Nepali Times
ASHUTOSH TIWARI
Strictly Business
A costly constitution


ASHUTOSH TIWARI


BR/KANTIPUR
PAY FOR WORK: Social entrepreneur Anil Chitrakar and CA member Sunil Babu Pant at the Saturday's gathering, Maitighar Mandala.

Two hundred Nepalis with no overt political affiliations gathered at Kathmandu's Maitighar Mandala last Saturday to make this point: despite being paid by taxpayers for the past two plus one years, 601 Constituent Assembly members have failed to draft a constitution.

Tomorrow, in greater numbers, the protestors plan to assemble outside the CA premises in New Baneswor to demand a constitution.  

The future: At present, the political horizon looks uncertain. The extended deadline for completing the work for the constitution ends in two weeks. All indications spell that the CA is likely to vote to extend its term by six months to a year. Some speculate that the proposed extension may even be indefinite.

In any case we will be stuck with what will not be an elected CA, but a roguishly runaway CA controlled by a few party netas who are clever enough to mouth all the right words about inclusive democracy. Despite progressive-sounding pronouncements, these netas remain a class apart: they continue to take a lion's share of credit for the success of fading-from-the-memory past andolan; they are seemingly accountable to no one; and their modus operandi is about keeping all decisions uncertain so that they alone are seen as the 'deciders' of Nepali democracy.

The protest tomorrow must talk about how Nepal's future is bleak when the signals from the Kathmandu-centric political class remain muddled. In times of prolonged uncertainty, investors hesitate to buy, educated professionals emigrate, and marginalised Nepalis are left voiceless due to the partisanship of their local reps. We must not let each CA member continue to draw over Rs 50,000 of the taxpayers' money every month in cash and benefits without delivering.

Next generation: It's cliché that the Nepali population is young. 15 million out of 30 million Nepalis are 21 or younger. Yet Nepal's political discourse has never been about generational aspirations. What does the youth want to see in its future?  And how can a new constitution help? These questions never figure into public discussions. 

Tomorrow, the protestors must articulate their ideals for a future Nepal. Once this vision is engrained, then we can deliberate on what sorts of constitutional liberties and safeguards and checks and balances to write. Only then, the demand for a constitution will make sense.



1. Prasanna K.C.
Mr. Tiwari - while we will head your words , i couldn't but help notice you have been telling the concerned people what they must do and what they should have done.

my only question- what have you done? actions? Me and my friends cared enough about my country to show up and speak up.

and NO, i didn't see you there.

enough of telling us what to do. please speak up, show up or for god sake- SHUT UP.


2. jange
Remind me again:

What was it about the 1990 constitution that couldn't be amended to get whatever it was that we wanted?

Surely in terms of cost effectiveness and efficiency that was (maybe still is) he way to go?




3. volker
The protestors should change their slogan from "Pay for Work" to "Pay for Results". CA members should get 50% of thei pay only once they deliver a constiution, not before.


4. Kamal

Humiliating political leaders is the best way to remind them of their responsibilities. "Give me a liberty or give me a gun" was a famous phrase from American leader during second world war.

Something has to be done or else it will go on for ever and netas won't give a damn.

 



5. Arthur
Taxpayers? In Nepal?


6. Soni
"Tomorrow, the protestors must articulate their ideals for a future Nepal. Once this vision is engrained, then we can deliberate on what sorts of constitutional liberties and safeguards and checks and balances to write. Only then, the demand for a constitution will make sense."

I almost never understand what you people talk about.But some things simply take the cake - reaching new heights of oblique speak.

The problem with Nepal is that everybody is so busy being the ultimate we in articulating every possible nonsense, that the only idea firmly engrained in most minds is the value of baloney, evident in heightened political participation. And look where it has brought us.

Other then their own jobs, people are doing everything within their power to make Nepal a better place to live in. All work in this land of rhetorically articulated baloney will be done by asking, for example, the bus to run itself for the benefit of humanity, asking garbage to be ashamed of its habit of being stinky, ridiculing patients for being sick, and shunning power poles for their inability to carry power.

Have a great time with your revolutions and gatherings of collective losers who will never ever get anything done.


