Respect sovereign people
The Himalayan Times
28 January 2019
Respect
sovereign people
To me, the ongoing political
environment of Nepal is not favourble for bringing the desired changes in the
social, economical and overall development of the nation as envisaged by the
common people considering the high-handedness of the ruling party. Democracy
does not mean ruling the country with high handedness on the basis of
arithmetic strength in the parliament. It is the system that demands the
respect of the opposition and hearing the people’s voices through their elected
representatives. It is a system that should follow the universal norms and
values of democracy. The Parliament in itself is not sovereign, it represents the
sovereign people.
The Parliament should not be a forum
for some rowdy leaders to chase their own interests rather than it should be a
place looking for the well being of the nation and its people. The passage of the
National Health Education Bills without letting the main opposition voice its
concern, is now the talk of the town. I have nothing to do with Dr.K.C nor any of
the political parties. My only concern as a citizen is whether the bill was good
only for a limited number of people or was it good for the entire nation and
its population. If it was for the broader purpose, then why did the ruling
party have to flex its political muscle? What could be the hidden reasons for
not incorporating the nine- point agreements made with Dr. K.C in the final
bills.
The consequences of this
highhandedness by the government in the days can be well imagined in the days
to come. Thousands of people, civil society members and medical professionals
have joined hands in support of Dr. K.C’s demands, which will not be easy for
the government to tackle. This situation might create an unhealthy social
tussle between the state and the people, inviting an unstable and unfriendly
political environment. If the government is thinking of suppressing the
situation by using its security forces, then that will be a major mistake and
could prove very dear for its popularity. In a true democracy, it is the people
who are ultimately the sources of state power, not the elected leaders and the
parliament. Time has come for the government and a group of elected leaders to
be sensitive and sensible while handling the state affairs. They must follow international
norms and values of democracy to make it flourish.
Rai
Biren Bnagdel
Maharajgunj
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