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For members of the general public, it is getting increasingly difficult these days to know which piece of information is fake and which is not. Recently, a fake video of an incident of manhandling went viral. Apparently, the video was targeted at the country’s top political leadership. 

This, just days after a sustained effort to drag the leadership into controversy over alleged investments offshore.

A cursory reading of unsavory comments in relation to such controversial and often fake contents paints an alarming picture. It shows anarchy reigns supreme in parts of the cyberscape as in several other parts of national life, including in politics. It may be because of poor service delivery on the part of state organs. Worse still, it may be an indication of the direction we are taking as a society. 

In a real democracy, healthy criticism of the government is always welcome. The free press, if it is indeed worth its name, is at the forefront when it comes to taking the government to task. Sadly, there have been instances, in Nepal and elsewhere, where the vanguards of the permanent opposition have paid—and continue to pay—heavy prices for not sparing a government, democratic or otherwise.

Rulers, regardless of their hues and shades, often fail to realize that they should not shoot the messenger just because they don’t like the message. Even those at the helm in great democracies tend to forget that the media is a watchdog, not a lapdog. 

This selective amnesia comes from state powers, unbridled or otherwise. Indeed, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The freedom of expression, the freedom of the press and several other freedoms are enshrined in our Constitution. These freedoms come with boundaries attached. 
Notwithstanding the red lines, cyberspace has become a mute spectator as outlets, in their desperate bids to go viral, cross the limits and resort to misinformation, disinformation and fake news, often targeting high-profile figures, among others. There’s an ecosystem behind it all, with links beyond the national jurisdiction.

Alarmingly, recent days have also seen attempts to malign Nepal as an unsafe neighbor and destabilize the polity by predicting that the government will collapse pretty soon.

In the face of misinformation, disinformation and fake news spreading like wildfire amid proliferation of advanced technologies like AI, our government seems to be in deep slumber.

Time has come for the government to wake up and rein in this sorry situation by safeguarding freedoms enshrined in our charter and improving its poor service delivery, which seems to be the root cause of rising discontent in social media and beyond.

Almost a decade has passed since an earthquake-ravaged Nepal adopted a federal democratic constitution, exhibiting strong political will in the face of adversities, seismic or otherwise. The charter aside, the country has not been able to introduce laws that can make way for a smooth transition from an ages-old unitary system of governance to a federal system.

Let’s go 15 months back, at least, when the National Assembly, the upper chamber of the bicameral parliament, drew the attention of the government of the day, directing it to do the needful for making laws. The directive and successive governments’ commitments to drafting the laws aside, there are, at present, only two regulations under the consideration of the lower chamber of the parliament (the House of Representatives): School Education Regulation, 2080 and Federal Civil Service Regulation, 2080. The process of making scores of laws is ‘moving’ at a snail’s pace, giving an indication of the status of implementation of the new constitution.   

Out of these laws, the Center has been literally sitting on the task of making around 40 laws, followed by provinces (24) and local levels (6).  

The laws awaiting the light of the day cover a wide range of important topics such as citizenship, right to property, acquisition and compensation, and impeachment motion. 

They come under the ambit of different ministries such as home, law, justice and parliamentary affairs, and finance. 

Department ministries aside, it is the ultimate responsibility of the top government leadership to draft these laws and present them in the Parliament, making way for enlightened discussions, changes and authentication. 

Delays, inadvertent or otherwise, in introducing laws will only come in the way of devolution of state powers so crucial for taking the state at the doorsteps of the citizenry. Not only that, such delays will only bolster forces opposed to federalism and the new constitution, thereby contributing to a growing disenchantment against the system and its destabilization. 

So, the onus is on the government leadership to take decisive steps toward implementation of the new constitution by giving momentum to the stalled lawmaking process. 

