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A Discussant’s Comments on “Opportunities and Crisis”
Dr Kishor Vaidya
Adjunct Research FellowUniversity of New England
New South Wales Email: [email protected]
Issues to be covered
• General comments
• Crisis issues
• Opportunity areas
• Key Issues not mentioned in the paper: Current challenges
• Key Issues not mentioned in the paper: Opportunity areas
• Concluding remarks
General comments
• The topic is very broad: “Crisis and opportunities” in which area? Dictionary meaning of crisis: an unstable situation of extreme danger. Perhaps a better topic would be: Key Socio-political Opportunities and Challenges in Nepal?
• Focus on historical background rather than on current affairs
• The paper: author’s perceptions or monograph. Lack of data and references, not academically rigorous
Nonexistence of meaningful relationship between the state and its citizens
• “The tragedy of Nepali politics is that it always revolves around the periphery of Indian politics”.
• “There is not a single cohesive force or value that binds the people”
• 239 years old Monarchy that unified the culturally diversified land to a nation state called Nepal.
Unsuitable Political and Governance Structures
• Lots of historical background
• What are the author’s views?
• Were parties and people seeking change then?
Historical Injustice and Breakdown of Traditional Society
• “…Nepali society was held together only through inter-caste obligations and the silent observation of century old traditions and cultures from all quarters”.
• …”The power of unwritten laws started losing its grip on society as people became aware of their rights in the modern era”
• Rural youths seeking international labour markets
Highly skewed and a very low level of education
• Mass illiteracy is a national disgrace.
• The policy makers have failed to develop a uniform national education policy
• “There is no substitute for education to develop a country where there is no other resource apart from its people”
Endemic corruption within the system
• Culture of corruption
• Institutional corruption
• Political support
The Maoists Movement• Appreciation of Maoists “Movement”:
– They shook the Nepalese society from its foundation
– They mobilised the people from every caste and ethnic communities from Madhesh to mountains
– It touched all sections of the society and raised
consciousness of the people.
– For the first time, in the history of Nepal, ordinary people realised that they could no longer be bystanders in the process of political change.
April 2006 – People’s Uprising
• “…239 years old Monarchy that unified the culturally diversified land to a nation state called Nepal”
• No mention of the word “republic” in this section and in the whole paper
Opportunities
• Political reform (new constitutional framework): – “A war-torn nation urgently requires a
framework of governance acceptable to all of its citizens”.
– Federal System of Government: co-opertive federalism” structure proposed by Prof Alok Bohra
– A three-tiered system
Opportunities (Cont.)
• Education: – The suggested policy initiatives are very promising
– “set a definite timeline and yardstick to measure the success of Government policies”
• Infrastructure Fund– Building of roads combined with other infrastructure
projects
• Reconciliation: – Between whom? Is it still relevant?
– A proper compensation package for all the affected people
Opportunities (cont.)
• Transition to Federalism– The role of central government
• Elimination of corruption: – Is it possible at all to “eliminate”?
– Proposes seeks legal/constitutional solution
– How about using information technologies such as e-procurement for large scale tenders/projects
Key Issues not mentioned: Some key opportunity areas
• Benefiting from two large economies: India and China
• Promotion of tourism industry: Trekking, mountaineering, white water rafting, internal tourism
• Hydropower development and electrification
• Reforms in agriculture and industries, small businesses, export policies
Key issues not mentioned: Current challenges
• Management of Maoists’ Army (or its integration into Nepal Army)
• WTO membership (Nepal’s capability to explore opportunity of the huge and significant global market and to meet the challenges successfully).
• Trade deficits with India
Key issues not mentioned: Current challenges (Cont.)
• Balancing international relationships, especially with India and China, and with the USA.
• Issues with India: – 1950 Treaty; – Open border; – Rivers/Dams issues, – Border issues – Susta/Maheshpur/Kalipani
Key issues not mentioned: Current challenges (Cont.)
• Managing international labour market: Nepalese people working in Arabs
• Utilising NRN resources and managing NRN issues: duel citizenship, status of Nepalese people living in SARC countries
• Addressing Madesh forces and forces and social inclusion issues
• Managing foreign aid and INGO/NGO development efforts, Health issues: HIV/AIDS
Concluding Remarks
• The paper either should have focused on only one issue or outlined all key issues
• Neither the author’s views or my comments are right or wrong in themselves: they have not been substantiated with data
• Despite some room for improvement, the paper, overall, is well written and able to capture some current important issues
Concluding remarks (cont.)
• “…The building of the nation then can start with a new sense of responsibility and accountability”.
• The author’s heart, mind and words (mana, bachan, karma) are in Nepal although his body is in Australia
