By Narayan Prasad Mishra

The people of our country continue to suffer from widespread disorder, irregularities, and corruption that pervade various offices and institutions. A glaring example of this tragedy is the suffering of nearly 7.5 million cooperative victims, whose pain, despair, and tears have become a national reality. These citizens, who deposited their hard-earned savings in cooperatives, are now crying out in the streets, demanding the most basic form of justice—the return of their own money.

For many years, the National Struggle Committee of Cooperative Victims, under the leadership of Kushlav K.C., has been fighting relentlessly to obtain justice for these victims. During this time, all major political parties—whether advocating democracy, republicanism, communism, or socialism—have led governments. Yet, beyond empty slogans about democracy and good governance, no one has taken meaningful action. Our Constitution and laws promise good governance, employment, education, healthcare, and justice. But in reality, these exist only on paper—like the printed image of a fish that can be seen but not eaten.

Cooperative operators affiliated with different political parties lured the public with attractive promises and collected billions of rupees. People deposited their money in those cooperatives with the same trust they placed in banks. No law ever permitted cooperative operators to withdraw or misuse deposits without collateral or authorization. However, most of the troubled cooperatives blatantly violated these laws, misused public money, and treated cooperative funds as their personal property. Many operators emptied the cooperatives’ treasuries, stopped paying depositors’ principal and interest, and transferred or hid assets under the names of their spouses, children, or relatives to escape responsibility.

When the government began investigations to recover these funds, some even went as far as faking divorces or splitting family property to shield their assets. In essence, these individuals turned cooperatives—licensed institutions meant to serve the public—into instruments for large-scale fraud, operating without fear or accountability.

At the same time, the government has often appeared as though it were a silent partner in this wrongdoing, remaining distant and indifferent no matter how much pain or loss citizens endured. On some occasions, officials have even mocked victims, asking why they deposited money in cooperatives, as if such institutions were meant only for deceit. If depositing money in cooperatives was unsafe, why did the government allow them to collect billions from the public? And if it was legitimate to do so, why has the government failed to take swift action against those who misused the funds and return the people’s money?

Under the law, cooperative operators—like banks and financial institutions—are authorized to collect savings and provide loans within legal limits. Depositors placed their trust in these legal frameworks when they saved their money. It is universally understood that no operator or committee has the right to misuse public funds. Depositors are entitled to withdraw their money once their term ends. Any responsible government must promptly prosecute those who refuse to return others’ money and ensure that the depositors are repaid.

In any nation with good governance, justice for such victims would not take long. This is not a matter that requires years of litigation—it is not even an issue that should have to reach the courts. The deposit receipts remain safely with the depositors, and the cooperative records clearly show the amounts owed. Therefore, a government truly committed to justice should have no difficulty identifying the culprits, recovering the funds, and compensating the victims. Even if existing laws are unclear or incomplete, a responsible government should immediately amend or formulate new laws to seize hidden assets—whether concealed under family names or elsewhere—and deliver justice.

Unfortunately, for the past several decades, good governance has become so rare in Nepal that even a thousand-watt searchlight could not find it. While small offices and committees have been formed here and there, no government has yet emerged capable of wiping the tears of hundreds of thousands of cooperative victims.

In July 2023 (Shrawan 2080 B.S.), then-Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation Ms. Ranjita Chaudhary announced that the government would recover the funds from the cooperatives and compensate the victims directly. Many others have made similar assurances, but the suffering of the victims remains unchanged.

A Hope for Justice and Good Governance

At present, as a result of the national revolt for good governance and against misgovernance, an interim government has been formed under the leadership of the Prime Minister Sushila Karki. According to reports published on Ashoj 30 (October 16),  she convened a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office with ministers, secretaries, members of the Crisis Resolution Commission, the Cooperative Regulation Authority, and representatives of the National Federation for the Protection of Cooperative Depositors. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and address the long-standing problems faced by victims of cooperative fraud.

It has been made public that the Prime Minister firmly stated her commitment that those who defrauded cooperative members will not be spared under any circumstances. She also expressed her readiness to amend existing laws if necessary, so that the current government can take decisive legal action and deliver justice to the victims. This announcement has brought great relief and hope to countless cooperative victims across the country.

However, our national experience has often shown that many promises made in speeches vanish like bubbles in water after only a few days. The commitments made to take action against those responsible for the shooting and killing of dozens of people during the People’s Movement, and the pledges to control corruption within five days, still remain unfulfilled. Similarly, in accordance with Gen Z’s demands, no steps appear to have been taken to amend the constitution, laws, or regulations, or to formulate new policies necessary to fulfill the promises of good governance.

Nevertheless, reading about this new initiative has rekindled hope that perhaps good governance in Nepal is no longer confined to words alone, but is beginning to take real and visible form—something the people can truly see and experience.

In keeping with her lifelong dedication to the study and practice of law and justice, I sincerely wish PM Karki success in this noble mission to wipe away the tears of hundreds of thousands of cooperative victims. May her leadership and action be recorded as an unforgettable chapter in the history of good governance in Nepal.

narayanshanti70@gmail.com