Nepal is a landlocked country located in South Asia, bordered by two very powerful nations- India to the south, east and west, and China to the north. It is a culturally diverse country with a rich history and tradition that reflects the influence of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other traditional beliefs. The country is home to over 125 ethnic groups, each with its own unique customs, language, and way of life. Nepali is the most widely spoken language, along with many other languages and dialects that are spoken. It is a common garden for 4 castes and 36 classes of people. Nepal was a peaceful nation till 1985 A.D. In the years leading up to 1985, Nepal remained a predominantly agrarian society with a largely subsistence-based economy. The country was primarily reliant on agriculture, with rice, maize, wheat, and other crops forming the backbone of its economy. While, in the 1960s, the country began to shift towards a more diversified economic base, with the growth of tourism, manufacturing, and services sectors.
However, after 2006, the political condition of Nepal has been complex and fluid, with the country facing challenges related to corruption and political stability. The political leaders work only for personal gain and do not care as much as they should about the people of the nation. There is a lack of job opportunities, low salaries, and limited access to quality education and training, which is also the main reason for the brain drain in Nepal, with many highly skilled and educated professionals leaving the country in search of better opportunities abroad. The young generation possesses valuable knowledge and expertise that could be used to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the country and their departure means that Nepal loses the potential benefits of their contributions. This also means that only older generations are left in Nepal and the political leaders have taken it as an opportunity for personal economic benefit.
Political parties in Nepal are diverse and fragmented, with a wide range of ideologies and interests represented. The two major parties are the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML), but there are also several smaller parties and independent politicians. UML talks big about development and the rights of the people. But when it came to finding the killer of the late political leader Madan Bhandari, a governmental post was prioritized over it. Due to the state of the politics in Nepal, the day when the condition of Nepal is like that of Ukraine, Afghanistan, or Sri Lanka is not very far. The US army has already entered Nepal. If China attacks the US, innocent Nepali citizens will die without a reason. With the guise of help, the US is looking for economic benefits and ways to exploit the resources present in Nepal. The US is weakening the country politically and making it heavily dependent on itself so it can easily manipulate the system. It is no different from the U.K. establishing the British Company in India “for trade purposes”.
There are some people in Nepal who advocate for the return of the monarchy and the reinstatement of a king with a belief that the current political system is corrupt and ineffective and that the monarchy would provide a stabilizing influence that could help to address some of the country’s challenges. Nevertheless, they fail to acknowledge that the person responsible for the Royal Massacre of 2001 hasn’t been detained yet. What if history repeats itself and there’s another killing in the palace after the establishment of the King? First, we need to find who was responsible for all that. Was it really the foreigners? Or was it someone in the family? Unless this is solved, there is no point looking for political stability or reinstatement of the king in the nation.
Nepal, with limited resources and infrastructure, is heavily dependent on foreign aid and investment. While it gets grants and loans from various countries, there seems to be little to no use of it for development. It only seems to fill the pockets of the people in higher positions. Nepal’s economy is heavily reliant on exports, particularly in the garment and textile industries, with trade routes through India and China, which can be subject to political and economic instability. Before 1990, Nepal had industries of leather, shoes, garments, etc., and was a prime exporter of products worldwide. Where has the income from that time gone? If we could do it back then, why can we not do that now? Even Nepal Airlines had a worldwide reach along with an easy port entry in countries like Germany. But today, Nepalese youngsters go to countries like Dubai and Saudi Arabia as laborers, which also after struggling for months to get a visa.
It feels like my country has deviated from its primary path and is now walking on the wrong path. The political parties have a selfish motive after everything they do. They aren’t working for the development of the nation and the people but for their own economic growth. The nationalism and patriotism of Rabindra Mishra, Gyanendra Shahi, Bimalendra Nidhi, Gagan Thapa, Sher Bahadur and Arzu Rana Deuba, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, KP Sharma Oli, Rajendra Lingden, along with various other leaders, is just for show. They are only filling their pockets and warming their seats in the name of working. We can take the example of one of our ex-presidents in this context. Politicians in Nepal only talk big as long as they do not have a post, and when they get one, everything suddenly becomes favorable for the nation.
The parliament of Nepal has become nothing but a joke and a place to brawl. The honorable representatives of the nation fight inside the parliament like goons. Is the Lower House a place to talk about personal offers? Is that a place to be talking about personal loans? Are the representatives there to gamble? The parliament is a respected body responsible to make decisions of national-level importance and not to fight about petty disagreements.
What both the government officials and the citizens need to know is that death is inevitable and when a person dies, it is not how much they earned that matters but what they gave to society is what matters. People will not recognize you from what post you hold but what work you did, in a long run. So, everyone should try to be a little less selfish and work for the country’s development rather than personal development. I hope the citizens stop believing the smooth talks of the politicians and rather look at what they have done or seem to be doing for the nation. The country is in desperate need of a philanthropist leader who is not a money devotee but a public devotee. I hope my country will get suchlike a leader very soon.
