By L.D. Pulami The nation is in an utter mess right now. There are frequent and fraudulent changes of governments, there is immense corruption, the economy is in the doldrums and wrong-doers are being set free, projecting a bad image of the judicial system as well. For the government to find more honour in the eyes of the people and also for the judiciary to get respect, it is an uphill task, as the common masses have lost much faith in the good intentions and cleanliness of the administration. Add to this the increasing incidents of petty and big crimes, the free manner in which corruption takes place and the way the real powerful individuals get away with any type of crime, which is making things worse. This is the worst part of the lack of good efficiency of the security institutions, just like the vast network of red-tapism which gives government officials lopsided ground to play in. But we all constantly hear slogans of good governance, right from the prime ministers to other political leaders and administrators as well. Aside from this, if we take into account the immense poverty of the majority of the common people, one can easily understand the misery of this nation. Apart from the floods and landslides that will soon come with the onset of the Monsoon, the disturbing inflation rate of staple food, the pollution, the dirty environment and the unplanned manner in which the way settlements are being seen in this country is a real nightmare. It is common knowledge that corruption in the country starts from the top. This has been proved time and again and just the sudden hike in the living style of many of these individuals who otherwise came from a common background tells the story of what is going wrong here in not only executing different projects but also in planning and the crooked manner in which works are being implemented. The ironic part is the individuals who have bled the country dry economically, are rarely punished. They are stashing their ill-earned money going abroad and enjoying like Lords while people are having a tough time even making day-to-day ends meet. It is the same style of living with some bureaucrats and other government officials, who too are enjoying not only power but also betraying the nation by only looking for personal gains and not doing anything for the welfare of the people. It is no wonder that people in thousands are leaving the country to seek their fortune, many men and women even go to dangerous places. It is said even now, there are hundreds of Nepali youths fighting for the Russian army in its war with Ukraine. Back home meanwhile, those who have earned easy money from corruption, if they are clever enough, they have just quietly faded away from the picture and are now living a life of immense comfort with their family members. Only a few such crooked persons have been prosecuted and punished. For example, the son of former Vice President Nanda Kishore Pun has been arrested and is still in police custody. The son of another once powerful Maoist Center leader Ram Bahadur Thapa, who was also the Home Minister, has not been arrested at all. Former speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is still a high-ranking leader in the Maoist Center, was arrested for just four days and freed on bail. Even the four days he spent in police custody, he spent in a luxurious room at two posh hospitals. It is high time to also question the credentials of the credentials of doctors attached to treating these high-profile accused who are linked to serious issues that are not good for the country and its image at all. But apart from these criticisms dogging the government, the role of much talked about journalist turned politician, Ravi Lamichhane, who is now also a deputy prime minister and powerful home minister has also started to float around in almost all media fronts. This man used to woo the people with his high-sounding speeches and commitment to make his party different from the older parties which have been ruling the nation for decades now. But it seems all such talk was meant to simply fool the people. It is right that now this person is receiving flak from most sides. One TV anchor even called him a 'stooge' of Pushpa Kamal Dahal and KP Oli. This accusation was made because there were reports that Lamichhane took sides while promoting some high-level police officials. This was inevitable, as like any member of the older parties he scrambled to be a powerful minister as soon as there was an opening in the then-political alliance. If there is one person who is an opportunist, he is a clever 'opportunist. First, he joined journalism, then he ran away to the United States as soon as he got the chance. He was married there but divorced his wife and came back to marry the daughter of a richer man. Then he again became a TV anchor and after that, he opened a political party after gaining a lot of publicity. He ditched the same TV channel which gave him a chance for his second run in the media business. Now though he had said his party would not join another government for the next five years, he quickly donned the cap of a minister. Then a high-profile person was arrested and soon released. It was like he was arrested for an unfolding drama and then let away. This same thing could have been done professionally. Some political reasoning and also common sense can just judge this person by the things he has done to get to power. Now as per what another TV anchor said, he is ready to be a 'stooge' of two powerful politicians and also interfere in the promotion of police officers which should have been done professionally and transparently. The alarming question that now comes is, 'Was this man picked up by foreign intelligence'? After all, he has made a meteoric rise in the otherwise jumbled-up politics of this country where even some who have worked throughout their life for one party or the other have not been able to get anywhere. Some keen political observers may get some answers to this question, but, surely, the ordinary voters will keep on being fooled by individuals like Lamichhane, specially if foreign powers are helping him. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect People’s Review’s editorial stance.