Editorial»
Time for rethink
AUG 22 -
For the past two decades the Nepali Congress has not found it very important to engage in any substantial reflections on the ideology of the party or its position in Nepali society. So even as it emerged as the most powerful party on the Nepali political landscape, controlling governments in the post-1990 period, its efforts were focused on handling political exigencies as they arose, without reference to any broad principles to which the party adhered. Its ideology as formulated chiefly by B.P. Koirala in the distant past was sometimes invoked as the reminder of the history and prestige of the party, but these played little part in the party’s actions. It has by now become a commonplace to point out that while the Nepali Congress throughout the 1990s and later officially adhered to the principle of “democratic socialism”, its economic policies were largely based on free-market principles that, under pressure from the international and donor community, swept all parts of the world from the 1980s.
As the Grand Old Party gears up for the general convention, there are some voices from within the party that it is time to revisit its principles and modify them according to the changed circumstances. Narahari Acharya, for instance, claims
that the ideology of democratic socialism, adopted at a party convention in 1955, was formulated during a time when
Nepal’s economy was primarily based on land. In this context, socialism meant the abolition of jamindari and birta forms of land ownership and the nationalisation of forests. As circumstances differ substantially now, the party needs to come to an understanding of what socialism means in the current context. Similarly, former finance minister and NC central working committee member Mahesh Acharya has stated that socialism is still relevant as a purely capitalist economy cannot bring about a state of general prosperity, that in order to establish socialism as an ideal for the party, the general convention will adopt slogans focusing on the rights of education, health, shelter, food security and employment for all.
These are promising signs but in order for these ideas to have a major impact on the Nepali Congress, it will be
necessary for the party to hold intensive and wide-ranging debate within the party regarding these issues. It will not be enough to simply speak in abstract terms and thus come up with a set of principles for the party. If this happens, there will be no change from the past when the ideology of democratic socialism was invoked but hardly ever adhered to in practice. Thus, along with ideological debates, the party needs to focus on discussions regarding how to transform these ideas into policy. In addition, it will be necessary to analyse the nature of Nepali society, and the impact that Congress governments have had on it over the past two decades. Only with such reflection can the party rejuvenate itself.
Posted on: 2010-08-23 07:34
Headlines
Advertisements
