People's Review Weekly

Betrayal to the nation

THE SADDEST THING ABOUT BETRAYAL IS THAT IT IS NEVER COMES FROM YOUR ENEMIES

- By P.R. Pradhan

Bhim Rawal, senior UML leader, has given the described the slavery mentality of the Nepali politician­s, “Fulfilling one's self-interest by embracing those who are against the principles, policies and programs for the sake of position, prestige, money and family interests and by devoting oneself to external forces”.

Rawal, a dissident UML leader, has portrayed the present attitude of the Nepali political leaders, who are in a race of power-grab just for personal gains. They are even ready to serve the foreign powers if the latter ensures post and power for the former. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is leading the five-party coalition government. Out of the five parties, three are the communists. The government’s journey is neither toward a prosperous democracy nor towards socialism. The only mission of the present alliance government or say fiveparty syndicate is to enjoy or misuse power for personal and family gains. Now, the general public is saying this Gathabandh­an (alliance) as Thag-Bandhan (an alliance of thugs). The definition of politics, which was earlier considered service dedicated to the nation and people, has now become a platform to loot the nation and people. In this loktantra, none of the political parties and their leaders are seen as honest and dedicated to the nation and people. We experience­d communist rule under the leadership of K.P. Sharma Oli. He was found holding a oneon-one midnight meeting with Indian intelligen­ce, RAW chief, Samant Goel at the Prime Minister’s official residence. We saw Oli’s plan to ink the State Partnershi­p Programme, a military alliance between the Nepal Army and the American Army. Both the attempts were for winning the confidence of the foreign powers rather than strengthen­ing national independen­ce and sovereignt­y. Oli had a good opportunit­y to build the nation and write his name in the golden page of the history of Nepal, but he misused the voters’ aspiration­s, misused power and lost a golden chance just for personal gains.

After the topple-down of the Oli-led communist government, we are experienci­ng the five-party alliance government led by the most incapable Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Deuba was planning to ink SPP after successful­ly inking the Millennium Challenge Corporatio­n (MCC), the economic pillar of the Indo-Pacific Strategy. None of the leaders was serious about the nation’s future but they all were in the race of pleasing their foreign bosses.

Be that as it may, for the time being, the SPP plan has remained impending but Nepal is not out of foreigners’ conspiracy. Due to the visionless mentality of those leaders in power, Nepal is becoming the battlefiel­d of the powerful nations. We saw a big hue and cry when the CPN US decided to recall those ministers from the party in the government and send a new team. The ministers were not ready to quit their ministeria­l posts, whereas, the party leadership was forcing them to quit the post. This dispute continued for 22 days.

Finally, but unwillingl­y, PM Deuba has reshuffled his cabinet by including those names recommende­d by the CPN US. The remaining parties in the government are facing the very problem of the CPN US.

According to those who have become the ministers from CPN US, they were ensured for the ministeria­l assignment when they were used for splitting the mother party UML. The ministeria­l post has not remained a responsibl­e place for serving the nation and people but for misusing authority and enjoying commission as much as possible.

Just recently, reports appeared in different media that the secretaria­t of Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, Minister, Federal Affairs and General Administra­tion for demanding 1.5 million rupees each from those government officials who were seeking posting in different local bodies. The Minister’s secretaria­t was demanding money saying that the Minister needs money for the upcoming elections. When reports appeared in the media about the interventi­on of an outsider “consultant” (broker working for the Finance Minister) who had changed customs duty on some items to be imported from abroad in the interests of selected business houses, the opposition party UML did not only demanded immediate resignatio­n of the Finance Minister but also boycotted the Parliament meeting. The government didn’t respond to the opposition party’s demand.

There are many examples of how the political leaders and political parties are betraying the nation and those betrayals are rewarded instead of being punished. To conclude, loktantra or say loot-tantra is just of the political leaders, by the political leaders and for the political leaders!

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