Two years ago, at the age of 29, Bharat Badayar Joshi decided to run for the position of mayor in Parshuram Municipality, Dadeldhura. He won the election, defeating the frontrunner and former mayor. With the victory, Joshi also became the youngest mayor in the country.
Joshi has a master's degree in atmospheric physics from the Chinese Academy of Sciences University in Beijing. Before joining public office, his plan was to go to Europe for higher studies. The decision to contest the mayoral election, he says, was a result of one incident that took place during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Joshi was visiting his hometown to spend time with his family when the pandemic struck. As a result, his plan to go to Europe was indefinitely deferred. While the entire country was under a strict lockdown, Joshi’s mother needed medication for her thyroid condition.
Joshi recalls having to scramble for days on end to secure the medicines for his mother. He experienced first hand the disparity in healthcare access.
“The struggle that underprivileged people have to put up with just to get hold of essential medicines and healthcare moved me,” he says. “I couldn’t keep calm.”
Joshi then decided to do something about it. He launched a social initiative called ‘We for Humanity’ with a primary focus on delivering medicines and healthcare services. His work didn’t go unnoticed, both from the residents of his towns and local leaders.
He contested for the position of mayor with the Nepali Congress’s ticket and won with a huge margin. Since joining the office, Joshi has prioritized infrastructure development as a means to drive the economy of his hometown.
Joshi says one of the major challenges faced by his town is a lack of proper roads and bridges. Almost every monsoon, flash floods and landslides have been damaging the local road network.
“We need better roads and bridges to boost the local economy as well as the quality of life,” he says.
Joshi also hasn’t forgotten about improving the healthcare access and education situation. He has started an ambulance service, upgraded local health facilities and introduced health insurance schemes for the poor and underprivileged. .
To improve education, particularly among girls, he has been organizing various programs aimed at pushing up literacy rate among girls.
Joshi knows very well that to get things done he needs the support of other political parties. He also knows the provincial and central governments are also vital to attract development funds. Due to the power struggles and political rivalries, he says, many of his dream projects have been facing delays and unnecessary obstacles.
“Local governments are under pressure to fulfill public aspirations, but the neglect of central government and constant political bickering have emerged as hindrance to development works,” he says.
But Joshi considers himself an optimist and thinks like one. He believes that opportunity often comes disguised in the form of a problem. In the face of adversity, he continues to boost economic growth and create opportunities for local residents.
He has, for instance, set up a farmers' market with a cold storage chamber to help local farmers. He is also planning to electrify the entire town by forging a collaboration with the Nepal Electricity Authority.
“We all must strive to fix the problems in our hands so that we can have a better future. We should not burden the future generations with the issues that could be addressed now,” says Joshi.
