday for Nepal’s infrastructural development, industrial development and Nepal’s recognition in the international arena. When there was a famine in South Korea, Nepal had donated a huge quantity of rice. Nepal’s currency was stronger by two times than the Thai currency. The partyless Panchayat democracy lasted for three decades.
In 1989, we saw a political change, replacing partyless Panchayat democracy by multiparty democracy. Again, the multiparty democracy was replaced by Loktattra in 2006 along with the participation of Maoists, which had launched a decade long insurgency killing above 17 thousand innocent Nepalis.
Already, we have spent around one and a half decades exercising loktantra with federalism, secularism and republicanism. Look at the political scenario. We have a powerful government virtually enjoying two-thirds majority. But the government is so weak that it cannot even take any important decision on time. The Prime Minister is unable to reshuffle his own cabinet as per his wish. Many posts in the constitutional bodies are vacant. The government is unable to perform its daily activities as we have seen every time the two chairmen of the ruling party are quarrelling against each other on the issue of their share in the power.
We don’t see honesty and responsibility among the leaders, either they are in the federal government, or in the provincial governments or in the local governments. The country is seriously suffering from the Covid-19 pandemic, on the other hand, the political authorities in power are enjoying Dasain allowance. They have failed to demonstrate human sympathy on those people dying from hunger and pandemic. They are less concerned about the “sovereign” people and the nation, rather, they are for themselves first, then their relatives second. The Commission for Investigation on Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is under the pocket of the rulers. The rulers are performing as if they are above the law.
The general public has become desperate from the performance of the political leaders. In reaction, they are saying that the King’s rule was far better than the present-day anarchism. We don’t know the capability and the mood of the Nepal Army but even those political activists who fought for the political change, are openly requesting the Army to take over the power as they believe, the country and the people cannot resist further such anarchism and anomalies. In fact, we are at the dead-end of anomalies. The collapse of the present system is obvious. But what is the alternate, we don’t know. We removed the institution of monarchy and we are regretting now! At least, people recall, the institution of the monarchy didn’t cross the constitutional limit and always respected the rule of law!
A revolution or change should be for a better beginning but we are seeing the revolution and change didn’t give a better rule than the Panchayat system!
People’s Review Print Edition
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