By Narayan Prasad Mishra
Nepal, once revered for its rich history, cultural heritage, and natural beauty, now finds itself on the brink of moral and institutional collapse. In the years since the abolition of the monarchy and the adoption of a republican system, the nation has not progressed into a vibrant democracy—it has instead sunk deeper into a cesspool of corruption, deceit, and administrative failure.
What was once a constitutional monarchy with centralized accountability has now become a fractured republic where nothing moves without bribes and where national interest is routinely sacrificed to personal greed.
From the Crown’s Oversight to a Lawless Free-For-All
During the monarchical era, there was at least an overarching fear—an invisible eye that discouraged open, shameless plunder. While the system had its faults, large-scale corruption remained in check, mainly due to the monarchy’s control and influence. But post-2008, under the Republican regime, that restraint has wholly disappeared. The state has become like a leaderless entity, and those elected to lead have weaponized the democratic process to build criminal empires on public resources.
A Republic Rotting from Within
Corruption in Nepal is no longer a crime—it has become a system. From national infrastructure to local administration, from education to law enforcement, from passports to hospital beds—every corner of the state machinery is infected.
The list of high-profile scandals that have rocked the nation in recent years is long and damning. Here are a few of them.
(A). The Fake Bhutanese Refugee Scam
In one of the most disgraceful betrayals of public trust, top-level politicians and bureaucrats conspired to send ordinary Nepali citizens abroad under fake identities as Bhutanese refugees in exchange for hefty bribes. Not only did this scandal expose the rot at the highest levels of power, but it also embarrassed the nation on the international stage. When leaders themselves sell the identities of their citizens, it is not just corruption—it is treason.
(B). Pokhara International Airport Scandal
Marketed as a hallmark of development, the Pokhara Airport project turned into a symbol of inflated costs, shady contracts, and murky financial dealings. Instead of becoming a gateway to tourism and progress, it became yet another monument to national shame.
(C). The Cooperative Scandal
Millions of middle-class families across the country have been swindled out of their life savings by fraudulent cooperatives. Politically protected individuals ran these financial scams, exploiting weak regulation and oversight. People have lost homes, pensions, and livelihoods—while the state watches in silence, and justice remains elusive.
(D) Tribhuvan International Airport Visit Visa Scam
Most recently, immigration officials at Nepal’s main international airport were found to be collecting an estimated 20 million rupees per month from laborers traveling abroad on visit visas. These officials, who were meant to protect national integrity, ran an organized extortion network that preyed on the desperation of people with low incomes.
Systematic Collapse in Every Sector
Corruption has bled into every pillar of governance:
(1) Education: The top officials in universities and professors are appointed and promoted through political influence rather than merit. The education is politicized unimaginably.
(2) Healthcare: Life-saving treatments are denied to people with low incomes, making them expensive and unaffordable. Human life has a price.
(3). Justice: The legal system bends to the will of the rich and powerful. Courts delay or dismiss cases against the power holders while punishing the powerless.
(4). Police and Administration: Instead of being agents of law and service, many officials have become brokers of power and bribes.
Democracy Without Ethics Is Just Organized Loot
Nepal’s republic today is a democracy in name only. The people may cast the ballot, but the result serves the corrupt few. Public positions have become commodities, elections a gateway to personal wealth, and governance a circus of blame and evasion. Ministries change hands as part of power-sharing deals, not based on capability. The notion of public service has been murdered by personal interest.
The people of Nepal are watching, suffering, and slowly losing hope. Young people are fleeing the country in droves, not because they hate their homeland but because their homeland has failed to protect, employ, and inspire them.
Fear for All
If Nepal does not rise from this deepening moral and administrative abyss, it risks becoming a failed state in every practical sense. The idea of a republic—meant to be based on citizen dignity, rule of law, and accountable governance—has been twisted into a cruel mockery of democracy.
This is not only a call to return to monarchy but also to restore accountability, discipline, and national integrity. The people must demand a system that serves them—not robs them. Institutions like the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) must be empowered, not politicized. Corrupt officials must be jailed, not protected.
The time for silence is over. Nepal must choose the system of democracy in practice. It may be of any name or form that provides development and welfare to the country and people, not to rescue the name of the republic, which destroys the nation to rot.
Comments:
Leave a Reply