When sister publication of this newspaper, Nagarik Daily, published an inspiring story about Bhawana Tamang, who scored distinction in the SLC exams through courage and perseverance in the face of great adversity, Prime Minister Nepal invited Tamang and her mother to his official residence. He met them in person; listened to their life stories; acknowledged their indomitable spirit, and offered them help. When he heard that a woman was struggling for her life due to delivery complications in remote Rukum district he postponed a cabinet meeting and flew there from Nepalgunj, picked up the woman, brought her to Kathmandu and saved her life. The other day he went to Kavre district and met Mukesh Kayastha, the boy who has remained bed-ridden for the last three years since being hit by a bullet during Jana Aandolan II. He told the boy that he would be all right since he had the best wishes of all Nepalis. He also announced to the Kayastha family that the government would raise Mukesh’s monthly living allowance to Rs 10,000 from the current Rs 4,000 and promised better medical aid to improve his condition. All these acts perhaps didn’t need much effort from the prime minister but each of them certainly needed a big heart—and that’s the whole point here.
When the prime minister feels that the lives and struggles of common people are important and makes personal efforts whenever possible to help them out, it sends a different kind of message to the public at large. One of the problems with present-day politics is that —and this is true of every society irrespective of their level of development and maturity— the common people feel their leaders are totally cut off from them and are just a self-indulgent, self-serving bunch. But when people find that their leaders are honest and care about their lives and daily struggles, it eases their pain and strengthens their sense of belonging to the state, to society. Prime Minister Nepal deserves sincere appreciation for his concern for the plight of common people and congratulations for his ability to connect with them in a way none of his predecessors had been able to.
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