Multiparty democracy, government, idealism, and reality

The word multiparty democracy is viral, appealing, and attractive to all in the modern world. Everyone talks about it. Most people love it as it is said it is a system of government elected by the people, for the people by their choice and wishes. We all know the system of democracy always adopts equality, justice, human rights, fundamental rights, people's participation, and an independent free judiciary. Of course, it gives great importance to the country's development and people's welfare. From these points, it seems there cannot be a better system than this. It sounds so good. It looks beautiful, pleasant, and charming as a full moon or the beautiful and handsome young girls and boys in their teens. As we see, most world countries have adopted a democratic system with democratic values. In our region, we see most countries have a democratic system. It is said that our southern neighbour India is the largest democratic country in the world. In our country, we, too, have a democratic system. Most democratic countries where people are educated and civic conscious have shown satisfactory results with extraordinary development.

There is no doubt that the appearance of democracy is beautiful. Its beauty is charming and admirable. The question is whether it only looks beautiful on its face or is undoubtedly beautiful outside and inside both. To find this out and to be acquainted with an accurate picture of democracy, we certainly need to see the performance of democratic countries in practice. From our experience and observation of how our democracy functions in practice in our country, the USA, the most democratic country in the world, and India, the largest democratic country in the world, we see that the strength of money and democracy are inseparably attached. The parties need unlimited money to form the parties and for their running. At the same time, they need an enormous amount for the election campaign. The parties fulfil their necessity of getting funds from the wealthy business and industrial community or other rich like smugglers, drug dealers, kidnappers, dacoits, corrupters, and cheaters in disguise. They meet their requirements by indulging in corruption and bribes. The parties who had been to power and are in power are fully aware of it. As mentioned earlier rich are the people who can easily give money. So in practice, though the opposition parties speak against the government's corruption, nepotism, and favouritism, it seems they speak only for speaking's sake. They cannot speak boldly with a pure conscience as they are corrupt. The party in power and the parties in main opposition know each other very well that they both are of the same category and belong to the corrupt system and culture. They try to make money in whatever way they can - right or wrong. We know that wealthy and corrupt people give money, hoping to get more from the parties and parties in government. With obligation, the party leaders favour these groups when they are in power. So in practice, the party or parties in government become their government rather than the people's government. The government functions according to their wishes, even hiking the prices of daily used goods. Sometimes the government protects the anti-social elements for their advantage and even rewards them with party tickets to be the candidates for the election. Just recent recommendations of Mahammad A. Alam, the person in prison on a charge of crime by the Nepali Congress Party, Rauthat Unit and Milan Gurung (Chakre), a notable gang leader by Nepal Communist Party UML, Gorkha Unit, for the candidature for the coming parliamentary election are fresh examples. In practice, equality, justice, and various rights and welfare for the people mentioned in the constitution disappear. The government seems to be a government of money power. This is clear to all. When you see this, you will be bound to say that the democratic system is also not as beautiful as you see its outward appearance. It is also ugly but may not be as ugly as other systems. We have witnessed many business community members nominated as members of parliament in our country - Chaudharies, Golchas, and Sherpas. Even Ichha Raj Tamang, who is in jail now for cheating thousands of innocent people, was the UML nominated parliamentarian. We do not have examples of giving importance to independent intellectuals for making parliamentarians or appointing ambassadors. In fact, honest independent intellectuals should be nominated or appointed as parliamentarians or ambassadors if the country stands for honesty, sincerity, integrity, and wisdom. From the observation, it seems that even the honest nationalist leader cannot work for the people and country's welfare against the wishes of the money-giver group and individuals. So if they do, they cannot raise money from these groups according to the party's needs in establishing, functioning, and running the party. In this case, they cannot win the election because of the lack of funds. No honest and impartial leaders can maintain valuable human qualities like honesty, sincerity, impartiality, integrity, and righteousness in today's multiparty democracy. No leaders can stay separate from nepotism and favouritism in this system. One who tries to be honest and impartial will surely be left alone and a failure. Because in this situation, the honest leader cannot get support from the donors, followers, and colleagues when he cannot work to fulfilling their selfinterest. So, in reality, the present multiparty democracy is a system of corrupters and cheaters. The leaders who can cheat more people by presenting themselves as honest in appearance and doing all wrongdoings against the ethics of righteousness become the most successful. However, the freedom of speech, writing, and the right to protest and rally are the most valuable elements of multiparty democracy. That is the only advantage of it.

Our history shows it. It seems in our culture unless we make a system with a head of pure constitutional monarchy and a directly elected Prime Minister or the directly elected President and the Prime Minister and also the majority are educated and conscious and aware of the cheating by the political parties and corrupt leaders and learn to elect honest and virtuous candidates, the multiparty democratic system will remain the system of corrupters and cheaters. This is certain. We must know fake democracy leads to the downfall of a nation. A corrupt government leads to the poverty of the people.

The following portion is the continued part of the article “Politics and professionalism” by the author published on 8 September

After the introduction of the multiparty system in 1990, we know in general, the Vice-Chancellor also is appointed as some party's stooge and acts as the party leader or follower the same way, the students look at him and treat him like some party's leader or follower. The vice-chancellor and his team work as the representative of the political parties but expect to be treated like academicians and educationalists. They hesitate to accept the truth. That system was visibly established after the introduction of the multiparty democracy with its first Vice-Chancellor, Kedar Bhakta Mathema, Registrar Sudarshan Risal, and Rector Debendra Raj Mishra after the term of the vicechancellor, B.C. Malla with his multiparty coalition team of the Nepali Congress Party and the Communist Party. Vice-chancellor Mathema is the one who is responsible for giving retirement to 21 dedicated professional high officials before the legal retirement age in Tribhuvan University's history in 1992; with his political strength and decision which I witnessed and experienced. At that time, Dr Govinda K. C. had not existed to help the victims and fight for justice as today. If he were, perhaps he would have gone to fast unto death for their justice against the injustice. In this context, I, with great respect, remember Sardar Rudra Raj Pandey, appointed as the vice-chancellor by King Mahendra in 1965, not because of his chakari (sycophancy) or being Pancha but by requesting him to be the vice-chancellor because of his multi-faceted knowledge, experience, contributions, and writings. He was the guru of almost all gurus of Nepal at that time and was equally respected by all - professors and students, society, and people. My late beloved wife, Shanti Mishra, and I had an opportunity to work with him closely and share and learn his knowledge and experience. I regard him as an ideal vicechancellor to the extent of my knowledge. We must have a vicechancellor of that knowledge, experience, and calibre who commands respect from almost everyone in the country.

We must eliminate this wrong system if we want to develop our country with the participation of professional people in all sectors. Let us make our students and teachers pure students and teachers devoted to studying teaching and research, not politics. Let us keep free all our offices away from party politics. Let us make our vice-chancellor the pure vice-chancellor, not stamped as a political stooge of some party. Let all parties stop keeping different associations, organizations, and unions like pets of dogs, tigers, lions, bears, and jackals as their party commandos, gangsters, army, or police, if they love our country. Let us create all pure associations and unions where there is no ray of politics. It will be highly appreciable if they form an alliance on this excellent purpose and take the country on the right professional path to benefit all. Let them fight their political game in politics election, parliament, forming and toppling the government but not in other holy places to study or work.