By P.R. Pradhan

There are countless issues to be reported, however, for some months, we have focused on the anomalies in the constitution from which Nepal, a sovereign and independent nation, has faced serious threats. We believe the first and foremost duty of us is to save the nation. If the nation is saved, we will have our Nepali identity.    

The leaders of the major political parties are liars, looters and cheaters. They are involved in daylight loot in the country by distributing sweet dreams to the voters. Therefore, we cannot expect that nation-building is possible from the present gang of leaders either in the ruling party or the opposition.

Moreover, we cannot make the nation prosperous under the present constitution, drafted under the framework of the 12-point agreement formulated by the Indo-West powers. The present constitution is not for building the nation but feeding the political leaders and their followers—relatives, sycophants and big power brokers. As the constitution is very expensive to operate, the nation has not been able to bear the expenditure from its revenue and the government is compelled to lend funds from abroad and at home to meet its expenses. The government is taking loans worth above two billion rupees per month just to pay salaries and other non-productive sector expenditures.

Nepal like a less-developed country needs a large amount of funds for development sector expenditure, unfortunately, the government is facing a scarcity of funds to invest in the infrastructural sector.

The Budhigandaki multipurpose project and Nijgadh International Airport are the game changer projects for Nepal. Nepal decided to construct the Budhigandaki project by itself. But the file on the modality for investment has been impending at the Finance Ministry for more than a year. Why the Finance Ministry is delaying making a decision, is interesting. We suspect the Indians are playing to capture the Budhigandaki project like the key hydropower projects that they have already captured. During the 1980s, we advocated for the construction of the Arun-3 project under the funding of the World Bank, Japan, and Germany, among others. After the 1990 political change, the project was scrapped and finally, the Indians were rewarded with this project.

Accordingly, the government is delaying the construction of the Nijgadh International Airport as the Indians are constructing an airport in Bihar, India, across Nijgadh. Again, we suspect that due to the Indian manipulation, the construction of the Nijgadh airport is being delayed. After the 1990 political change, we saw the closure of many industries gifted by Nepal’s friendly countries, including China and the then USSR, in the name of economic liberalization.  Following the closure of these industries, the government lost the capacity to provide employment opportunities to the local youths. We suspect the act of closure or privatization of the industries was influenced by the foreign powers to destroy the Nepali economy.

Today, thousands of people are leaving the country daily for abroad jobs. They are sending remittances to Nepal but this foreign currency received from the Nepali labors is also being spent to import luxury goods instead of investing this fund in infrastructural development.

The B.P. highway constructed by Japan on the grant has been severely damaged. If around ten km of road at the Roshi River bank is not constructed immediately, vehicle movement is impossible during the rainy season as the River swept away the road in the river bank and presently, vehicles are moving from the river beach by diverting the river aside. The government is unable to manage funding for the reconstruction of the road.

The above-mentioned projects are just a few examples. The political leaders are serving foreign powers by fulfilling their pity interests at the cost of making a big loss to the nation.

About the 2015 constitution, personally, all the political leaders agree that this political system will not help to transform the nation into a prosperous country, still, they remain silent as their foreign bosses become unhappy with them.

Just listened to a poem aired by Thaha FM Radio, “Why the capital city is in a deep sleep when the entire nation is weeping!” Of course, we are in a deep sleep when dacoits are busy in daylight loot. How long should we sleep by undermining all these anomalies? Today, leaders in the big parties are talking about amendments of the constitution making it more comfortable for them. In fact, minor amendments are not sufficient but we need to throw away the anti-national constitution by restoring the 1990 constitution. It is not possible if we continue to enjoy a deep sleep. This is the time to save the nation and this is the time to launch yet another people’s movement to save the nation.