We have once again fallen prey to the political upheavals that this country experiences every decade. On September 8 and 9 this year, the nation faced an almost unimaginable situation. Seventy-four promising young people lost their lives. Many of the country’s important assets were reduced to ashes. From those ashes Nepal must rise like a phoenix. For that to happen, every individual must play their part. First and foremost, the country’s leading politicians who dominate the political arena must recognize the situation and act accordingly. Generation Z expected an end to corruption and freedom from the old elite. Yet the level of destruction that took place under the cover of their movement makes immediate recovery difficult. We will have to strive for a long time. Moreover, who — and with what intention — carried out the destruction of our Singha Durbar, the Supreme Court, the Parliament building, various offices, institutions and infrastructures? At present, we can only speculate. It cannot be assumed that some of our political leaders ordered such devastation merely to fulfill a plan to change them. The country is currently being run by an interim government. Parliament has been dissolved. Security agencies are demoralized. There is a grave responsibility to restore the nation from this precarious situation. At the same time, there is also a risk that the politics of change could be provoked in this context. The fluidity that now exists in the country could just as easily make the situation more complicated.
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Therefore, it is appropriate that the government led by former chief justice Sushila Karki — formed in line with the directives of the Gen Z movement — focus itself on the elections. She appears to have grasped this. Prime Minister Karki, in an address to the nation on Thursday, said that elections would be the priority. For the immediate term, a study should be made of the damage to public life and property caused during the movement and those responsible should be brought within the ambit of legal action. Likewise, those involved in corruption must be subjected to the law. For this, it would be appropriate to establish a powerful, high-level commission. Even when prosecuting mistakes made during the movement or past crimes, the law must not be breached. If there is any sense of coercion or forcing matters upon someone, that will only complicate the situation. Therefore, all actions must conform to the law. Likewise, ministers in the interim government may face pressure to carry out hasty, coercive actions against individuals. Ministers and this government — who understand the law and the context — should pay attention to this.
The present situation is not only difficult for the government but also for the major political parties. They must be ready to adapt to the changing times. Senior leaders who head those parties must not allow their own actions to bring about the end of the movement. They are too late in passing party leadership to the younger generation and assuming merely a guardianship role. Parties that understand the present circumstances and try to move forward will naturally be better placed to face future challenges. Only by reforming governance and administration in a timely manner and delivering services that benefit the public can the current challenges be overcome. Moreover, there may be activities that worsen the country’s present condition. Therefore all stakeholders must remain vigilant. It is essential to understand clearly the role of those elements that tried to bring the country to this state of destruction. Otherwise we will again end up like other conflict-ridden countries. For recovery, everyone should take the initiative to focus on alternatives.
