I read with great relief that Prakash Dahal, the ‘crown prince’ of new Nepal, has decided not to accept the government’s inexplicable and beyond benevolent grant towards a Mt Everest expedition, apparently for ‘peace and the constitution’. Finally, some common sense has been forced to prevail. However, we must hold accountable all the ministers and so-called leaders who thought it wise to ratify such a decision in the first place. This battle might have been won, but the war for responsibility and accountability and against corruption and nepotism continues.
The Maoist-led cabinet decision to provide Rs 20 million to a Mt Everest expedition team (Frugal PM, 17/03/12) was, in one word, unacceptable. Prakash Dahal, Pushpa Kamal Daha’s ‘prodigal’ son, had commented that this project would pressurize parties to conclude the peace process and promulgate the new constitution on time. As the Editorial (17/03/12) rightly pointed out, he did not need to go that far, and spend that much, to achieve such an outcome. He is, after all, the son of the chairman of the party that leads the coalition government responsible for concluding the peace process and promulgating the new constitution on time. This decision was not just a crude joke but also a farce.
While amidst widespread popular dissent and strong political pressure, some sanity has been restored, the government has still not acknowledged its grave mistake in the matter. Devendra Poudel’s comment that the government would not withdraw its decision, and that they are trying to encourage the youth in their creative work (UML, NC youths protest aid to Maoist Everest bid, 18/03/2012), is clear indication of how the Maoists have lost all sense of perspective and seem to be on a mission to shoot themselves in the foot. If the government really wanted to support the youth, they would do well to spend this sum towards youth engagement and creating employment opportunities.
The Constituent Assembly elections had provided the Maoists the unexpected opportunity to lead a coalition government with the onus of drafting the nation’s future. Their political short-sightedness, expressed through their failed insistence on electing their ‘own’ President and crash handling of the army, led to their downfall the first time around. After spending a frustrating period on the sidelines, they returned at the helm once again, this time with their ‘cleaner’ leader at the top of a new political alliance. There is a saying in Nepali: ‘jun jogi ae pani kaanai chireko’. Need I say more? Nepali people are desperate for a leader/political party that will represent their aspirations and expectations; the Maoists, like all the other political parties, have made it pretty clear that they do not fit that role.
The absurdity of this decision to send your party chairman’s son and party cadres to Mt Everest (which, lest we forget, is far away from Kathmandu) to exert ´pressure´ is beyond comprehension. Since they are the leading party in the coalition governing (and I use the term governing very loosely here) the country, who were they trying to pressurize? How is it either moral or legal for the government to use national funds to pressurize others, whoever they might be, to influence the national agenda? The ‘prodigal’ son even had the audacity to comment that he was risking his life for the sake of the country.
This battle might have been won, but the war for responsibility and accountability and against corruption and nepotism continues.
Even if we were to accept for a split second, for the sake of argument, that peace and timely constitution were indeed the ends behind the mission, these mindless decision makers could have done the same thing without spending a rupee. Here’s one suggestion: they could go in front of one of the many political establishments in Kathmandu (you could take your pick among Singh Durbar, President’s Office, Prime Minister’s Office, and Ratna Park) and start a fast-unto-death with the exact same demand. You would then not only be risking your life but also saving the country Rs 20 million, which could be used for something more tangible and productive than climbing the Everest. It is not money but a heart you need to be patriotic.
This cabinet decision must be reversed because it disregards all notions of integrity, representation, and accountability. Sure, Prakash and company are not accepting the money now, but this is not an official reversal. At a time when we already experience an acute crisis of confidence in the government, and the political parties in general, any attempt to justify this gross misconduct must be treated with incredulity and disdain. Further, simply reversing the decision will not be enough; heads must roll to hold accountable those people that approved such a decision. The discontent, distrust, hysteria, and anger this decision has caused among people in Nepal are palpable. Nothing less than an immediate apology for this gross violation of trust, unreserved reversal of the decision and appropriate action against those that encouraged this tomfoolery can restore any semblance of faith in this government.
Failing such recourse, we as Nepalis, have no choice but to protest against this decision. As a nation, if we have learned anything in the last decade, it is to protest. However, the methods and means we use to protest have often bordered on the absurd, and in some ways this ‘justification’ by the Prakash and company actually reflects that. Just like it makes no logical sense to climb the Everest to pressurize the government, it makes little sense for protestors, political or otherwise, to call for national strikes to put forth their demands on a regular basis. After all, there is a real opportunity cost to strikes as well, which bring all social and economic activities to a standstill. While the public furore around this decision to grant Rs 20 million for the Everest expedition is necessary, it should not manifest itself in bandhs and protests that cripple the nation, often costing us far more than Rs 20 million.
Let us all join hands in protest, but let’s protest in ways that are constructive and effective, and not in pointless and unproductive ways, much like the antics of the government and the prodigal son. Otherwise, we will continue to deserve these leaders, and perhaps the only way to bring peace and promulgate a timely constitution in Nepal will be by climbing Mt Everest, the pride of our glorious nation.
The author is D. Phil. Student in International Development, University of Oxford, UK
shrochis@gmail.com
Related story
Freed in fake Bhutanese refugee scam, suspect arrested in Lalit...
