Prof. Dr. Yubaraj Sangroula
The modern political discourse of Nepali society has long been suffering from a major weakness. That weakness is “turning personal vested interests into national interests to establish one’s own importance or authority”—a theatrical game played out repeatedly. Furthermore, these discourses and activities are given political and constitutional legitimacy through elaborate schemes. Engaging in such acts is a betrayal of the nation — a crime — and today, almost everyone seems to be committing it. Let us discuss a few important aspects.
1. The foundation of politics and political organizations lies in class analysis of society. The philosophy of liberation from national dependency, and the political ideas and activities carried out by political organizations, are always linked with certain social strata or classes. In a multiparty system, several political parties compete with one another; however, their principles and programs always operate in connection with certain social groups — such as peasants, low-income citizens, laborers, service providers, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, or businesspeople.
Every political party works for the advancement of a particular economic and social class, and their policies originate from their primary focus point. On the basis of this focus, citizens connect with one another to form political organizations. Accordingly, they also carry a certain guiding ideology.
Let’s take an example: imagine that a political organization is a person. This person aims to cultivate the land. Why and what will they cultivate? They have a specific principle or philosophy for that. Once this is clear, their tools are determined — this becomes the determinant or navigation of their actions. Then they begin their work.
Politics without such clarity is merely a game of personal interest or deception. After the Genz (Generation Z) movement, Nepal is being pushed toward this corrupt language of politics.
2. In other words, Nepali politics, without considering ideology and economic class structure, has been driven by personal economic and political gains, striving to turn vested interests into national and social ones by maintaining control over state power. The recent trends of unification and formation of new parties are motivated by selfish objectives devoid of class or ideological foundation.
3. Today, parties are splitting, and those who split earlier are uniting again. These splits and alliances are driven purely by vested interests, guided by the aim of transforming the state into their personal service instrument. As in the past, old parties are once again eager to form unholy alliances. Some unite out of fear, some to protect their earnings, and some in anticipation of future opportunities. Even those forming new parties are doing so out of these same selfish motivations.
4. For many old and some new power holders, “national security, independence, citizens’ prosperity, and good governance through citizens’ supremacy in the state” are nothing more than paper games.
In the past 37 years, what have you done to build the state’s strength, to enhance production and productivity, to transform social structures, and to create local autonomy based on citizens’ participation? Nothing. The people have seen your failures. Yet, without introspecting your ideological weaknesses or the class basis of your politics, you continue to split and merge endlessly.
Answer these questions first:
a. Wasn’t the Genz Movement and the state’s collapse into chaos the result of your unimaginable corruption and unholy alliances?
b. Weren’t those alliances a consequence of your abandonment of ideology and class-based politics?
c. If there were no problems within your governance, why couldn’t you survive even two days in power? Let’s assume the security forces betrayed you and foreign powers intervened — but isn’t that itself proof of your failure?
d. Then, what are the ideological and class foundations of your new alliances and splits today?
e. What are the principles, and what are the economic and social strategies for prosperity, of the newly formed parties?
5. All the political parties that formed unholy alliances in the past defined politics as the means to gain power, wealth, and corruption-based earnings. Over 37 long years, this mindset has:
a. Thrown the nation into a vicious circle of petty politics, leaving the country in ashes. The economy has collapsed, education has been ruined, the environment has deteriorated, and corruption has infected everything — from infrastructure projects to procurement. One minister even appointed a “State-Minister-level makeup consultant.” What kind of governance was that?
b. Destroyed the integrity of foreign relations — ambassadors appointed and sold for money, the autonomy of universities robbed.
c. Abandoned agricultural production, trapping the country in foreign debt and the addiction of foreign aid.
6. Yes, today the country is burning in the grip of petty politics and foreign manipulation. But this foreign meddling does not wash away your past crimes. Therefore, expecting legitimacy for new unholy alliances is futile. Even among patriotic citizens, most are still entangled in their small personal interests rather than national responsibility.
Hence, to rescue the nation from this evil trap, there is an urgent need for a conscious unity among patriots and progressive forces committed to social and economic transformation.
Therefore, the time has come not to follow individuals but to seek ideas. This is not the time to become mourners of unholy alliances — it is the time to move forward with clarity and conviction.