Winter is already in the air and it should send a chill up the government’s spine. Worryingly, it has not. As in previous winters, governments at the center, provinces and local levels are in deep slumber by monopolizing all the warmth that state powers give them even as the laity, particularly disadvantaged sections of the society in Nepal’s southern plains, remains ill-prepared as ever to deal with cold weather, cold wave in particular, that leaves behind a trail of deaths every year. 

Facing the most serious risk to their lives are the senior citizens, children and women from these sections. 

By the way, what do government authorities do to avert casualties resulting from harsh weather? 

Not much, if we are to forget about some isolated incidents of distribution of fuelwood and warm clothing, apart from the issuance of regular weather bulletins. 

This near-total indifference on the part of the government authorities is only bolstering a negative public perception about the polity. A growing perception is that there is no dearth of governments these days, that Singhadurbars have sprung up at every nook and cranny of the country but governance is sorely lacking. Indeed, these power centers located quite close to the doorsteps of the people seem least bothered about the plight of the people facing a cruel and grim winter with no food, warm clothing and shelter. As for the Singhadurbar located at the center, it is well beyond the reach of the commoner like an island of prosperity located in the middle of a sea of poverty.  

The right to life, right to food, right to shelter, right to education and the right to employment are some of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of Nepal 2015. But the state has not been able to protect these rights. When temperatures dip, daywagers cannot go to work and that means the absence of food on the table. A dipping mercury means cold nights and it can prove to be a killer for families without warm clothes and bedding materials. Cold weather also means a surge in instances of respiratory diseases like pneumonia and aggravated health conditions that can put the lives of senior citizens, women and children at most serious risk.    

Whenever temperatures dip, schools in the Tarai shut, robbing children of the right to education. Can our authorities not make arrangements for warmer classrooms to keep the classes going?     

Rather than isolated acts of ‘kindness’, government authorities should get their act together, identify citizens/families at risk and come to their rescue in a coordinated manner. After all, it is the duty of a state officially ‘geared toward socialism’ to save lives, isn’t it?  

Rivers and mountains have been and will continue to be an enduring feature of Nepal-China friendship. Rugged terrains and rare rough patches in bilateral relationship notwithstanding, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have thrived and will, in all likelihood, continue to thrive in the coming days, years and ages. The visit of Faxian to Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, in the fifth century, the visit of Xuanzang in the seventh century, the marriage of Nepali Princess Vrikuti with King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century and the visit of Nepali monk Buddhabhadra, the first Nepali monk to visit China, in the fifth century and the contributions of Nepali artist Arniko in China, including the construction of the White Pagoda, are among the key highlights of these exchanges.

Nepali people, including those living in the Himalayan region, have thriving relations with the Chinese people. They get their supplies from nearby Chinese markets, graze their cattle in pastures across the border in accordance with mutual arrangements, sell their products across the border and often find their soulmates there.

About 70 years ago, our two ancient countries established (updated, rather) their diplomatic relations. These years have also been marked by peace and amity between the two neighbors, with no major dispute, border or otherwise. This relationship achieved a key milestone during this time with the construction of the Kodari highway that has played a key role in improving connectivity between our two countries. Yet another highlight of this relationship is increasing Chinese investment in infrastructure projects. 

Against this backdrop, recent times have seen a disturbing tendency of dragging China’s flagship BRI project into controversy. They are as strong as the soaring mountains and as dynamic as the rivers born there. 

China can help Nepal tap the potential of her rivers for injecting life into her economy by investing in or providing assistance for the construction of multipurpose projects with hydropower, irrigation, navigation, fisheries and drinking water as components. There is also a huge scope for transformation of fossil fuel-run transport systems into green energy-run systems.  It can also help make sure that Gautam Buddha International Airport and Pokhara International Airport take off in a real sense.

On its part, Nepal will continue to be sensitive toward Chinese security concerns and abide by the principle of Panchsheel.      

In summary, Nepal-China relationship has a huge scope. Let’s hope that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s upcoming visit to China will be yet another step in realizing that scope.