Introduction
There always exists a gap between ideology and practice; Nepali politics also cannot be an exception.
Since the establishment of democracy in 2007, many political parties and governments have been made with the slogan of ‘people at the centre of the state power’. More or less, all democratic parties of Nepal have kept the long-term vision of achieving socialism, whether democratic socialism, federal socialism or scientific socialism. All political movements have supported people’s voice for justice, equality, human rights, freedom, right to a happy life and overall progress and prosperity of the whole nation with inclusive and participatory state structures. Likewise, all leaders are highly revolutionary during the movements.
But, when they enter the governments, their sharp revolutionary spirit gets blunt, because of which Nepal is still a backward nation though many political movements and changes have occurred since long. The distraction from ideals of political culture results in corruption, conflict, and confrontation. It proves an urgent need to redefine the Nepali political ideology and practice in order to take the nation to a new track of development, progress, and prosperity.
Redefining seems necessary in each and every sector today. But, it is of utmost necessity in politics and culture as politics is the governing ideology among all. Redefining refers to rethinking upon the established conventional meaning. To redefine is to present a new meaning of something and make people look at it differently so that change is possible. As politics is a guiding and leading force in society, it needs redefinition to lead humans to advancement in the new context.
Political culture and practice in Nepal
“Political culture is a set of attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments, which give order and meaning to a political process and which provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behaviours in a political system,” defines Lucian W Pye, an American political scientist, sinologist and comparative politics expert. He means to say that political culture determines all the political processes, structures and practices.
Though many political movements initiated by different political parties–democrats and communists–in Nepal are held successfully, the political culture and practice have not changed even a little. Contrary to the change in the political system, the behaviours, thoughts, practices and everyday lives of the politicians have changed. They have totally forgotten promises, missions, people’s sacrifices and their expectations, and their ultimate goal. Though the goal of all the parties is to establish socialism, their practices and behaviours are just the opposite.
In Nepal, politics has become the most beneficial industry and a profession to earn money. Moreover, ‘politicisation of crime’ and ‘criminalisation of politics’ have become the greatest problem which has disrupted the whole system, paralysing the national movement to prosperity. Furthermore, nepotism and favouritism have overshadowed meritocracy leading to the failure of the structure. In all political parties, the slavishly obedient leaders and followers have got opportunities everywhere.
Here, even the experts, social activists, intellectuals, and civil society leaders are mouthpieces of politicians and the parties. The whole economy of the nation has gone under the control of the capitalist brokers and middlemen. The government and the cabinet ministers themselves are involved in the violation of the law, and the sale of national properties. The greatest irony is that the politicians and parties with “slogans of socialism” have been lost within the cocoon of the compradors and capitalist traders. Their ideology is one, but the practice is the opposite.
Urgency of redefining
No doubt, socialism promotes a collective governance system as it is a political and economic theory of social organisation which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. Nepal’s constitution and politicians here also promise to achieve it. But, the practice of the politicians and the government bodies contradicts it. Moreover, only the abstract and ideal promise of socialism is meaningless until it is materialised, associating with national resources–natural, cultural, human, technological–and development.
The nation can achieve socialism only when all the people get access to state powers, which is possible through equal opportunities, participation, inclusion and real delegation of authorities to the local bodies and honest implementation of the provisions by all the concerned.
In appearance, Nepal is prosperous as it is a federal democratic republic nation with a socialism-oriented constitution, inclusiveness, secularism and proportional representation. But, in essence, the political culture and practice are the same as that of the autocratic Rana regime or the Panchyat rule. Institutionalised corruption, black marketing, compradorship, nexus of politicians and the limited capitalist businesspersons and exploitation of the nation still prevail in Nepal even though we have a two-thirds -majority government of Nepal Communist Party now.
The present way of politics based on its old practice has been unable to address the issues of the nation including natural disasters such as floods and landslides, Covid-19 pandemic, etc. and human problems like poverty, starvation, unemployment, food adulteration, black marketing, price hike, impunity and so on. Our values, assumptions, ideals, faiths, and norms have been devoured by the termite-like feudal behaviours. People and the whole nation are under the suffocation created by unchanging political tendency of the party leaders on both ruling and opposition sides. It must end as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Political movements in Nepal have succeeded in achieving political changes with the establishment of federalism, republic, secularism, inclusiveness, proportional representation, and socialism-oriented constitution. However, political culture, tendency, thought, behaviours and practices are still the same. In saying, we live in heavenly new Nepal, but, in reality, people are compelled to live a hellish life with lacks in every step.
The nation is immersed in evil practices in such a way that only a volcanic interference can liberate it. To end people’s distrust of people towards politics, political ideologies, politicians and the government, to protect the republican achievements, and to lead the nation to prosperity, it is inevitable to revisit Nepal’s political culture, emphasising on practices rather than on abstract ideals. Otherwise, British scholar Nigel Gibson will be right in the context of Nepal, “Political change does not really lead to any fundamental change for most of the people, indeed, because politics (even if it calls itself democratic) is elitist and barred to most people, so it is necessary to look to new movements outside of politics”.
Then, the consequences will be unimaginable.
Dhungel teaches at Bishwa Bhasha Campus in Kathmandu.
