The government did not address the spirit of the Genji movement: Prakash Rasaili
Parbati Bhandari, Nepal News Bank
Kathmandu. On September 23 and 24, 1982, the Genji movement has completed one year. Amid the growing political instability, anarchy and dissatisfaction with the attitude of the old political parties in the country, the youths took to the streets and demanded change. Many youths lost their lives during the movement.
The main expectation of the agitating youths was good governance, accountability and development of a new political culture, saying that political and social change was necessary in the country. Despite the commitment made to address the issues raised by the movement, to reform the governance system and to work according to the expectations of the people, the general public has complained that the impact of the change raised by the movement is still a matter of debate. Voices are being raised to take the country forward on the path of stability, good governance and prosperity by addressing the contribution of those who lost their lives in the movement and the demands put forward by the youth. In a conversation with Nepal News Bank, Nepali Congress Joint General Secretary Prakash Rasaili (Snehi) accused the incumbent government of failing to address the sentiments of the Zenji movement. He said that the government has failed in the areas of good governance, corruption control, solving the day-to-day problems of the people and making the constitutional bodies of the state effective.
He said that the events of the 23rd and 24th should be looked at from different angles. He said that many youths had lost their lives unnecessarily due to the weakness of the state and lack of information management during the agitation on the 23rd. He said that the subsequent developments took a different form of the movement.
“On the 23rd, many youths lost their lives in a brutal manner. The movement took a different form because of the weakness of the state or the lack of information of the state,” he said.
He said that the incidents of arson and vandalism from Singha Durbar, to Pashupatinath, Supreme Court, business establishments, government buildings and national property in the name of the Jenji movement on the 24th should also be seriously addressed.
Rasaili said that it is the responsibility of all political parties to fulfill the dreams of the youths who were martyred during the movement. He said that the Nepali Congress will take ownership of the movement.
He claimed that the youths have come to the streets as a result of the growing public anger in Nepali politics for a long time. He said that the tendency of political parties to compromise on principles and ideas for the sake of power has increased the frustration among the people.
Rasaili said, “The Nepali people were fed up with the tendency of the political parties of Nepal to do anything for power, to compromise even if the views and principles do not match in the elections, and to compromise for power with others after the elections. This is the reason for the Jenji movement.” He said that the present government formed with the spirit of the Jenji movement has failed to meet the expectations of the people. He said that the government has not been effective in the issues of hospitals and gas lines, problems of flood and landslide victims, increase in the prices of medicines and daily essentials.
He said that the situation of the country has become very dire in recent times. He expressed dissatisfaction with the government, saying that the arrangement of relief and health treatment for the flood-affected people has not been done effectively. According to him, the state has not been able to work according to the needs and feelings of the citizens during the time of disaster.
Rasaili said that the government has failed even in terms of good governance. According to him, good governance is one of the main issues of the Genji movement, but the government has not been able to work according to it. He questioned the government, saying that it has given priority to relatives and close people in political appointments.
He said that the government was taking action in a prejudiced manner in the name of controlling corruption. He said that the government’s working style was immature, saying there was a situation where people would be arrested without completing adequate evidence and legal process and later released from the court.
He claimed that the government was increasing the burden of taxes on the people. He said that taxes have been imposed on sectors like education, health and electricity, and the tax policy should be reviewed. He said that the government should focus on controlling price rise, easy availability of daily essentials and providing basic services to the people.
He said that the main hope of the youths of the Genji movement is to create jobs and opportunities in the country.
He said, “If the youths of the Genji movement are unemployed, then unemployment allowance should be given.” Big factories and industries had to be opened in Nepal by giving that allowance for two to four years. A campaign should be launched to bring the youths back to Nepal. Stating that a large number of Nepali youths are going abroad for foreign employment every day, he said that the government does not have a plan to create long-term employment. Stating that the country cannot be run by relying only on remittances, he said that the use of natural resources and new sources of income should be identified.
He suggested the government to move forward on the basis of a five, 10 and 20 year plan. According to him, the government’s focus should be on long-term economic development, job creation and good governance rather than on the immediate popularity and political stunts.
He also demanded an impartial investigation into the incidents of September 23 and 24 during the Jenji movement. He said that those who lost their lives in the incidents of September 23 should be honored as martyrs and legal action should be taken against those involved in the arson and vandalism of national and private property on the 24th.
Rasaili urged the government to improve its working style as it still has enough time. He said that the future of the government would be secure if it could protect the constitution, maintain good governance, control corruption and conduct accountable governance to the people by addressing the spirit of the Jenji movement.
प्रतिक्रिया दिनुहोस्
