Editorial»
Matter of concern
JAN 12 - Anote of warning sounded by the World Bank, the other day, is something that everyone concerned with the development and welfare of the country must take seriously. We do not need the World Bank to tell us that something is amiss in the country and that development is not taking place as it ought to have. The first reason for it is the armed Maoist insurgency that everyone dismissed as nothing but a small spark that would die itself out and the second is the agitation launched by the five political parties against what they term regression. And whether the political parties were able or unable to muster the necessary public support to see their agitation to fruition, the students have taken to the streets and property worth over 30 million rupees have been destroyed.
The political instability is a result of the tussle between the King, who refuses to bow down to the demands of the political parties, and the parties, which presume that once they are in the saddle of power everything will be all right. The king-political parties tussle has -much to the delight of the Maoists - pushed the main agenda of law and order in the country to the back burner and therefore, the national scene. Long established institutions, democratic or otherwise but part of the machinery, are being reduced to mere non-functioning establishments, showing a clear sign that the country could be heading towards becoming another failed state in Asia, after Afghanistan.
The bread-and-butter question, that is the economic challenges facing the country, can only be solved when there is political stability in the country and the people do not face security, law and order problems and can engage in constructive activities. The World Bank has pointed out that the amount of “aid” would depend on various bank conditionalities. The unfortunate part of deals with institutions of the World Bank’s stature is that we must accept their conditionalities and there is no way out but to do so. Even though the Bank merely lends and does not dole out grants, the loans to countries like Nepal are on soft term basis that virtually amounts to grants.
There is, no doubt, a need to set our house in order if we are to bring economic, social and political benefits to the people. The main responsibility lies with the domestic institutions, including the state apparatus, and the less we turn to outside forces, whether economic, political, social or military, the better it will be for the future of this country. However, the warnings from well-meaning outsiders like the World Bank should be taken seriously and steps initiated by all concerned, including political parties, should do their bit in helping this country regain a bit of sanity.Posted on: 2004-01-13 04:02
Headlines
Advertisements
