The country has obtained a near two-thirds majority government – just two seats short of it – after a string of unstable governments. While our neighbours have already made incredible ascent to the pinnacle of development, we remain languishing on the bedrock of its foundation
Prime Minister Balen Shah has seen a meteoric rise in Nepali politics. Almost out of nowhere, he emerged as the mayor that too of the capital, Kathmandu. He had not even completed his term of four years as its mayor, and now he has scaled a dizzy height of the country's premiership. It is more surprising as he has achieved this unbelievable feat having an apolitical background. He is a civil engineer-turned rapper.
This is not the first time that parties launching a successful political movement have achieved a landslide victory. The Nepali Congress under the charismatic leadership of B P Koirala had obtained a two-thirds majority by winning 74 seats out of 109 after a successful People's Revolution against the tyrannical Ranas. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) also emerged as the largest party in the Constituent Assembly Parliament in 2008 following a decade-long People's War. But both these spectacular victories did not last long. The first one was dismissed by King Mahendra while the second one faced a similar fate as Premier Prachanda had to resign due to confrontation with President Ram Baran Yadav.
Meteoric rises are followed by similar falls. It will be very unfortunate for the country if that happens this time. The country has obtained a near two-thirds majority government – just two seats short of it – after a string of unstable governments. While our neighbours have already made incredible ascent to the pinnacle of the developmental shrine, we remain languishing on the bedrock of its foundation.
Nepal has an engineer as well as a rap singer as the Prime Minister. Many engineers have assumed this covetous post in the country as well as outside. In India, Nitish Kumar, an electrical engineer, catapulted Bihar to something like a beautiful butterfly from its rather ugly caterpillar-like form. He restored peace and order in a lawless state by cracking down on criminals thereby doubling the income of an average Bihari. Likewise, the President of China, Xi Jinping, is a chemical engineer. He also embarked on the campaign of anti-corruption by prosecuting 2.3 million government officials by 2023. He is considered the most powerful leader of China only next to Mao.
In our country, Babu Ram Bhattarai, illustriously bright in his academic journey as someone who never stood second, also became prime minister. Though, not a hard-core engineer, he is very near to it being an architect and planner. As prime minister, Bhattarai increased the size of the minnow size annual budget and introduced innovative concepts like polluter pays principles. Much of the road extension work that we see now was carried out in his time. He also created a new Ministry of Urban Development.
It is in this contest that the emergence of Balen as the Prime Minister has to be observed. That he is a skillful manager as well as administrator is obvious from his sweeping reforms as mayor. He introduced innovative steps in education and health that allowed many students to receive scholarship. Poor people, especially the senior citizens, were provided facilities in hospitals. More glaring is the construction of the bus stops on the traditional form of the pati, which worked as the night lodge for travellers in the past, with a stone waterspout beside it for drinking water. In the daytime, people, especially the senior citizens, met for social interaction.
Balen is undergoing doctoral research focused on conservation of Newa heritage structures to promote tourism and the economy. As one of the first doctoral researchers on architectural conservation, this columnist is naturally overjoyed by Balen's campaign to create contemporary facilities following the traditional form. His swearing-in ceremony preceded by the holy chantings by Hindu priests and Buddhists monks speaks volumes about his appreciation of the tradition. The inclusion of Christian pastors and Muslim Imams would have added more flavour to this function in view of Nepal being a multi-religious, cultural, and linguistic country.
Balen has thus demonstrated tremendous affinity for history and tradition. There is one lesson he can draw from history. Legend has it that Prithvi Narayan Shah, regarded as the father of the nation, stopped in a small hut for food after facing a narrow escape and defeat in Kirtipur in the 18th century. The lady served steaming food to Shah whom she did not recognise. The king started eating the food hurriedly from the centre of the plate due to hunger and tiredness and in the process burnt his hand. The lady laughed and said that he was like Prithvi Narayan Shah who tried to attack the valley from the centre instead of from the periphery and faced defeat.
Likewise, Balen also should focus on the peripheral problems mentioned in the 100-point action plan for good governance. The arrangement of the blue bus for women and return of money to the cooperative depositors and the likes are the right point of departure. But he is alleged to have started with the arrest of the Gen Z movement offenders albeit a little early.
These activities are based on the Karki report which has, however, been criticised as being far from complete from several quarters. It has wasted energy on trivial subjects duly ignoring spinal ones like arson and looting. No wonder, the government has quickly formed a committee to investigate on it realising this reality.
History has shown that overwhelming victories have been more of a curse than blessing in Nepal. The national mood is to convert the present majority victory to a boon. Balen should take cautious steps ahead. Otherwise, what has been a fascinating meteoric rise may lead to an undesirable nosedive. The country cannot afford such a political mishap anymore.