Forgotten People of Nepal
Arati Singh
November 29, 2008
Last two years have been momentous for Nepal with landmark achievements and significant changes in her political landscape. Numerous accords and understandings were reached among various political parties. The former insurgents Maoists of CPNM (Communist Party of Nepal- Maoist) emerged as the largest political party in the national elections. Nepal also witnessed the crumbling down of 240 year old monarchy and embraced the federal democratic republic. However in this two years of democratization, the political parties have forgotten the most important aspect of democracy itself-the people.
With the issues of integration, between National Army and former Maoist Combatants, modal of republic, aspects of decentralization, power sharing among political parties taking pivotal concerns in the current political discourse, the Nepali people have somewhat taken a back seat in almost all the political parties agendas.
Legacies from 10 year old insurgency still continue with around 50,000 languishing internally displaced people yet not being able to return back to their homes. People are still deprived of their confiscated property. The problem of food shortage is at alarm. Health condition of 450,000 mal-nutrient children under five is ever degrading. Political parties are oblivious to the suffering of the people they had once promised to bring relief and renewed lives.
Further more, abductions, extortions and murders have become so rampant that they are almost synonyms to peoples' social lives. While the political parties are busy in their own vested parleys, insecurity and lawlessness have permeated into the spheres of Nepal with commoners being primary target. Over 100 people have been killed in the last three months alone in the eastern region of Nepal on various political incidents. Interestingly enough, in almost all these political crimes some cadres or members of the political parties, if not directly, are involved indirectly. To make the matter worse, there are more than 9 political affiliated armed groups operating throughout the country that don't hesitate to gun down someone just walking by.
From the blast in the mosque to the killing of a government official in the mid eastern region recently, most of these violent incidents go unnoticed unless some of the political parties decide to take the matter to the street and vandalize the public properties with burning tires. Most of the times culprits abscond under the safe haven of affiliated political party making a crime a mere registration at Police Offices to be dusted and forgotten. And in all these processes, government bodies remain deaf and mute.
Youths are abducted and murdered. Contractors and businessmen are severely beaten up. Hotels and restaurants are forcefully shut down. Since the last two years, this is how Nepal has been. The political parties especially the ruling alliance have equipped their cadres and members with a tendency to resort on violence whenever things don't go their way. Speaking against atrocities of Young Communist League (a youth wing of Maoist), in a country that constitutionally respect freedom of speech, may actually cause one's life. Defying the economic demands of any political youth wing can bring abduction and physical torture. People have been forced to maintain a low profile with a constant sense of fear and insecurity.
In an attempt to curb lawlessness and violence, few months back the Home Minister ordered an entire shut down of dance restaurants, bar and discos after ten in the evening potentially depriving thousands of their employment. Coincidentally, the country now is experiencing the crimes of theft, looting and robbing as never before with locals complaining that the administration is doing nothing to control them. The people are not safe in their own homes, own streets and own vicinity. A ban on dance restaurants and discos cannot control the thieves, dacoits and hooligans. Then in the name of ensuring organizational equality the Government indulged into a massive reshuffle, promotion and transformation of civil servants. No amount of organizational reordering will serve the people until corruption is minimized and an effective delivery of civil service is ensured. If the organizational reshuffle has done anything then it has created an amicable ground for nepotism to flourish.
19,000 Maoists combatants now in cantonments doesn't represent Nepali people as a whole. The political parties cannot shrug off the suffering of the vast majority of Nepali people by limiting themselves on the talks of rehabilitation of these combatants. Maoists should not forget that it was the "People's War" that had gained them so much of popularity. Now the war should not look like "Maoists' Combatant War". Furthermore, it doesn't matter what modal of republic Nepal would adopt if the political changes fail to touch and influence the impoverished population.
Nepali political parties enjoy democracy that has no space for people. People has been marginalized and democracy has been abused. Such a blunder from political parties may eventually create a fertile ground for some other minor emerging political groups to implant another People's War exploiting the peoples' frustrations and hopelessness, thus pushing the country into another catastrophe.
With the issues of integration, between National Army and former Maoist Combatants, modal of republic, aspects of decentralization, power sharing among political parties taking pivotal concerns in the current political discourse, the Nepali people have somewhat taken a back seat in almost all the political parties agendas.
Legacies from 10 year old insurgency still continue with around 50,000 languishing internally displaced people yet not being able to return back to their homes. People are still deprived of their confiscated property. The problem of food shortage is at alarm. Health condition of 450,000 mal-nutrient children under five is ever degrading. Political parties are oblivious to the suffering of the people they had once promised to bring relief and renewed lives.
Further more, abductions, extortions and murders have become so rampant that they are almost synonyms to peoples' social lives. While the political parties are busy in their own vested parleys, insecurity and lawlessness have permeated into the spheres of Nepal with commoners being primary target. Over 100 people have been killed in the last three months alone in the eastern region of Nepal on various political incidents. Interestingly enough, in almost all these political crimes some cadres or members of the political parties, if not directly, are involved indirectly. To make the matter worse, there are more than 9 political affiliated armed groups operating throughout the country that don't hesitate to gun down someone just walking by.
From the blast in the mosque to the killing of a government official in the mid eastern region recently, most of these violent incidents go unnoticed unless some of the political parties decide to take the matter to the street and vandalize the public properties with burning tires. Most of the times culprits abscond under the safe haven of affiliated political party making a crime a mere registration at Police Offices to be dusted and forgotten. And in all these processes, government bodies remain deaf and mute.
Youths are abducted and murdered. Contractors and businessmen are severely beaten up. Hotels and restaurants are forcefully shut down. Since the last two years, this is how Nepal has been. The political parties especially the ruling alliance have equipped their cadres and members with a tendency to resort on violence whenever things don't go their way. Speaking against atrocities of Young Communist League (a youth wing of Maoist), in a country that constitutionally respect freedom of speech, may actually cause one's life. Defying the economic demands of any political youth wing can bring abduction and physical torture. People have been forced to maintain a low profile with a constant sense of fear and insecurity.
In an attempt to curb lawlessness and violence, few months back the Home Minister ordered an entire shut down of dance restaurants, bar and discos after ten in the evening potentially depriving thousands of their employment. Coincidentally, the country now is experiencing the crimes of theft, looting and robbing as never before with locals complaining that the administration is doing nothing to control them. The people are not safe in their own homes, own streets and own vicinity. A ban on dance restaurants and discos cannot control the thieves, dacoits and hooligans. Then in the name of ensuring organizational equality the Government indulged into a massive reshuffle, promotion and transformation of civil servants. No amount of organizational reordering will serve the people until corruption is minimized and an effective delivery of civil service is ensured. If the organizational reshuffle has done anything then it has created an amicable ground for nepotism to flourish.
19,000 Maoists combatants now in cantonments doesn't represent Nepali people as a whole. The political parties cannot shrug off the suffering of the vast majority of Nepali people by limiting themselves on the talks of rehabilitation of these combatants. Maoists should not forget that it was the "People's War" that had gained them so much of popularity. Now the war should not look like "Maoists' Combatant War". Furthermore, it doesn't matter what modal of republic Nepal would adopt if the political changes fail to touch and influence the impoverished population.
Nepali political parties enjoy democracy that has no space for people. People has been marginalized and democracy has been abused. Such a blunder from political parties may eventually create a fertile ground for some other minor emerging political groups to implant another People's War exploiting the peoples' frustrations and hopelessness, thus pushing the country into another catastrophe.
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