Democracy by definition means rule of law. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai had to go to Bihar to figure out that integrity is vital to a country's progress. It is because our leaders have not been accountable that decades of democracy has kept Nepal way behind Bihar. Among all the others, it is the Maoist party that has pushed this country back. The Maoists are not committed to democracy, and this has put a big question mark over the future. Maybe it was to give Bhattarai a lesson or two in governance that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made him the chief guest at the Patna conference.

The Maoist party is emulating the Laloo government in Bihar that looted from the state coffers. Just as previous ministers in Bihar used to engage in blatant corruption, Bhattarai's cabinet colleagues are doing the same. The government is following the same characteristics that we thought were the trade mark of 'Bihar-style politics'. There are ministers in government who talk about separatism, that is how incompetent this government is.

Who gave Prachanda the right to publicly challenge the Supreme Court? Who gave Bijay Gachhedar the right to direct the administration to distribute citizenships to foreigners? Nepalis are worried about such disgusting actions. These are not good signs for the future of democracy and rule of law. If things are allowed to go on like this, it will bring back dictatorship.

Without a democratic dispensation even the Maoist party will cease to exist. They abandoned a war they knew they couldn't win. But if the Madhesi and Maoist parties do not accept a democratic process we will take 50 years to achieve what Nitish Kumar achieved in five years in Bihar.

That is the only lesson the Maoists need to learn from Bihar for a 'safe landing'. Otherwise they will take themselves and the country down.