Can we rest assured that our national interests will be safeguarded by leaders like Dahal?
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is also the chairman of the CPN-Maoist Centre, has once again landed into controversy by saying that one Indian national, Pritam Singh, had put a lot of efforts to make him the prime minister of Nepal. While launching a book entitled Roads to the Valley: The Legacy of Sirdar Pritam Singh in Nepal, penned by Kirandip Sandhu in the capital on Tuesday, PM Dahal said, "He (Pritam Singh) once put a lot of efforts to make me the prime minister. He visited New Delhi several times. He also held several rounds of meetings with leaders and friends in Kathmandu". When he made this statement, Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Navin Shrivastav, was also present at the programme. It was an unfortunate statement made by a sitting Prime Minister of a sovereign and independent country, that too, in front of the Indian ambassador. By saying so, he meant to say that it is necessary to get political blessing from the neighbouring country to become the prime minister of Nepal, instead of the sovereign people's mandate through periodic elections. This is not the first time that he has made such anarchic statements by belittling the national image at both the national and international level. When KP Oli's government was being ousted two years ago, he also stirred controversy by saying that the government to be formed by the then five-party coalition would be "comfortable" even to the neighbor, that is, India.
Following his anti-national statement, the main opposition - CPNUML - Rastriya Swatantra Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party obstructed the regular meetings of both the House of Representatives and National Assembly, forcing the Speaker and NA chair to put off their meeting till Thursday. Speaking at the HoR meeting, UML lawmaker Raghuji Pant said PM Dahal's remarks undermined the prestige and dignity of the country as well as its sovereignty. He also demanded that Dahal step down as PM as he has failed to uphold the sovereignty and independence of the country. Instead of going to the people why should anybody go to New Delhi to become the country's PM? Pant wondered. Not only the opposition leaders, but Nepali Congress lawmaker and NC General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma also said his "party does not subscribe to his views". His statement is condemnable, Sharma said.
How can a leader like Dahal lead the country as the executive head when he cannot control his mind at public forums? Will the ruling partners also continue backing Dahal as the PM even after making such an anti-national statement? His statement is no less than treason against the state. He did not make this kind of statement by mistake. His mindset is that he cannot remain in power without political support from outside the country, particularly India. It may be recalled that during his official visit to India from May 31 to June 3, he had suggested swapping the Kalapani region with India for a trade route to Bangladesh without reaching national consensus on the issue at home. Can we rest assured that our national interest, sovereignty and independence will be safeguarded by such leaders, who always look for foreign intervention to remain in power? His self-explanation is not enough. PM Dahal does not deserve to remain in office due to his stupid statement.
Teenage pregnancy
It seems child marriage is here to stay, and with it teenage pregnancy, regardless of the legal provisions in force. According to Girls Not Brides, a third of Nepali girls are married before their 18th birthday - and 8 per cent before the age of 15 - although the legal age of marriage for girls is 20 years. The 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey reports that 14 per cent of girls aged 15-19 have become pregnant, with 4 per cent currently pregnant.
These statistics bear testimony to the fact that Nepal's attempt at preventing child marriage and teenage pregnancy through the National Civil (Code) Act 2017 has largely failed. Teenage pregnancy, however, varies from province to province, the ethnic composition and the educational level of the girls. Karnali and Madhes provinces have the highest teenage pregnancies while girls with little or low educational levels tend to get married early and start child bearing immediately. The situation could improve dramatically if the socio-economic conditions of the provinces and certain castes were to be enhanced. The biggest investment could, however, be on quality education, especially that of girls, so that they stay put in school until they complete 12 years of schooling.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 7, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
