One and a half decades of bizarre “loktantra”!

The nation observed the 15th anniversary of “loktantra” on 24 April. There was no enthusiasm among the people in observing the “great historical achievement” of the “second people’s movement”!

“Loktantra” itself is not a Nepali word as we call “prajatantra” which defines democracy. We thus believe that we have not achieved “prajatantra” (democracy) for the people, however, it could be suitable to say that this “loktantra” is just for a small group of leaders who are dancing to the tune of the foreigners.

Since the adoption of this “loktantra” the Nepali people have lost their pride in culture, tradition and civilization as there is a rampant christianization process in the country. Instead of the people’s rule, a small group of political leaders have been empowered and they are ruling the country turn by turn. The leaders too are under the strong grip of about half a dozen brokers or middleman or commission agents. In other words, some brokers or commission agents or middlemen are the real rulers. In the globe, if anybody wants to experience or study a dysfunctional democracy, the best place for them could be Nepal.

Every day we are watching the drama staged by the political leaders. The helpless people rewarded the communists with a virtually two-thirds majority but the leaders are in a fight to finish each other. The merged Nepal Communist Party again became two parties – UML and Maoist Center. In the UML also, there has been seen two factions -- the establishment faction led by Prime Minister and party chairman K.P. Sharma Oli and the dissident faction led by Madhav Nepal. They are in a battle to finish each other’s political existence.

Fifteen years ago, in 2006 April, based on the 12-point agreement drafted by the Indian intelligence and South Block under the Indo-West strategy to finish Nepal, “loktantra” was introduced in the country. This is the day when the nation was defeated from the foreigners’ conspiracy and foreigners’ agendas – secularism, federalism and republicanism – were imposed.

We are experiencing anomalies in all the sectors, however, a section of political leaders are explaining it as an “offensive move” by condemning patriotic citizens as a ‘regressive element”.

There are governments everywhere – the federal government, provincial governments and local governments, accordingly, there are opposition parties at the federal level, provincial levels and local levels. They are doing nothing except enjoying a luxury lifestyle by exploiting the taxpayers’ money.

The constitution has defined that receiving health service is the fundamental right of the citizens. Look at the present vulnerability in managing the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of the infected patients are dying without treatment. The health experts have warned that the free flow of people from India has inclined the transmission rate of the Covid-19 viral among the locals and the situation is becoming out of control. The government is unable to regulate the border points. Already, different cities including the Kathmandu Valley have been declared as the red zone, the parties either in the government or in opposition are seen reluctant in mobilizing their cadres, the government is seen reluctant in mobilizing the government authorities, bureaucrats, Army, Armed Police and Nepal Police personnel to control the pandemic.

In fact, we don’t know the security strategy of the government. The security strategy includes safeguarding national territory, national sovereignty and the citizens. During the pandemic hit period, the first duty of the government should have been regulating our international border points and allowing entry for those who are tested Covid-19 negative and kept on hold to those who are tested positive by sending them in isolation centers. The ward level people’s representatives should have been mobilized in monitoring activities of those newly arrived people in their wards. At least, they should not be allowed to mix up with other people for a minimum of two weeks. We could learn lessons from the first wave of the pandemic but we didn’t learn.

If there was a functional political system, all the organs would have been mobilized timely and properly. As the present system is imposed to destroy Nepal and the Nepali identity, we all have become the victim of the socalled offensive system!

Always, we are voicing for regulating the Nepal-India borders to avoid different threats including cross border terrorism, cross border crime and trans-border smuggling. We have kept the borders opened and thus, we are facing the present health hazard.