Born in Badahare, Mulpani, Baglung, Nepal, Dr. Pant has drawn upon his long experiences as High School Head Master,
College Principal, Project Manager of Resettlement Project, Director at Nepal Administrative Staff College and Officer on Special Duty to His Majesty, Janch Bujh Kendra, Royal Palace. Dr. Pant is an eminent scholar in public administration, disaster and environment management, studies of ethnic groups and above all rural development in Nepal.
Dr. Pant has participated in various national and international level seminars and presented papers of important issues.
He is awarded with Mahendra Vidya Bhusan First Class, Daiviprakop Uddhar Padak , PTA medal, Gaddhi Arohan Rajat Mahotsav Padak.
TGQ1: As an acclaimed political scientist of Nepal, how you Dr. Pant been analyzing the unfolding political events in this country? Are we heading for a positive peace or a negative one? Your comments please!
Dr. Pant: No Nepali could win any political race during the half-century long run competition of Nepali politics. The NC (Nepali Congress) was defeated, CPN-UML was defeated, CPN Maoist defeated, and the King was defeated. We all Nepali are losers. The winner is RAW; the winner is south block at last. Lastly, the impossible thing became possible, the bullock but not the cow, gave birth to a calf. The calf has created doubts, confusions, fears, dangers, and insecurity. The alien domination is rampant. A true Nepali is highly troubled for the dangers over sovereignty, independence and national integrity. The age-old tranquility is gone. The politics is in a very fluid state. Economy is deteriorating by the day and the administration is mired with lawlessness and anarchy. The parties in power are taking undue benefits. Corruption, black marketing, price hike is rampant. The government exists only for the namesake. Nepali and Indian criminals are working hand in hand to create lawlessness. There exists politics of revenge. There still seems a dual government action. People are paying taxes for the two. The whole scenario is frustrating. However, none of the political actors are serious for nation and nationality.
We are not heading towards positive peace. Positive peace is people's demand. But the members of SPAM, all equally, are not serious for permanent peace, unity in diversity-culture and endangering sovereignty independency and self-development. Hence the danger of ethnic violence is heading, the danger of one-man or one party dictatorship is still in existence. Any dictator i.e. one party, multi party, one-man or military rule are equally dangerous. The present form of government is oligarchy i.e. nearly Rana autocracy. Parties are working as bhai-bharadars. Bharadars are seeking their shares or ansha-banda on people's property. People are being cheated.
The only solution is to establish a pure democratic norm, that is, decision by the people (not by the parties), all decisions through referendums. First of all the nine-point declaration of Jesth 7 of last year must be ratified through referendum. The no option constitution assembly election is not the solution. The election for constitution assembly, the election for parliament and the referendums are three different things. They cannot go together. First referendum, second constitution assembly election and lastly regular parliamentary election as per the constitution be conducted. No excessive money is required for referendum if well managed.
See the demand of Federal system, the size of the parliament compared to India is 50 times bigger. It is boon to the party workers to give all a position but burden and sin to the nation. All budget will go for them no national development can be done. Nepal will further go from being poor to poorer.
Democracy without election has been the will of the political parties since the ouster of Deuba government. The partycization of the universities/education sector, companies and corporations, the mass media including the bureaucracy elucidate that SPAM is not working well in accordance with the will of the people, democracy and human rights. They have, instead, been more so dutiful to their cadres and kinsmen. It's party dictatorship of sorts that the people don't approve of.
TGQ2: You have, as far as we know, penned a book on RAW- India’s Research Analysis Wing- Machinations in Nepal. How the RAW agents manipulate the country’s politics? Has the RAW placed its agents at the highest level of Nepali politics? After all what is the ultimate design of the RAW in Nepal? Your own explanations please!
Dr. Pant: Yes, I have penned not only one book on RAW but also many both in Nepali and English languages. For example Machination of RAW in South Asia, CONTINIOUS INTERFERENCE, and NEPAL INDIA BORDER PROBLEMS in English and RAW ko chalkhel, Abiral Hastachhep and Nepal-Bharat Seema Samasya in Nepali are main books written for the purpose of awaking all Nepali citizens.
