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Federal democratic republic is a new system for Nepal and there are people and groups, who want constitutional monarchy back. Some would prefer not having federalism and be content with the development region model of Nepal. 

Nepal had to adopt a new national anthem around the ideals of unity in diversity but many do not even know its words. That is why international intelligence agencies are able to destabilize Nepal. The process is the same, “Find a fraction looking for foreign investment, install them to power and murder any objections.”

Are Nepal’s political parties, the new ones in particular, aware of this design?  

In this political mix, it is almost impossible to run a government for five years. A full-term is a rarity, especially in contemporary Nepali history. 

A perpetual state of flux in Nepal calls for the creation of a powerful intelligence agency of our own. 

Let’s call it the Nepal Intelligence Agency, meant to prevent politically motivated murders in the guise of accidents and carnages.  

Madan Bhandari called US President George HW Bush the hero of capitalism and his brute communist philosophy would have given him the ability to lead for five years. But that was not to be as Bhandari lost his life in mysterious circumstances along with comrade Jivraj Ashrit decades ago. 

Even when a party gets a majority in Nepal, that party is soon divided into smaller fractions as the KP Oli vs Madhav Nepal saga shows. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to mend relationships with Nepal on the basis of the RSS philosophy itself. Nepal and India have a cultural relationship that can protect us from the brute force of RAW and CIA. If Nepal becomes too violent, it will affect Indian security but if it becomes too strong then anti-indian sentiments will cause Nepal to tilt toward Chinese communism instead of the Indian-American strain of democracy. 

However, China has shown little interest in Nepal, it has interests in Tibet. During the India blockade against Nepal, China could have supplied goods and services through Tibet, but it didn’t even send medicines, leave alone fuel and gas. It is foolish to think that India, China, the EU or the US will work in the interests of Nepal. They will pursue their own interests. 

Unless we have our own intelligence agency, chances are that we will not be able to live in peace. Also, peace will remain elusive for us for obvious reasons if we fail to deal with anti-Indian or anti-Chinese or even anti-American sentiments as there will always be parties to cash in on such sentiments. 

A two-party system may work just fine for Nepal. The Nepali Congress that works in the interest of Madhesis as well and the CPN-UML, which works also in the interests of the Mongols. But the main problem with these parties is that they are Khas-led parties. The main difference between the Madhesis and the Mongols is hidden in the DNA itself. The Madhesis are closer to Indians genetically; whereas the Mongols are genetically similar to the Chinese. 

The Khas-Aryans, the rulers for nearly a thousand years, have to balance both these communities but their motivation to rule appears to come out of greed instead of selflessness. It is not right to divide a nation based on ideology, genetics, culture, caste or other such factors but that is what happened after the Vedas were written. 

Before the Vedic period, all genes appeared to intermix but after the codification of the Vedas love was confined to caste by the Brahmins, which is a crime against the Vedas themselves because the main teaching of the Vedas is that “all this is but Om”. How can there be casts if everything is one ‘Om’? When we let foreign intelligence agencies govern foreign relations, they tend to destabilize us. We need to reach out to the masses. 

Gurkha soldiers have created a great goodwill for Nepal in India so have the cultural ties and Sita and Buddha. This relationship has created open borders, which need to be regulated for controlling illicit drug trade and other crimes. 

This is the nation that produced the Light of Asia, but we are still living in darkness. If we wake up, if all of us wake up together from our deep sleep and dreams into this reality that hatred cannot cure hatred only love can, if we love any woman or man regardless of who they are, it is certain that the entire world will rise to the stars like the trees painted by Van Gough.

The author is a student of law

Their figures are impressive! Our neighbors China and India are the second and fifth largest economies in the world. Boasting $17.96trn of GDP (World Bank data) with more than 95 percent of its 1.41bn population employed, China could soon conquer the world economically. India may not be too far as it has a present GDP of $3.39trn and has nearly the same population as China. Goldman Sachs Research predicts it could become the world’s second largest economy by 2075.

Lying next to these economic giants, we Nepalis continue to brag about our heritage and culture. If someone said Mount Everest is not in Nepal or that Gautam Buddha was not born in Nepal, it will boil our blood. We can be divided on many fronts but nationalism and national sovereignty brings us all together. We are extremely proud of our history. We were never colonized although our next door neighbor, 22 times larger than us, was! And, we do not like to compare ourselves with them for what they have achieved economically.

