By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel New Year brings new hope, new enthusiasm and new visions. At the same time, it also allows learning from the past mistakes, setbacks and failures and subsequently multiplies our efforts to achieve what we could not make a reality in the just-concluded year. Let’s hope that our politicians will be rational and use their wisdom to work for the betterment of the country and its people The country has witnessed three revolutions for democracy in the past seven decades. The first one was in the 1950s when the people revolted to end the autocratic Rana regime. The protest paid off and the country ushered in the democracy bringing new hopes among the Nepalese who were oppressed and underprivileged. It however was very short-lived. King Mahendra hijacked it through a military coup and took direct control of executive authority from the leaders who were elected for the first time by the people. But this did not dither the passion among the pro democrats to fight back to restore the democracy in the country. Nearly after 30 years, the decisive protest end the rule of the palace and democracy was restored in Nepal. The country adopted multiparty democracy with a constitutional monarchy. Freedom of speech, right to equality and political rights were enshrined in the constitution. The rights of the people who were oppressed by the Palace were ensured by the constitution. To the utter dismay of the people, this did not get translated into action. The parties elected to the power failed to live up to the expectation of the people. They were more focused on petty partisan interests and paid less attention to people who were yearned for development and prosperity. Six years into the democracy, the former rebel waged an armed struggle against the state which it said was to establish the rule of law. It is said that the non-performance of mainstream parties fuelled the Maoist movement in the country. As the country fell deep into uncertainties, king Gyanendra, following the path of his father, usurped the power in 2005. He sabotaged the democratic institution which prompted the parties of all hues and people from all walks of life to unite together against Gyanendra’s absolute rule. The movement against Gyanendra lasted 19 days. Gyanendra finally capitulated. People's power prevailed and multiparty democracy was restored. The ground for turning Nepal into a republic was also created. But it is really very shameful and disgusting to note that achievements of several democratic struggles have not been duly acknowledged. It is also regrettable to see the leaders more focused on beating their own trumpet ignoring their commitment to delivering on their promises. One cannot understand what is stopping our politicians to rise above their partisan interests and working in the true spirit of service. More than three decades have passed since the restoration of democracy, unfortunately, the people are still waiting impatiently for the better days to arrive. Nepal’s biggest crisis is the climate of bigotry. The worst manifestation of this was the dissolution of parliament twice by former PM Oli. It was clearly described as authoritarian in the making. Oli earned the accolades when he stood firm against the Indian imposed sanction post constitution promulgation. He was viewed as a leader who can bail the country out of crises. But his decision to dissolve the parliament twice laid the ground for believing that he was no different from his predecessors. The culture of impunity and rampant corruption has been the biggest headache for us ever since we restored democracy. Corruption has permeated has every walk of life. A recent report by transparency international revealed that businessmen and bureaucrats are more corrupt than politicians. Some chief executives and ministers misuse their authority to facilitate the malpractices. Files move faster when palms are greased. Sadly, police officials lack the courage to resist the political pressure laying the ground to breed corruption. Another unresolved malady is the issue of missing person or disappearance - a wound that continues to fester as impunity is enjoyed by certain state agencies. More than one and half decades have passed since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord that formally ended the conflict. To the most chagrin, the victims and their families are still being kept in dark. The commissions formed to look after the issues of transitional justice have just turned into a body without any essence. At the same time, the politicians have been trying to tire out the victims and their families so that they get frustrated and drop their demands. What a masterstroke strategy on the part of our politicians! The other issue that has been plaguing the nation is the double standard character of our political leaders. It has been a common practice among leaders to make a u-turn when their objectives are met. In simple words, they tend to change their position for their interest. Take the example of Kamal Thapa, the ardent campaigner of the Hindu state and reinstatement of monarchy in Nepal. Now, Thapa has publicly said that it is impossible to reinstate the monarchy in Nepal. It is not understandable what led him to utter such words. If media reports are any guide, his relationship with former king Gyanendra soured after Gyanendra made an undue interference in his defeat. Our politicians are intolerant to criticism. The critics of the government are considered a violation of law and therefore lead to prosecution. In any democratic society, the citizens have the right to criticize the government for any wrongdoing. This is the essence of democracy. On the contrary, we have leaders who are intolerant to criticism. Only in Nepal, do we see such immoral leaders. We hope that our leaders understand that it is their utmost responsibility to work for the welfare of the people. We also believe that our leaders have learned from their past mistakes, setbacks and failures. Well and good, if they have understood. If they have not, the local elections are just around the corner. The people will unseat the non-performer and retain the right one in the forthcoming local election. Hope is all we have.