Before knowing how the RAW agents are working it is necessary to know what is RAW. Of course if you go through these books you will understand what it is. In brief, I would like to acknowledge that RAW is not an Intelligence bureau. It is different. It is the most authoritative external intelligence agency for spoilage, which has become instrumental in the scheme of India's national power. RAW is groomed to show off, blended to bluff and extremely gaudy in its style. It draws sadistic pleasure in gimmicking on other agencies. It goes all out to score a point just to become the heart favorites of the persons who are at the helm of an affair. RAW has as many as 35,000 agents (Prem Raj) of which over one thousand are now in Nepal. The RAW has immeasurable, unaccountable funds at its disposal. There are speculations that annually it is provided with Rs. 1500 crores "discretionary grant" Retired Major General V.K. Singh, in his recent book, namely " India's External Intelligence" has given a frank and truthful account about the inside functioning of RAW.
RAW in Nepal has successfully demolished the thousands of years old traditions, culture and spiritual bricks of oriental heritage/philosophy. It is now working hand in hand with missionaries supported by west. It has inducted rebellious groups to shatter the peace of Nepal to take full advantage of the disturbed situation. A weak Nepal is strength for India, has been a philosophy of RAW.
Sikkimization or Bhutanization is the main objective of the RAW in Nepal. The proposed secret treaty tendered by SK Singh, the then foreign secretary of India, on first April 1990 proves that defense and water resources are the main interest of RAW in Nepal (see comparative constitutions of Nepal annex-6). After a storm in a teacup, it is playing a win-win game in Nepal.
TGW3: Some academicians opine that Indian influence in Nepal has increased exponentially more so after we “copied” their LOKTANTRA into our body politic after the April change last year.
Are not we ourselves sufficient and efficient enough to lead the country? If yes, then whyIndia is poking its nose every time in our “internal affairs” under one pretext or the other?
Dr. Pant: Yes, their analysis and surveys are correct. Indian influence in Nepal has increased exponentially. Along with the political and economics influences cultural influences are increasing rapidly. Translation of the word 'Democracy' in Hindi is loktantra and in Nepali is 'prajatantra'. The Sanskrit word Lok, praja and gana all mean the people but praja means all living being along with the people. Nepalese grown up with pro-Indian minds, more so after 2006 April, have copied the Hindi word 'loktantra' into our body politics. Not only this, the Tihar is converted into Dipawli, Fagu into Holy, Hindi language /songs are loved more than Nepali, leaders prefer speaking Hindi to please their masters. For they bear a colonalized mind.
When some nationalist Nepali intellectual took some interest to promote Nepal, automatically anti-Indian sentiments were enlarging. Soon RAW made a survey regarding Indian Influences in Nepaland found that the anti-Indian mass sentiments must be crossed. Many ways were searched and implemented. Eighty percent of Nepal's mass Medias were partially supported and converted into pro Indians. The advertisements, just in adding iodine in salt, is so highly propagated that it reaches to every house hold, India is God to Nepal. There are big advertisements of Indian concerns in hospitals, bridges etc. Besides India decided taking small patch programmes directly to each village, calling Jai-India. As per Nepal's law it was not possible unless an agreement is done. For, this they convinced S. B Thapa the then Prime Minister which was later agreed upon by the ruling monarch then. An agreement was signed for seven years that Indian will directly go to any place, select any project and conduct it directly. They did it. Now there are Indian projects of 5 to 10 thousand to one to five millions in all 75 districts. They also took Nepali territory to be administered by an Indian and applying Indian railway laws in the territory of Nepal. Now if you go to any village and talk about Indian interest the villagers will come over to you in favors of five bundles of corrugated sheets. At the same time India became most successful to attract USApeeping Nepal, in all matters, through Indian window. Nepal was most failure during this regime and just before the 12-point pact. Thus Indian influence during this period increased so high that the Christian missions, the USA, EU joined hand to support India in matters of Nepal. This formula is so clear the American Ambassador to Nepal visited New Delhi first, settle her mind before doing any thing in Nepal. It is SPAM, which gave all power to India. Our leaders suffer from defeated mentality:
Yes, we Nepali are capable in every aspect of our lives. We are ourselves sufficient and efficient enough to lead the country, to develop its infrastructure. I say, we even do not need dominating foreign aids/loans. We are self-sufficient. Under one pretext or the other India is poking its nose every time in Nepal's internal affairs. They have their vested interests in making Himalayas as their security wall, using Nepal's perennial water to irrigate dry India and replace the coal/atomic thermal plants into cheap hydropower. Making Nepal a market of non-quality products keeping them poor employ as loyal servants as whites did to Negroes during colonizing period. Now Indians are just applying it.
