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Nepalese In Name Only Have Ruined the Himalayan Republic: The Time Is Now Ripe to Restore Constitutional Monarchy

By Shashi P.B.B. Malla

Since the end of the Corona Virus Pandemic, the world has changed dramatically – in every aspect.

Unfortunately, Nepal is trying to adapt using old methods – in working as well as thinking.

We had a taste of this during the pandemic itself, when the Oli government made a mess of things.

The leaders or Dons of the main political parties think that without them, nothing can function in the Himalayan Republic.

As the eminent Jesuit Father Augustine Thomas, S.J. has brilliantly written, their own egos, while unchecked, undermines their ability to lead effectively. Then there is the lack of strategy and communication breakdowns (my Republica, Sept. 7).

In fact, it is the very Dons that are holding up material progress and intellectual development. They suffer terribly from self-delusion like many other so-called leaders in the world – like Putin of Russia, Erdogan of Turkiye, Maduro of Venezuela, Orban of Hungary, and, of course, Trump of the United States.

In our own neighbourhood, Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh rode rough shod over the feelings and desires of her countrymen, and fate finally caught up with her.

The main character deficiency of the pseudo-leaders is that they put self and their own political parties above the nation and think that they are on the right track. They are so blinded, that they cannot see the wood for the trees.

In the case of the current pack of pseudo-leaders or dons, their character deficiency takes on added meaning because of their intellectual impairment. They have failed to keep up with the times, and are now too old to learn anything new.

And most unfortunate for the country at large, they are unwilling or unable to pass the baton to a new generation. The pathetic state of their political parties manifests itself in the fact that the next generation has not the capacity nor the will to topple these old-fogeys. ‘Young Turks’ have not at all been nurtured.

Sher Bahadur Deuba has been reduced to issuing meaningless statements (which he thinks are statesman-like) – lacking context and drive. He lately uttered: “B.P. Koirala was a great man from a small country.”

This does not help the harassed and downtrodden Nepalese in the Himalayan Republic, coming as it does from ‘a small and myopic man from a great country’ [does he doubt our cultural civilization and natural beauty! ?]

Oli’s own penchant for harum-scarum schemes may soon come to fruition. It seems that he has already ordered the printing of new currency notes with the map of Nepal incorporating the disputed areas of Limpiyadhura, Kalapani, Lipu Lekh. Such unilateral action, without taking recourse to bilateral diplomatic negotiations will only raise tensions. This is also very poor foreign policy in action.

The President of the Republic should have the capacity to rein in, check or at the very least warn about such anti-national actions. But he is just a mute spectator. At the same time, contrary to the secularism of the Constitution, he has monarchical pretensions by participating in religious festivals as a royal personage. He has lost any sense of gravitas.

The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com