Employing Politics For Development

M. Rijal

Politics gives ideas and energy for change and development. Built in and integrated to politics is an urge for going forward, not backwards. However, sometimes politics can be misused for serving narrow sectarian and partisan ends. It is often used for sending society into regression and stagnation. It is employed as a pretence for driving a wedge or division in social cohesion and unity. As a result, society is split into factions and groups. And thus civic capital based on trust and cooperation is destroyed. In many developing societies, simmering conflicts and tensions are the consequence of the misappropriation and exploitation of politics for parochial motives. But, in Nepal politics has always been a tool and process for forward looking changes and progress. It has given direction and hope for progress and social modernization.

Outcome

The democratic change of 1990, post?Jan Andolan II accomplished last year and the epoch making changes unfurled one after the other in the country during contemporary times have been the outcome of politics. The unity and understanding among political parties have been the key factor in ushering a big political change in the country.

Imbued and enshrined in politics indeed is a motivation to give new options and alternatives to develop and propel societies to progress. Politics derives and also provides fuel from a sense of competition and innovation inherent among humans. Whether it is the Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) or the CPN (Maoist), the political parties are always at work to find new ways and invent novel options for social change and development. They are often seen competing with each other for new ideas and innovation to win popular support in one's own favour. At the same time, they are working in concurrence with each other to achieve legitimate development outcomes for larger and wider benefit of the society. An understanding and sense of unison among political parties at the district and village level can make a huge difference in finalizing and implementing development schemes for the benefit of the community. Here, an example from Arghakhanchi district is referred to indicate that political unity and common perspectives are critically important to identify and implement village and district based development schemes. The political parties in the district worked out a list of development projects and discussed them at the district council meeting held recently. The development projects were negotiated, contested and finalized in the council according to the provision of the local self governance act.

As the elections for local bodies has not been held for the last seven years, they are run by the government bureaucracy. However, an all party consultative mechanism has been in place for last one year to assist and guide the district development committee in allocating development projects consistent to local needs and priorities. Accordingly, the projects relevant to roads, drinking water, electrification, communications, education have been identified, consolidated and documented . The Arghakhanchi district development committee has committed to fund and carry out several projects as per the endorsement of the council Several other projects have also been agreed upon in the meeting and documented .These projects fall beyond the capacity of the local body to fund and implement from financial and technical point of view. Billed as central projects, the development schemes include roads from Saljhandi via Sandhikharka to Dhorepatan, Sandhikharka to Pyuthan, upgrading of the district hospital, medium sized drinking water project for different VDCs in the district. What is noteworthy in this context has been that a joint team of all political parties came all the way from the district to the capital and apprised the needs of the district to central authorities and ministers . The delegation presented the case of the projects and asked the ministers and secretaries to allocate funds for executing the projects. The team included Dr. Dilli Raj Khanal , Dila Ram Acharya - both members of the legislative parliament, Mr. Top Bahadur Raymajhi - central leader of CPN(Maoist), former minister Mr Man Bahadur Biswakarma , Mr. Pitambar Bhusal, former DDC president, NC district committee leaders, NCP(Masal) leaders, NCP( pro- unity) leaders and social leaders. It displayed a strong sense of unity and solidarity among political and social stakeholders for the development of the district.

The solidarity of the political leaders for development received positive and appreciative assessment from central ministers including Ram Chandra Paudel, Dev Gurung, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and so on. The team discussed with Minister for Water Resources Gyanendra Bahadur Karki about the possibility of proposed Naumure hydropower project which is estimated to generate over two hundred megawatt energy at relatively low cost. The proposed hydropower project will benefit both Arghakhanchi and Kapilvastu districts in terms of revenue and power generation.As they are fully united and convinced on carrying out need- based development of the district, political parties in Arghakhanchi are working with the DDC to construct a new large capacity meeting hall in the district headquarters. This will meet the long felt need of a facility to convene large scale meetings and conferences in the district.

Development

It needs to be pointed out that the district has progressed much in terms of transportation .And almost all VDCs have been networked through fair weather road. Given that the spirit of mutual cooperation and understanding among political and social stakeholders continues to exist and sustain, the district can take a new leap forward with tangible development outcomes.

Source: The Rising Nepal, June 12, 2007