By Deepak Joshi Pokhrel More than seven decades have passed since the 1951 revolution and the fall of Rana autocracy. But the economic opulence that the movement imagined still remains an elusive dream. Countries with similar economies to ours in 1951 have made a remarkable stride in economic development. Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore have surprised everyone including the West with its rapid economic development. Now, they are on par with the so-called first world. Our immediate neighbors -- India and China. India has boosted its economy while China is all set to surpass America to become the number one economy and also the super military power. Still, Nepal is among the poorest countries in the world despite having all apparatus in place. The answer to this question is not very big. We lack leaders with far-sighted vision, competency and education. In order to understand the causes of our poor economic growth, it is wise to assess some countries, be it politically, socially, or economically. For instance, South Korea and Singapore were similar to our economy in 1951. Like Nepal, Korea also faced many challenges. It experienced war from 1950 to 1953. It ended with the signing of the armistice agreeing the country would remain divided. Already poor prior to the poor, neither country had a promising future. While North Korea carried out an impressive recovery under organized and purposeful government, South Korea during this time was characterized by political corruption, turmoil, and sluggish economic growth. However, things started to change following the April Revolution, in 1960. A new constitution was drawn up that created a parliamentary cabinet. The leaders including dictators like Syngman Rhee and Park Chung Hee (1948-79) were highly educated. They understood the significance of quality education and pursued policies to enhance it. Korea’s literacy rate increased by 2.6 percent from 1945 to 1968 reaching nearly 90% in 1968 and almost 100% in 2014. Singapore has a similar story to tell. Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s was a tumultuous time marked by political upheaval and economic struggles. Mass unemployment, internal riots and demonstrations and a rapidly growing population were the major problems on display. However, under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore made a remarkable transformation -- socially, economically and politically. He is widely recognized as the founding father of a modern Singaporean state. His strategies were very simple. He prioritized quality education and meritocracy over mediocracy.  It is for these reasons Singapore is one of the most developed nations at present. Back home, a country with an abundance of resources and all apparatus at its disposal, Nepal is the poorest country in the region -- just above Afghanistan. Rampant corruption, abuse of authority, culture of impunity and poverty are a few challenges. Likewise, human rights violations, poor service delivery, unemployment and poor governance are other problems staring at us. At the core of the menace is lack of political will to translate their words into action. Over the decades, we have witnessed several governments,  be it left or centrist. No successive governments formed after the restoration of democracy have understood the day-to-day problems of the people. Their only intention is to make hay when the sun shines forgetting their responsibilities and obligations. If we assess the causes of the rapid economic development of the above-outlined countries, we will find that quality education has remained the key factor. But in our country, the education sector falls under the least priority of the ruling government. When quality education is disregarded, the foundation for the overall development of the nation will always remain an elusive dream. Education is the cornerstone of the overall development of the nation. It cultivates qualified people with a pro-people agenda, far-sighted vision, and integrity and morality. However, in Nepal, the people with no or little formal education have led the country for several decades. Even worse, they are not only uneducated, some are even criminals committing murder. A cursory look at our cabinet-level appointment clearly demonstrates that our political leaders do not acknowledge meritocracy. Instead, they prefer kleptocracy. The resultant thereof is far below standard. This is what is happening in our country at present. We live in a country where a cab driver has to be matriculated as an eligibility criterion to own a license to drive. But the country is led by politicians, exceptions apart, who are not even matriculated. Our leaders lack the knowledge required to run a modern government and promote a knowledge economy. Politicians without subject knowledge occupy highly technical ministerial positions like the ministry of finance, ministry of science and technology etc.  When such politicians are at the center of power, it is stupid to expect something innovative from these select crooks. The frustration and resentment among the people has reached the tipping point. This is evident in just recently concluded event to mark the Gaura festival in Kathmandu. While Oli was delivering his speech, some frustrated and irate youth shouted anti-Oli and anti-Deuba slogans which forced the incumbent PM Oli to cut his speech short. Following the incident, two youths were arrested and detained. Many political pundits view this as the beginning of a new beginning. They argue that if politicians do not mend their ways, the people across the country will hit the streets which will not only eject them from power but also force them to flee the country. We bid adieu to century-old monarchs with the hope that we will witness lasting peace and sustainable development. We also expected that our politicians would be people-centred and accountable. On the contrary, we have politicians who are more ruthless, unaccountable, incompetent, uneducated and arrogant than all previous regimes combined. With such politicians at the helm, the dream envisioned by several past democratic movements will always remain the elusive and unfulfilled dreams.