Kathmandu, May 5
Prime Minister Balendra Shah has made it clear that the abolition of trade unions and party flags was aimed at making the bureaucracy and academia clean, free, and professional. “Banning party flags in schools and bureaucracy will not seize rights of students and employees, but strengthens professional freedoms,” he said in a social media post today.
PM Shah argued that party politics in the university and bureaucracy, deep-rooted in the country for a long time, has ruined education and administration. So, ouster of party flags strengthens rights and professional freedoms. “Many journalists, leaders, activists, businessmen and the general public have been arguing for years that partyocracy ruined university study and bureaucracy.
Such organisations have become ‘sleeper cells’ of political parties with brazen disregard for students and employees. Undue access over qualification and sycophancy over competence causes utter public distrust in the system itself, PM Shah explained. It is not because the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is unable to form organisations in academia and bureaucracy from where it is wiping out ill politics, but it is entirely for quality enhancement in the university and the dignity of employees.
“If RSP wants, it can easily form its organisation in no time, but adding another organisation does not bring reform as the past suggests,” PM Shah, also the senior leader of RSP, reminded. According to him, the basis for transfers and promotions of civil employees should not be guided by party affiliation but by procedure, competence and delivery.
“Our effort is entirely for creating opportunity for students to learn from teachers rather than from politics, and not from a mob of political leaders,” he said, wishing employees not to run after leaders’ protection but rule. He further reminded that students could learn politics, but together with culture, thoughts and responsibility.
The PM reminded the employees to be servants of citizens, not of parties. PM Shah, however, said the move of this government was not a fight against any party but an attempt to protect the system. It is an attempt to secure future where the country would not be under party control but on the path of institutional reform. “This is a move to free the education system and bureaucracy from the party’s undue influence. We brought ordinances to remove such ills as per your wish.”
The PM also sought everyone’s support and trust for such a bid. “We need your support and trust, for the change is not ensured with mere speeches but through decisions. We are in the government to deliver as per your wishes. Be sure, whatever we do, we do in favour of the Nepali people,” PM Shah added.
—RSS
