Norms once established resist change. This seems true for the oriental society like ours which is more than necessarily circumscribed by inertia and slackness. It takes time to go along any notion in practice that is to say give some spell for a democratic republic to flourish in Nepal.

Many puritans argue that people and our planet where we live are better when there are no politics and profit. But the latter two are indispensable for the progress of the modern world. Whether one would agree or not, every aspect of a society is affected by politics. Whereas political science tells us that a country’s prosperity greatly depends to a great degree on the quality of its neighbourhood. But where is the spill over, and after that, catch up effect emerging from the dragon like growth from Nepal’s bordering countries that are China and India? It is an urgent need for the Nepalese policy makers to decide on what sort of economic policy the country has to follow in tune with its political set up.

It is a well known fact that broadly speaking there are two types of economic systems-capitalism and communism. But it will be pragmatic not to mention about communism any more since it can be regarded currently as obsolete. At the outset, it is imperative to regard socialism as an opposite number of capitalism.

As argued by its followers, capitalism is not a single static system, but, undergoes constant evolution. The history of western capitalism can be divided into three stages: mercantile, industrial, and corporate in this age of globalisation. Theoretically, the means of production are owned and services provided meant to be by private entities in a capitalist economy, nonetheless, the modern so called capitalist countries are also engaging in some kind of interventionist policies in market activities. In analysing any mode of production, class relations are paramount. Classes are groups of people in similar economic circumstances. Analytically, most important economic groupings are those which categorize people according to their livelihood. According to Marxist perspective, there are basically two classes viz: profit earners and wage earners that is to say capitalist class and worker class-the proletariat.

In Nepal, there seems no political hope and it

looks like it is moving

towards the way of becoming a failed state.

At present, in the process of constitution making, there arises a great question on the issue of federalism in Nepal. First of all, there must be national debate

on the following questions- What is federalism? Why

do we need federalism? How many federal states

we need? Is politically

and economically federalism viable or not? Basically, there is need to look after the causes and consequences of federalism.

Nepal is riveted with the classic slogan of the leftist ideology that is differences of wealth and power, with all the accompanying inequalities of access to education, health, welfare and employment. This is the main cause for the country being a laboratory to test the outdated ultra-left thought in the country, on the people itself. After the restoration of democracy in 1990, it was seen as a tool or means for achieving the end which is to correct the social imbalances of the past created by the then Panchayat era. But the political parties deviated from their respected path.

Regarding federalism, the Maoists are in a great dilemma. They are the principal initiator of federalism based on ethnicity and caste rather than on economic feasibility, geographical location and other factors of undivided sovereign Nepal. Are the so-called self branded true followers of Karl Marx following class struggle or caste struggle?

It will be realistic for the three major parties to follow a definite ideology according to their conduct, not according to their slogans. Since the need of the hour is to forge national consensus on all fronts, the best alternative for all three is to follow a common course, which is social democracy with realistic roles for both the state and market.

This can be their combined means to achieve in making an equitable and just society whatever may be written as the guiding principles

in their manifesto or no matter what they go against when they are in the government. During this interim period, the country cannot face any political polarisation. If these big three can unite as the past has shown they had the ability to abolish monarchy through their sheer strength.

The need of the present moment is to narrow the ideological and behavioural gaps between these three parties for making the constitution drafting task a success in the short run and ultimately the transformation of Nepal into a developed and welfare nation state in the long term. It

requires no reiteration that these three parties have to consider working together with all the other secular and democratic forces as well. In a nutshell, economically-socialist paradigm — and politically-democratic norms — are the way for the new Nepal.