News, Views From Nepal

Yuba Nath Lamsal With less than two months remaining for the promulgation of a new constitution, black clouds of uncertainty hover in the political sky of Nepal. This is because parties are still not able to arrive at a common ground on some national issues. Now time is running short and the job of writing and promulgating a new constitution would not be possible unless the parties work on war-footing. However, chances to complete this historic task appear to be slim given the lackluster progress made in the constitution writing and the peace process. These tasks are being entangled in the cobweb of political intrigues and crisis of trust. The political parties do not trust one another. This deficit of trust among political forces is attributed to undependable and vacillating behavior of leaders and discrepancy in their words and works. Parties and leaders hardly practice what they pronounce. They say something and do something else in practice. This is the principal reason for...

Yuba Nath Lamsal Militarization has been a part of strategic culture in South Asia and war its end result. All South Asian states were created by the use of brutal force. South Asian countries fought both internal and external wars on various occasions. Before British arrived in South Asia and controlled most part of the region, there were numerous states and principalities that fought one another to have their dominant position. Lured by abundance of natural resources and material wealth, outsiders invaded South Asia. Greeks, Alexander the Great, Mugals and British colonial rulers were some of external invaders that attacked and controlled South Asia to name a few. The war was a part of South Asian culture as military power was the critical component of the rulers. However, it was only the northern empire or China that never exhibited its territorial appetite in South Asia. It is not only external forces and powers with which South Asian countries had to fight on different occasions...

Yuba Nath Lamsal S outh Asia is a region of both insurgencies and counter insurgencies. All South Asian states tend to equate insurgency with terrorism. Their definition of insurgency is to justify their counter-insurgency. The states define insurgency as terrorism and counter-insurgency as their campaign to protect the life and property of the people. However, not all insurgencies are terrorism. Most insurgencies are of political nature that seek to establish their rights. Reactionary and dictatorial rulers define insurgencies as the act of terrorism as a pretext to crush people’s genuine revolt through violent means. But the insurgents have their own language and words to define the insurgency and counter insurgency. According to them, insurgency is revolution to liberate people from the clutches of exploitation. But not all insurgencies are political movement or revolution. Insurgency and counter-insurgency are two sides of a coin. When there is insurgency, there will be coun...

By Yuba Nath Lamsal It is said that political parties are necessary evils. Many people may not like the way the parties are acting. But the political parties are needed for the sustenance of democracy because democratic polity does not function without vibrant political parties. Any political system without political parties cannot be called democratic polity. Democracy is the political system that requires competition among different political actors which alone makes the system functioning and accountable to the people. Key Component People’s participation is a key component of democratic system. People’s participation can be best assured and guaranteed only in democracy. It is the political parties through which the people’s participation and sustainability of system is possible. In the absence of political parties, mobilisation of the people and ensuring their active participation in the political and developmental process would be next to impossible. Participation and instituti...

Yuba Nath Lamsal Political parties are the key players in a democracy. In the modern political life of any country and society, political parties serve as lifeblood. The parties are principal instruments that must have the responsibility of mobilizing different interest groups into a democratic polity that fosters competitive governance and peaceful co-existence. Democratic polity is the system that ensures better access for the people to political and decision-making process. The parties that prove their worth in this competitive process and win the hearts of the people by better delivering services can be established in politics and prosper. The failure in these acid tests, parties and leaders would be destined to perish and finally dumped into the trash of history. The political system can be worth calling democracy only when people feel ownership over the political process and decision-making. People feel ownership in the political system only when their participation is ...