News, Views From Nepal

Yuba Nath Lamsal: As the clock was ticking at midnight on April 15, 2008, the Constituent Assembly of Nepal erupted in roars. The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly abolished Nepal’s 240-year-old monarchical system. This was, therefore, a historic and momentous day in the history of modern Nepal. Later in 2015, the Constituent Assembly came up with a democratic and republican constitution, thereby formally institutionalising a federal democratic republic. Nepal’s first president, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, promulgated the first ever constitution written by the democratically elected representatives of Nepal. Members of the Constituent Assembly stood with applause, marking the ultimate victory of the people. Despite many hitches and some hiccups in the constitution-making process that the Constituent Assembly faced for over six years, the process was finally complete, delivering a genuinely democratic and republican constitution. The bottom line of the third Jana Andolan and a de

Yuba Nath Lamsal: Certain events mark a turning point in the history of humanity. The dropping of atom bomb in Japan in 1945 changed the course of the World War II. It ended the European era in the international power architecture giving rise to bipolar world wherein United States and Soviet Union emerged as superpowers. In the World War II, Japan and Germany were badly defeated whereas war severely weakened British might. Only two countries emerged victorious in the war —the United States and Soviet Union. Washington and Moscow drew the map of the post- World War II world. They divided Europe into their spheres of influence. The world, too, appeared divided into two camps. The divide was given ideological colour as capitalist democracy versus communism. The rivalry was more for the quest of hegemony rather than the ideological basis. Both the camps tried to consolidate their sphere of influence for which they built security alliances of different kinds. The North Atlantic Treaty Or

Yuba Nath Lamsal: Politics is the art of governance for the greater good of the people. However, politics, of late, seems to have lost its original vigour and virtue. Politics is no longer a virtuous vocation and instead it has degenerated into a ‘vulgar game of deceit and opportunism’. As a result, public trust in politicians and political parties has sunk to record low worldwide. However, there is no alternative to political parties in the modern day democracy. Democracy without political parties is beyond imagination. In the absence of political parties, the regime cannot be democratic. Election is the soul of democracy. Election alone does not guarantee genuine democracy. Many countries in the world hold elections but not all countries are democratic. Even some authoritarian rulers and regimes hold elections to legitimise their hold on power. Such elections are doctored to hoodwink the people and international community. Elections must be free, fair and impartial through wh

Yuba Nath Lamsal:- "And thus I clothe my naked villany, … And seem a saint, when most I play the devil”: William Shakespeare writes in Richard III. Sometimes bad rulers also come up with some good jobs to cover up their wickedness. In the history of Nepal, Jung Bahadur Rana is remembered for his evil mind of orchestrating ‘Kot Parva’ in which hundreds of patriots and alike were killed in the royal court and Jung Bahadur Rana took over power . ‘Kot Parva’ marked the beginning of the Rana family oligarchy which remained as notorious regime for over a century in Nepal. After taking over power, Jung Bahadur Rana visited England in 1850 and brought with him a printing press known as ‘Giddhe Press’ from London. It was called ‘Giddhe Press’ because it had the emblem of an eagle. This marked the beginning of printing press in Nepal more than 400 years after Gutenberg invented printing press in Europe. Dev Sumsher Rana assumed the office of ‘ Shree Tin’ and Prime Minister in 1901. Dev