Reinforcing our leadership

What does a leader say when he is asked why he’s on protest all of his time? She would, of course, subtly mention getting the power first, but the same is not true with a labour leader in the UK, Jeremy Corbyn. He presents clear motives of the protest, and from his early adulthood to the 71st spring now, he’s been on the streets for protesting because they, who are in the power haven’t been doing any good for the working classes for years and he’s with them. The thing is clear, the protests won’t stop till the misdoings stop. This has very much to contradict the political atmosphere here in Nepal. Though the developed countries, like the UK, have major differences in priorities than ours, however, the fundamental things at which people live are similar to the spirits from all corners of the globe. The rich-poor gaps are widening unprecedently, bare hands and hungry stomachs are exponentially increasing, the threats of the rises of health, climate, and terrorism crises prevail more than ever in human history and we’re not unscathed with it. On these issues, our general concerns are—where are our leaders? and what are their positions? Are they messed up with the same pages of the older volume that never looked back again? We are, now at such a juncture in history where we’ve accomplished almost all the necessary constitutional rights and pre-requisite for progressive socio-economic transformation, but it’s also the same point of time, where we have been unable to march, even a single step ahead rather than stepped back for numerous agenda. The strength of the ruling communist party from the apogee of the communist movement, which once thought to be leading the strongest government ever made in Nepali history with a two-thirds majority at the parliament, has fallen sharply with the split up into its two erstwhile mergers, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified-Marxist Leninist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and eventually turned into nothing but a junk of oligarchs. This has belittled the votes of the people, the needs of time and misled the fundamental anticipation of the constitutional norms that demand the clear road map of the new socio-economic system “pro-socialism”. Sadly, even the opposition, the Nepali Congress is waiting for the upsurge of every possible chaos in the ruling party, which has been all that but no cattle and letting them dismantle in the eyes of the people for the next election. This megalomania of political parties has ultimately led our votes for needs to be unheard, disenfranchised, and miserable in time when required utmost.

The parliamentary system owns threats of drawbacks that it could belittle the sentiments of the people and maybe hijacked or misused by far-rightists for their interests of a circle, which is what, unfortunately, we’ve experienced time and again, nevertheless, this is also equally true that the soul of democracy and the roots of peace and stability lie within the parliament. The parliament is the major division of the state government in trials political that needs to be accountable to the voices of the people and the agenda of time in need. The essence is even more at today, where it has got historical obligations to execute epoch changing agenda of socioeconomic transformation and act independently in favor of its people and the national interests. It shall be a house for the representative voices of the commons, shall discuss programs, policies, models to look to walk on developmental pathways.

But thanks to the remittance economy, fortunate enough, Nepal, from the group of least developed countries (LDCs), according to the UN has been scheduled to be graduated to the status of “a developing country” by 2025, despite failing the major one, Gross national income (GNI) per capita with around 60 ? of its threshold of $ 1,222 out of three criteria¬ — Income, Human Assets, Economic and Environmental Vulnerability.

Why silent?

While there are mounds of possible hiccups in our economy due to the substantial dependency upon remittance and revenues due to the import of commodities — less on domestic production — it’s hard to switch the priorities, however, the change is inescapable. It is a must to realize the need to cut off a significant proportion of youth from foreign labor migration who have to toil at scorching day and spend sleepless nights in excessively poor security compliances. Surprisingly, people seem reluctant to speak out against the heaps of the challenges laid before them, whether, about the governance system or the people who are in charge. Broadly, it is the political institution that needs to revitalize the democracy in the state and carry agenda for the people for generations. First thing, the political wings of major political parties, which represent a major proportion of the people, are disoriented, disorganized, and deviated from the norms of politics. Secondly, those who’re outside, hold futile demonstrations — because there’s a little voice for them to unite and remain more silent against any discrepancies. ¬¬ Generation in question? Einstein once said, "repeating the same action and expecting a different result is an insanity". These words barely resonate in the ears of the people and cadres of the political party. Youths who are groomed like their previous leaders won’t do any goods or differently. It’s equally the people who, otherwise, are responsible and won’t care for agenda during the election, are becoming the hands for the victory of the same kind time and again. Had it been the talks of little age that should an executive of the state be, Joe Biden (78), the president of the USA would fail against Sanna Marin (35), the prime minister of Finland. This is a certain call of crucial time that whether or not to be a new generation leadership, however, a beep is heard for agenda to be renewed, updated, and executed, no matter which generation owns it.

Chauhan is a member at Ramechhap District Committee, Nepal Communist Party (Unified MarxistLeninist)