This blame does not go to Indians. They are nationalists and trying their best to make their country protected and prosperous. We are not nationalist and have slave mentality as educated by Lord Maculation system. Half of the Indian penetration of politics, economics, cross border crimes, custom theft, black marketing will vanish only when we regularize the border. If so, custom income doubles, industries survive, crimes reduce a new Nepal is generated. Unless the young groups replace the old ones in all parties, nationalism will not take root and Nepal will not be developed.
TGQ4: As an expert on decentralization, how you see the country being divided into segments and units as federal structure and autonomous regions? Can Nepal as a nation-state afford to comply with the demands of federalism and autonomy as is being demanded by some groups in Terai/Madhesh? Have you any such a solution in mind, which could act as a suitable alternative to their demands without putting much stress on the nation? Your comments please.
Dr. Pant: In a multi cultural society like Nepal, it has no other important instrument other than decentralization of power. If power were properly decentralized the present consequences such as the demand of federal system, terai-autonomy, remote area, linguistic, gender, janajatis or dalit would not have risen. No political parties were ready to decentralize power. They oppose for oppose sake and oppose is for chair sake. I still say, decentralization, a real decentralization could solve the entire problems. (for detail see 'Aspects of Decentralization in Nepal') In it services are delivered equally in all parts of the country. The local level units are most powerful agents for development. Conclusively, in a decentralized system the government is limited on making policy only which is executed by the departments and the real actors are the local people of local units. That decentralization, not delegation, would be more powerful than that of the present demand of federalism with self-decisions making power. In stead, federalism is harmful. Technically, Nepal is four times smaller than one single state of India. It is so expensive that the regular administrative cost would increase by 24 times which will not be possible to meet by the present status of the budget. Naturally there will be two types of taxes which will compell to close down all factories not being competent in the open markets policies in one hand and due to this reason there will be tussles, strife between states regarding the rights of natural resource which are unique in north-south. This struggle will ultimately lead Nepal to disintegration leading a poorest country in the world. Instead, if Nepalis are united and built a capacity of self-development Nepal will be a most prosperous country richest in the world. For what Nepal no other country in the world has not, what other countries have we do have. Tourism, forest, agriculture, human and water resources can generate millions of employment if managed without external pressures.
When every citizen, by means of 'Vyavasthit basti Model', (under proposed decentralization scheme), is well educated, has full employment opportunity and has high standard of living such tendencies of demands with vested interest of limited persons in fractions of groups will automatically vanish.
TGQ5: The now completely sidelined King is still considered as a threat to some. Is he really a threat? Is he really that powerful enough as taken by the parties, more so by the Maoists? Or he is just a defunct monarch whose fate hangs in a limbo? How you take the Maoists pressure for a republic much ahead of the CA polls, which is to decide the fate of the Nepali monarchy? Your explanations please.
Dr. Pant: No, he is not a threat. The threat is between capitalism and communism, between one party /multi party dictator or democracy. The real threat is loosing an identity of Nepali nationality or surviving as an independent sovereign Nepal. The Maoists pressures for a republican order or decision by the constitutional assembly members both are out of the concept of lokatantra. Lokatantra survives only through the view of the loka, i.e. referendums. Only CPN-UML is right in this point. It is simply a gambling loosing or winning.
You have to understand that Nepali people are completely neutral of any' ism' or 'rule' or 'political system'. For them best government is that which governs the best. They are in favor of permanent peace and security. They are not royalist, not Maoist, not communist, not capitalist. If they were not compelled as usual with any option election they would prove what they are. Less than 5 percent people cross over 90 percent people's view and we call it a democracy. Democracy survives always with referendums in major and controversial issues. Rests all are tyranny. Party leaders are playing roles of the bharadars. People, on whose name they are ruling, thus are completely ignored. And it is yet called lok-tantra.
Moreover, the Maoists are finding it hard to switch from politics of intimidation to electoral politics. Nonetheless, the eight parties are divided on (a) holding a referendum (b) declaring Nepal a republic by two-thirds majority of the legislative Parliament and, (c) declaring as per the decision made by the majority of the constituent assembly members.
Transitional society has a characteristic of going against the existing disposition and demand for change, not necessarily knowing the nature and context of change. The phenomenon involving the Terai is one such development.
To better understand, one should understand Lord Macaulay's address to the British Parliament on February 2, 1835. Macaulayin concept is gaining ground in Nepal to these days. Nepal is now being divided in terms of geography, caste, language, gender, religion and property through the mean tricks pushed by the aliens. It seems we want to serve rather than be master of our own destiny.
(Dr. Pant can be contacted through E-mail shastra@wlink.com.np)
@Telegraph
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