End of ethics, morale and dignity
Noted scholar Keshab Prasad Bhattarai has stated that when the court hearing was in progress on the charges filed against B.P. Koirala’s anti-national acts, Koirala had said to the Court, “I don’t know those who were involved in such violent activities and I have not asked them to do so, however, I will take the responsibility on all the activities conducted by them following my appeal in the name of my party (Nepali Congress).
When Kirtinidhi Bista was the prime minister, the government secretariat Singhadurwar was set ablaze. Bista tendered resignation taking responsibility for the fire.
When Keshar Bahadur Bista was the education and sports minister, many audiences died when the crowd rushed to go out of the Dashrath Stadium to escape a storm. Minister Bista tendered resignation on moral grounds.
These are the story that took place during the “autocratic” panchayat days, Bhattarai has described.
In the present era of “offensive and revolutionary” leadership in the country, the CC camera footage, which should have been kept safe for three months, has disappeared within 13 days.
The concerned minister had clarified that he was not responsible for record keeping of the footage. Coincidently, the CC camera footage at the main gate and another gate of the Singhadurwar also disappeared. Bhattarai has satire on the “revolutionary” leaders that personal and common morale and selfrespect like words cannot be found in today’s revolutionary leaders. Rajendra Lingden, chairman, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, has remarked that the syndicate of the political parties has given a clean chit to the culprit. They all are together in organized corruption. They can continue such an act until the people are in a deep sleep. There is a circle that every night is followed by a day. When the people will awake, they will punish the culprits.
Even when there was the government led by K.P. Sharma Oli, Sher Bahadur Tamang had quit the ministerial post following controversy on one of his speeches. Again, minister Gokul Banskota had tendered resignation when questions were raised about his involvement in the procurement of a security printing press. However, after the parliamentary committee constituted to probe Finance Minister Janardan Sharma’s involvement in tax manipulation benefiting certain business houses by creating a heavy loss on the nation’s revenue, although the UML has presented a note of dissent, Sharma got a clean chit. Moreover, Maoist Center supremo Pushpakamal Dahal and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba choose to reassign Sharma to the post of Finance Minister. Many political observers have commented that Sharma’s comeback is related to completing those pending works under the setting between Deuba and Prachanda. To note, the main opposition party UML, although wrote a note of dissent, could stop from releasing the final report giving a clean chit. However, the UML role is said to be dismissing the issue of the governor being involved in the UML party committee. The UML maintained a soft attitude on Sharma’s case as there is a give and take on many issues related to corruption and commission in which the UML is involved, political observers have remarked.
Be that as it may, many questions have been unanswered by the parliamentary probe committee. The Committee didn’t enquire about the said former non-gazetted officer who was alleged to be entered into the secret room in the finance Ministry where the officers were giving a final touch to the budget.
Also, the probe committee didn’t investigate the call details of the finance minister and the said former staffer of the Finance Ministry.
More importantly, the finance secretary had stayed on leave after informing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Maoist Center chairman Pushpakamal Dahal about the finance minister’s tax manipulation on the budget.
By undermining all evidence, finally, Prachanda and Deuba chose to assign Sharma as the Finance Minister ending the question of morality among the political leaders!