In a recent podcast with Professor Scott Galloway, the renowned journalist and author David Brooks said that America has a moral problem, not a political one.
This insight sparked a self-reflection that led me to wonder whether a nation like Nepal is afflicted by a similar malaise.
There is no doubt that political institutions in the country have not only stumbled but often failed. And they have done so in a systemic fashion, even though it is fair to say that Nepal has never declined into a basket case — a hopeless, dangerous, and miserable place to live.
Nepal’s governance, while marred by corruption and nepotism, has never been comparable to that of failed states like Somalia a decade ago or Haiti today.
Yet the new Shah administration is rightly focusing on resetting the way government works, in an effort to eliminate malpractice, corruption, mismanagement, and the mediocrity that has long characterized public services in the country.
At the same time, I wonder whether the general malaise felt by the overwhelming majority of the population can be healed only through technocratic solutions — an approach the new federal government seems well predisposed and capable of offering.
After all, isn’t it everyone’s responsibility to step up and move beyond the Ke Garne (“What to do?”) mentality that we often hear among the public?
I often think that you can understand a nation through the way people behave in their daily lives.
In the past, I have written that the streets of our cities are a formidable indicator through which we can not only understand but also assess the civic health of Nepal.
You do not need to look back very far to realize that the way people drive, the shortcuts they use to overtake cars or cut through queues, and the sheer disrespect shown toward pedestrians and cyclists are not only dangerous but also dishonest.
If people choose to override and ignore basic rules on the streets, then I believe there is a moral and ethical problem that mirrors the way broader society functions.
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And many of us, including myself, have been part of this conduct.
I realize that some road infringements happen unconsciously. The vast majority of drivers do not even realize that pedestrians and cyclists exist and have rights. It is almost as if those moving around without a four- or two-wheeler are invisible and therefore completely ignored.
These patterns can also be observed in other areas, including workplaces.
There, cardinal principles such as personal accountability, responsibility, and integrity are often disregarded.
How many times have you wished that some of your colleagues would simply take ownership and deal directly with a situation instead of dodging responsibility and pretending nothing happened?
So I wonder whether the problems afflicting Nepal are much broader than mere incompetence and widespread corruption.
While dreadful performance in ministries may stem from a weak organizational culture — itself a reflection of broader society — corruption is ultimately an ethical issue.
At the end of the day, it makes little sense to compare ignoring a zebra crossing or carrying out a dangerous overtaking maneuver with taking or offering a bribe.
Yet perhaps all these infractions and violations can be placed on an imaginary scale of misconduct, beginning with the small transgressions many of us commit daily and ending with the most serious crimes.
If we agree that Nepal’s problems — though vastly different from those experienced by the United States, as suggested by David Brooks — stem partly from a moral and ethical crisis, then what can the new federal government do?
Digitalizing public institutions, one of the major reforms proposed by the Shah administration and already being pursued, will certainly improve people’s lives. But will it be enough?
I fear that top-down solutions, even if well-intentioned and carefully designed, may not be sufficient to transform Nepal.
It is not acceptable when foreign tourists come to the country and admire its cultural heritage, history, and natural beauty, while simultaneously feeling shocked by the many things that do not work here.
And it is important to recognize that these are not merely problems caused by ineffective governance.
It may be the traffic, but it may also be other aspects of daily life that visitors quickly notice and understand, even superficially, through their experiences moving around the country.
One possible way to address this moral and ethical challenge could be the launch of a series of “Civic Challenges” that citizens are encouraged to embrace.
The new prime minister and his cabinet could craft a narrative emphasizing that meaningful and transformative change will materialize only if citizens improve their civic behavior.
I am not talking about volunteering or charitable work, but about simpler and more urgent acts.
A Civic Challenge could be a nationwide invitation for citizens to act differently and better, according to higher standards.
These could involve seemingly small actions, such as not cutting through queues or waiting your turn at a local grocery store instead of expecting to be served before others who arrived earlier.
It could also involve stopping the casual habit of spitting in the streets, with the broader goal of eliminating the practice altogether because, frankly speaking, it is unhygienic and unpleasant, no matter how deeply rooted it may be in daily life.
Some civic challenges that place responsibility on individuals could be complemented by others requiring government intervention through laws or regulations.
For example, smoking carelessly inside restaurants remains common because cigarettes are easily available in many eateries.
Citizens can reflect and realize that smoking is harmful not only to themselves but also to others through passive smoking, while the government can enforce stricter standards that would bring Nepal closer to developed nations.
Because one thing must be understood clearly: Nepal will not become a prosperous or developed nation if citizens continue acting selfishly.
Another civic challenge could involve reducing the use of cars or motorbikes whenever possible — even electric ones — because walking is healthier and because even clean vehicles contribute to traffic congestion.
Creating a set of civic challenges, with input from young people and other members of society, could help forge a common mission capable of engaging citizens across the country.
This “Make Nepal Better” Mission could become a powerful campaign supported both by civic action and by tangible initiatives implemented by the federal government.
Such a mission would help create a stronger sense of personal commitment and, more importantly, encourage responsibility and accountability among citizens, enabling them to take ownership of the change they wish to see in the country.
Because the government alone cannot reform the republic.
It is ultimately up to the people themselves to help transform Nepal and truly make it better.