7. Soni
Pay Benefits (50000 x 601)x12=360,600,000.00 x 3= 1,081,800,000.00 

Cantonment Combatants 
Pay+benefits 8000x19000 = 1,824,000,000.00 x5 = 9,120,000,000.00 

Extortion Money = ?
Damaged industries = ?
Damaged infrastructure = ?
Lost opportunity = ?

We are all used to complaining about meaningless things, instead we should be focussed on producing more rhetoric. 

"All for one democracy, one for all democracy". Right, that fills the belly of some kid whose dad was murdered by the foremost adherents of the "peace" (well, come on, the man is at peace) and the constitution (all you need to cure that belly ache).

The right of all indigenous, ingenious, extragalactic,  alien, nationalities, as well as non-nationalities of other nations are foremost in my mind, they should all get a state of their own with the right to self-determination. 

So, in keeping with spirit of glorious democracy, what are we having today, Ma. Chicken, or that sad old vegetarian meal. 

Neither, I was out in the rally, to demand for our inherent rights, dignity as human beings, and the right to look smug. But don't worry, I will stage a protest against the tyranny of meals for not cooking themselves, how dare they get so autocratic.


8. jange
7. Soni
Pay Benefits (50000 x 601)x12=360,600,000.00 x 3= 1,081,800,000.00 

Cantonment Combatants 
Pay+benefits 8000x19000 = 1,824,000,000.00 x5 = 9,120,000,000.00 

Extortion Money = ?
Damaged industries = ?
Damaged infrastructure = ?
Lost opportunity = ?

Cost of ammendments? OK Mr. Tiwari, let us have the benefit of your business school skills. Are you up to the challenge?


9. Darcy Kingston
Ashu,

There is something wrong with this picture. Isn't Sunil Babu Pant a CA member? Who is he protesting to? Has he not taken salary and all the perks from GoN? And he is wearing a t shirt that says "Jyala purai liyau, aba sambidhan deu!" He should be in the other side. What a farce!


10. a commoner
"Two hundred Nepalis with no overt political affiliations" -----      You see i am a superstitious man!! I have always had a special liking for the history.   History reminds me that most of these self proclaimed  " Youth Provoking activists "  are infact, some "Greedy opportunist"

11. Shyam
These constituent members were elected to formulate the constitution of the country and not rule the country. Now the main objective has been to become a minister in the cabinet and misuse the resources and earn money. With this attitude of the leaders and representatives of the people the country is going to the gallows. I am really disgraced to be a Nepali.

12. a commoner
PS- I guess Mr Lal  in his article "stage freight of the inevitable" ,the other day was referring to these greedy opportunist...

13. Ujwal Thapa
Nepal's new generation has to unite to protect its future in Nepal to bring together a system of accountable democracy. 

If leaders are not held accountable on their promises, the day might not be far when citizens group together to make their own citizen's constitution in Nepal?


14. Rituraj
@arthur
Perhaps the reference is to taxpayers in the developed countries whose certain percentage of hourly wages comes to us in the form of foreign aid. (where they are gleefully squandered)


15. Kamal

From 1995 (Nepal Digest) to 2011 (Nepali Times), ASHUTOSH TIWARI, has been telling people what they should do. He has now become a Journalist (?) and will never shut up. If you could do anything about it, he would not be a Journalist !



16. Harka Bahadur Gurung
Its time for the young citizens and voters of Nepal to teach a lesson to the senile, good for nothing Netas a good lesson.  Its time to hold them accountable. Its time to slap more amd more Netas and CA members each day, so they will know that they have to perform their duty.  What a waste of 2 years.  Look at Sunil Babu.... is a joke or is he a JOKE.  Its time to hold Prachnda and the Maoist leaders, the UML and the Nepali Congress accountable... these leaders should be put in jail like the Mubarak family for looting the Nepali state and Nepali people. 14 hours load shedding and no water to drink. Enough is enough.   WHAT EVER MAY COME,  DO NOT EXTEND THE TERM OF  CA.... THEY ALL NEED TO FIRED.  JAI NEPAL 

LATEST ISSUE
638
(11 JAN 2013 - 17 JAN 2013)


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