Great country, greater challenges

 Nepal is an ancient country, with a history spanning several millennia. But now this country of 30 million people is gradually evolving into a modern democratic state. It has in the past witnessed several social and political upheavals. In the painful process of giving birth to Nepal, the great forefathers of the nation and its people had to struggle against not just unfavorable nature and geography but also the onslaught of various imperial forces.

 

Situated between India and China, Nepal is a melting pot of the two civilizations. While Buddha (Sakya Muni) was born in Nepal 2,500 years ago and Bud­dhism spread all across the globe from Nepal, the great Himala­yas spread over 800 miles on the northern part of the country are the abode of Shiva and Parvati, the mythological Hindu gods. For thousands of years, the caves in the Himalayas have served as cov­eted destinations for great sages.

 

The Himalayas, a perpet­ual source of inspiration for mankind, encourage them to achieve the highest goal of liberation from social evils including hunger, disease, pover­ty, inequality and injustice. Nepal is one of the most diverse coun­tries in terms of religion, language and ethnicity in addition to being a land of varying geography, veg­etation, wildlife, climate and bio­sphere. More than 100 languages and dialects are spoken by almost as many ethnic communities.

 

Impeccable religious and communal harmony is another signature trait of Nepal. Hindu­ism, Buddhism, Islam, Christi­anity, Jainism and Sikhism are so well blended that the coun­try has become an unparalleled abode for the followers of diverse religious beliefs. People can practice their religion without any fear of the state or the society.

 

Right now this great country is at a crossroads. Internal and external forces are working in tandem to undermine its social fabric. This is one of the three major challenges facing the nation. To strike a balance between class, ethnicity, gender and region is a challenging task that should be the state’s top priority. Strengthening social fabric and harmony by promoting unity among the people across their ethnic, linguistic, religious, gender, religious as well as polit­ical divides is the government’s fundamental task. Given the geostrategic location of the coun­try, no government or responsible political party could ignore this issue. Besides, the forces that may raise their ugly heads under the guise of strengthening federalism and devolution of power must be checked on time. The incum­bent government has done a com­mendable job by mainstreaming a separatist movement in Tarai.

 

The second big challenge is to recalibrate the present model of development. Nepal is one of the poorest nations of the world. It is rightly said that the country is sitting on a goldmine and yet is impoverished. An imposed model of development, which is nonetheless accepted by our policymakers and leadership alike, is solely responsible for the dismal state of affairs.

 

The present western model of development adopted since the nineties has failed to pull the country out of the morass of poverty and backwardness. The development model prac­ticed by the incumbent govern­ment as well as previous regimes has instead served only foreign interests. It has failed to create national capital. Year after year a major part of the budget is spent on the import of goods and services. The borrowed devel­opmental model of the west has accelerated the flight of financial and human capital. The flawed development model does not view our precious water resource as a vehicle to revive agricultural production through a network of dams and irrigation canals—something that would bring pros­perity to millions of farmers and make the country self-reliant in food grains. Harnessing the rivers as per this planning would create a solid base for industries too.

 

No industrial development is possible without the founda­tion of agriculture. From the US to Israel through to China and India, industrial development was based on high growth in their agricultural production. But our policymakers continue to be obsessed with generating and exporting electricity. This type of development model would only serve the interests of corpo­rate insiders rather than those of the peasants. Our rivers should first be used to quench the thirst of the people and livestock and second for the farmers to irrigate their crops.

 

The third major challenge for Nepal is to maintain a balanced foreign policy. Since the coun­try’s founding in 1768, Nepal has practiced a balanced foreign pol­icy with China and India, thanks to the great farsightedness of our founders. Geography itself has ordained the country to maintain balanced relations with our two equally important neighbors. But due to the short-sightedness of some leaders at the helm, misun­derstandings and problems have emerged. Maintaining equal and balanced relations with China vis-à-vis India is the most challenging task for Nepal. If handled with foresight and diligence, these challenges could also turn into great opportunities.

The author is a centralcommittee member, Nepal Communist Party