Prime Minister Oli speaks at World Leaders Forum

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli of Nepal spoke at the World Leaders Forum on Monday in a talk titled “Nepal’s Journey to Democracy and Economic Prosperity.”

Jenik Radon, adjunct professor at the School of International and Public Affairs and drafter of the interim constitution of Nepal during the constitutional peace process, moderated the event, which was co-sponsored by the South Asia Institute.

University Provost Angelina Olinto introduced Oli at the start of the event and spoke about Oli’s role in Nepal’s political transformation.

“This includes the active role the Prime Minister has played as a political activist, a youth party leader, a parliamentarian, and a prime minister in this national transformation,” Olinto said.

Oli opened the event with a 12-minute speech discussing Nepal’s political and economic history as well as its goals for the future. He began by thanking Olinto and Columbia’s board of trustees.

“In our Nepali culture, we regard places of learning as temples of wisdom and when I am standing here, I feel as though I am standing in one of the greatest temples of all,” Oli said.

He touched on key milestones in Nepali history, noting that “the road to modernity and democracy was not a straight path.”

Oli spoke about the modern history of Nepal beginning in 1768 before talking about the 2015 constitution, which “enables us to focus on the next stage of our journey—the pursuit of economic prosperity.”

He described his “life-long struggle to freedom” as having centered on comprehensive democracy, which he defined as “an environment that guarantees equal rights, equal access to opportunities, social justice, and security as well as dignity for all.”

Oli answered questions from Radon and audience members for around 40 minutes and spoke on a variety of topics including climate change and Nepal’s relationship with India and China.

Radon asked two questions about swaths of Nepal’s youth leaving for employment and education opportunities abroad. Roughly one million people leave Nepal every year and 100,000 students study abroad, Radon said.

“The challenge is their education and development,” Radon said. “What steps will you be taking in the near future to make it a home for the million who are leaving as well as the hundred thousand who have left to get education elsewhere?”

Oli said that youth “flying away from the country” is an issue and that the trend is related to education, job opportunities, and economic development of the country, but he added that many who leave eventually return.

“People talk about the rush in the output, youths are going outside, outside, outside,” Oli said. “But they don’t take any account of the people coming back too.”

Radon then asked about climate change, to which Oli responded that the country is aware of the issue and pointed out the fact that Nepal has battled climate change by maintaining the natural form of the land.

Following Radon’s questions, students asked Oli about Nepal’s relationship to its neighbors, and one student asked about Nepal’s abstention on the U.N. resolution calling for Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territories.

On the topic of the UN resolution, Oli did not directly respond concerning Nepal’s decision, but said that they “are always in favor of peace,” saying that Nepal is the “birthplace of Lord Buddha and the mountain of Buddhism.”

 

Referring to Nepal’s relationship with India and China, Oli said that they are between “two giant neighbors” with whom they have a friendship that is “undestroyable” and “lasting.”