However, this hasn’t happened. On November 28, a Nepali national daily reported that the present home minister, Bijaya Kumar Gacchadar, in a clear defiance of parliamentary directive, hasn’t forwarded the vehicle-related austerity plan to the cabinet for decision. The proposal would ensure that the incumbent home minister would get the cheaper Mustang-type jeep, instead of an expensive luxury car, for use while in office and only for three more years after quitting his post. Gacchadar would like the privilege to be continued for life! Clearly, Bhattarai’s good example has failed to persuade others.
THE FRONTRUNNERS
Ever since the former minister Shyam Sundar Gupta lay down on the street to prevent his car from being taken away at the end of his tenure, this unique political phenomenon has captured our imagination. Corruption exists in Western countries, but usually ministers don’t risk their reputations over cars. Probably because they have better vehicles back home. Besides, many Western PMs, ministers, kings, and queens have surprised us with their simplicity. Until he became the UK’s PM, David Cameroon went to work on his bicycle. Queens of some Scandinavian nations go cycling for their shopping. In our country, for most ministers fit the rags-to-riches story. "Once you get there, make hay while the sun shines!" For many, the hay includes the ministerial vehicle.
Whenever a Nepali government falls, news of which minister will hold onto which vehicle make headlines. Some outdo Laurel and Hardy comedies. When PM Madhav Kumar resigned, national dailies reported amusing "grab-car" instances. Some state ministers from his government didn’t want to part with their vehicles. Saroj Yadav threatened to roll his Prado into the Trishuli River rather than hand it back. His colleague Sanjaya Sah didn’t make such a threat, but held onto his vehicle just the same. Indra Prasad Dhungel returned his car only after an accident damaged it so badly that drivers and mechanics had to tow it to his former ministry; he had been using it for giving driving lessons to his relatives.
Former PMs are still in possession of the vehicles they should’ve returned long ago. Both Madhav Kumar Nepal and Jhalanath Khanal took as private property cars they used while in office. Sher Bahadur Deuba has two vehicles, Pushpa Kamal Dahal three, Surya Bahadur Thapa two, Madhav Kumar Nepal two, and Lokendra Bahadur Chand one. The former three receive 300 litres of petrol each month and the last two 200 each. Surprisingly, the former Deputy PM KP Oli keeps three vehicles and receives 450 litres of petrol per month.
The former Home Minister Bhim Rawal is reluctant to return the Rs 8.7 million Mitsubishi Pajero he rode while in office. Nepali Congress’ former Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka also hasn’t returned his vehicle. One-time parliamentarian Amresh Kumar Singh continues to enjoy one car and 120 litres of petrol per month. These people are in sharp contrast to Gokarna Bista, who returned home in a taxi after saying goodbye to his colleagues at the Energy Ministry. In general, greed has overtaken both the proletariat comrades and the capitalist Congress. Most adhere to feudalistic principles even while they pretend to combat feudalism.
THE SOLE DISCIPLE
Enter PM Baburam Bhattarai. The fact that he chose Hulas Motors’ product, the Mustang, as his official vehicle initially made headlines. Some years ago, I visited a war-torn African country that didn’t even make its own toothpaste; and had mud pavements for streets in the capital. For the first time, I had been to a nation that was poorer than Nepal. Then, I had taken great pride that Nepal at least produced a vehicle. Hulas Motors, Biratnagar, instantly came to my mind.
Over 100 days ago, the managing director of Hulas Motors, Surendra Golchha, thanked Dr Bhattarai at Shital Niwas for choosing the indigenous Mustang. The PM’s gesture probably saved the company which was contemplating a closure. However, that day Golchha himself drove away from Shital Niwas in a Korean made Ssyangong Rexton. Golchha, apparently, didn’t trust his own product! Now, bosses of Hulas Motors are contemplating switching over to Mustang themselves; we will have to wait and see what happens.
Bhattarai’s good example has so far produced just one adherent, Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun. The latter says he too has ordered a Mustang as his official car. The First Lady, Hisila Yami, initially wanted an expensive car, but, thanks to media ridicule, settled for a cheaper one, but certainly not a Mustang. Why hasn’t Bhattarai succeeded in winning over more people? Probably, they see through his hypocrisy.
YELLOW SUBMARINES
We still see Maoists shuttling about the town in vehicles with yellow registration plates and numbers that begin with zeros. The big shots among the former rebels claim that "people" donated such vehicles to UCPN (Maoist). However, we know that our comrades have mostly commandeered these four-wheelers from unwilling donors. After the vehicle owners acquire the yellow number plates, they don’t have to pay the annual taxes applicable to other vehicles. Neither do they go for the annual pollution test. If that were not enough, some Maoists leaders even ride stolen vehicles.
Our traffic police put on a drama when these Maoist vehicles run on our streets. They pretend not to see them. Police behaviour indicates that the "security forces" have accepted the Maoist parallel government that these yellow number plates represent. We can understand Nepal Police’s reluctant to take on cadres of the biggest party. But isn’t their ignorance an implicit admission that the Maoists stand above laws applicable to the general public?
MASS-TANG
Now we know that the Maoists had been drawing money for 3,000-odd "ghost" combatants who had deserted cantonments long ago. Billions of rupees that should’ve gone for development projects went into Maoist coffers. Bhattarai tolerated this silently while enacting the Mustang drama. Various attempts to cover up this episode simply fail to convince the public.
Knowing fully well that the combatants would soon opt for either integration into the Nepal Army or voluntary retirement, Bhattarai still decided to increase the salary of each combatant by Rs 1,500. His jumbo cabinet has exceeded all previous records. Only media uproar has prevented him from expanding it beyond half a century. Fittingly, a cartoonist described PM’s vehicle as a Mass-tang, showing ministers packed like gundruk within and the remaining ones perched on the roof!
Whatever the goodwill Bhattarai gained as the Finance Minister under Dahal’s government and through the choice of his vehicle has now whittled away. However, even now, Bhattarai still has the opportunity to mend his ways and win back the respect the Mustang had initially accorded him.
Related story
57,000 plus tourists visit Mustang in 2019
_20220508065243.jpg)