Although Nepal is slowly rising from the category of Least Developed Countries to Emerging/Developing category, we have not progressed significantly to catch up with the rising economies, and thus I believe it is time for us to use our nationalistic sentiments to boost our economy. Although the traditional concept of economic nationalism opposes global trade, in this column, I am mostly referring to the literal meaning of economic nationalism.

Let’s take a look at our economic context: Our GDP stands at $40.83bn, of which around 30 percent is said to be contributed by remittances; unemployment rate among the active labor force is around 11 percent. On top of that, our workforce is shrinking with thousands of youths migrating for work and education every day. There are questions and counter-questions on migration. We are getting remittance in return, higher education and better exposure make our people competitive. On the flip side, most of them who go for higher education do not return. And to those who return after getting foreign exposure, what policies are there to ensure they stay here? Lately, media have reported on how difficult it is for Nepali graduates with foreign degrees to get the ‘equivalency’ done, which limits their prospects for getting jobs in the country. Important to note here is also the probability of Nepal’s aging population outnumbering the youth population, which is not healthy for the economy.

Our policymakers have forgotten to highlight nationalism in all of this. Just asking the Nepali population living abroad to return home is not attractive enough for those who have settled in places where jobs of any kind are available, and the countries function in speed and system. It is high time to embed nationalism in the economy, not just to produce skilled forces to work in the international market but to attract them and retain them in the country instead.

Make in Nepal!

India’s Make in India movement has made strides. They have supportive policies to encourage Indian businesses to flourish. They have liberal policies to encourage Foreign Direct Investment as well. Poverty in India has gone down massively—from almost 60 percent of the population living under $2.15 a day in the 1970s to 10 percent in 2019 as per the World Bank data. China’s figures are staggering: More than 70 percent of its population lived below the poverty line in the 1990s by the same measure, which has now come down to 0.1 percent in 2019. Nepal has also made improvements. As per the Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio, 17.4 percent of Nepal’s population was poor in 2019, which was a significant decrease from 39.1 percent in 2011. However, Nepal still faces challenges to create jobs. Different governments at different times created or revised policies to promote employment and encourage the labor force for access to employment. But the everyday crowd of outbound youths at the Tribhuvan International Airport, buildings with billboards for foreign education, and decreasing enrolment for higher studies in Nepali colleges and universities have become our new reality. This could be reversed if we worked on it aggressively. Good examples set by our neighbors can be used for our motivation.

Decent pay instead of labor contracts

When Nepal and the United Kingdom signed an agreement opening doors for Nepali nurses to work in the UK, I was both happy and sad. Happy as there’s a wide income gap between doctors and nurses in Nepal and the prospect for Nepali nurses looked good. On the other hand, it hit me hard as we were unable to keep the skilled resource for us. Furthermore, we do not have the required numbers of doctors and nurses in the country. Nurses in most hospitals and health institutions are underpaid although the cost for studying nursing programs is high. The government should instead focus on ensuring better pay for the nurses so that they can serve in their own country. Where does nationalism stand when signing such labor agreements? Both sides know that the nurses will not return to Nepal. Whose loss is it then?

Looking forward

It’s a good sign that Nepal has started selling electricity to India. The cross-border transmission lines will surely help Nepal reap benefits. However, our ultra-nationalist sentiments were stirred when the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact was being discussed. Disinformation rose to peak with the rumors of the American Army ready to camp in Nepal indefinitely. Thankfully, the clouds of misinformation cleared and we are building transmission lines jointly with the American support. It’s a good reminder to challenge our shortsightedness and welcome investments or grants from our friends that will benefit our economy.

China is predicted to be the world’s largest economy by 2030 and India to be the second largest economy by 2075. We are geographically located in such an important region. Our policymakers must utilize the strength of our friendship with these countries to strengthen our economy, to create jobs, to produce commodities of comparative advantage, and to invite foreign investment for economic prosperity. We need economic nationalism, literally, to catch up with these aggressively rising economies.

The author is a communications professional

Dengue is an infectious disease transmitted through mosquito bites. It is transmitted by female Aedes Aegypti mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus. In the previous year, there was a significant increase in dengue cases during the July-August period. Consequently, disease control and prevention have become a major concern for us this year. As we approach the next two months, which are particularly worrisome, it is crucial for all agencies to remain alert.

