 DAMBAR KRISHNA SHRESTHA |
The Federation of Chambers of Commerce in Kailali has begun a voluntary donation drive called 'Mission One Paisa'. This region may be 'far-west' from Kathmandu, but for its residents it is close-by and personal. Perhaps that is why the locals were the first ones to donate to the cause.
Chadani and Dodhara VDCs lie across the Mahakali and are probably last on the government's priority list. In fact, all districts of the far-west have been sidelined from the mainstream. Money allotted from the budget for this region is either frozen or shifted to other programs.
What was once the capital of ancient Nepali culture and politics has been rendered weak and poor as the rest of the nation continues to modernise rapidly. One can make a long list of people from the far-west who have served in government posts both during the Panchayat era and post-1990, but none of them have contributed or bothered about the region's welfare.
But it is not possible to improve the status of the far-west through individual efforts alone. Development activities will count only when rights and resources are decentralised to the region, and locals are made agents of development plans. Given the government's medieval approach towards decentralisation, it is no surprise that policies drafted inside Singha Darbar by officials with Ivy League certificates have very little effect in the region. In the past, these plans failed to take the far-west's needs into consideration, which is why nobody here feels any progress has been achieved.
In Nepal, protests are characterised by bandas, transportation strikes, and violence. But leaders of Mission One Paisa say theirs is a dignified movement, aimed at alleviating poverty and encouraging locals to show more commitment towards regional development. They have made made it a point to keep identity politics out.
The campaign, however, must not be limited to the far-west. Steps must be taken to seek the support of fellow Nepalis and friends from the international community. Also the ones driving this campaign must ensure that funds are used properly and there is zero tolerance for corruption.
In the recent past when efforts were made to divide the nation based on narrow ethnic or communal identities, the unity shown by the residents of the far-west was commendable. If this initiative is taken forward with the same level of honesty and integrity, it has the potential to put the region back on the national map.