While dengue has not yet reached epidemic levels, there have been approximately 1,400 reported cases of the disease this year. The primary symptom of dengue is fever. Therefore, when you have a fever, you should go to the hospital instead of staying at home. Dengue is diagnosed based on symptoms, and unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease. Resting at home is the primary treatment, although approximately one percent of patients may develop more severe infections requiring hospitalization. We have already disseminated instructions, emphasizing the importance of specialized treatment for such cases.

The main concerning issue is that patients often delay seeking medical attention until symptoms manifest. Moreover, there are also cases where patients do not exhibit any symptoms at all. This resulted in approximately 54,000 cases recorded last year. Therefore, it is imperative to take necessary measures to prevent a recurrence of last year's situation, and we are actively engaged in addressing this concern.

The federal, provincial, and local governments have different responsibilities. However, by working in harmony, as we did during the covid pandemic, we can effectively manage dengue. Discussions have been held with officials and health workers in the Kathmandu Valley, wherein we have agreed to promptly implement programs aimed at controlling dengue. The local units have committed to organizing clean-up campaigns every Friday. Dengue testing kits have already been distributed to the relevant agencies.

We have come to realize that coordinating with local authorities is essential for successful dengue control measures. Hence, last year, we initiated dengue control efforts in collaboration with local authorities. This year, we have requested the local units to continue their participation in these initiatives, and our expectations have been conveyed to them through the health ministry.

There are no weaknesses in the state's policy system. During an epidemic, the central government assumes a leading role, and the policies formulated in this regard are robust. However, if there is a consensus that these policies are insufficient or require modifications, we are open to discussions. It is crucial for everyone to come together to effectively control dengue.

The author is secretary at Ministry of Health and Population

The judiciary is tasked with defending the rule of law and guaranteeing justice for all, making it a crucial cornerstone of any democracy. The Nepali court, however, has long faced difficulties that limit its efficiency and undermine public confidence. In this essay, the situation of the Nepali court is examined, with a particular emphasis on the problems of incompetence and corruption plaguing it.

The Nepali court has struggled with inefficiency, which has resulted in a backlog of cases and delayed justice. This issue is exacerbated by a shortage of judges, poor infrastructure, and out-of-date legal procedures. A tremendous burden for the current judges has been caused by the relative lack of judges in comparison to the population, which has caused significant delays in the settlement of cases. In addition to undermining public trust in the legal system, this violates their fundamental right to prompt justice.

The basic underpinnings of the legal system are being undermined by corruption, which is a disease. In Nepal, corruption has crept up into the ranks of the court, undermining public confidence and skewing the administration of justice. The integrity of the court has been seriously undermined by the prevalence of bribery, nepotism, and political interference in judicial nominations and case results. Honest persons are deterred from pursuing legal recourse when they believe that the judicial system is corrupt, which feeds the injustice cycle.

The judiciary's independence and impartiality are further weakened by political meddling. Judges are now frequently appointed on the basis of political affinities rather than merit, which damages the judiciary's authority. Political demands and interference in high-profile cases frequently result in biased decisions, undermining the judiciary's position as the last arbiter of justice.

A lack of accountability mechanisms within the judiciary allows misconduct and malpractices to go unchecked. The absence of effective mechanisms to investigate and prosecute corrupt judges enables impunity and perpetuates a culture of wrongdoings. The absence of transparent systems for evaluating judicial performance and disciplinary action further exacerbates the problem.

The Nepali court needs urgent changes if it is to escape the shackles of inefficiency and corruption. First and foremost, more judges are required in order to lighten the load on the current ones and speed up case resolution. Efficiency can also be increased by updating the infrastructure, using technology, and simplifying the legal process. Mechanisms for accountability and transparency must be improved in order to guarantee that judges are held accountable for their acts. In addition, rigorous safeguards must be put in place to deter political meddling and guarantee the independence of the court.

The Nepali judiciary is in a precarious position and has a bad image due to corruption and incompetence. Restoring public confidence, upholding the rule of law, and delivering prompt justice to citizens all depend on overcoming these obstacles. Nepal can free itself from the shackles that constrain its judiciary and pave the path for a more just and equitable society by effecting comprehensive reforms, improving openness, and fostering accountability.