Corruption

Corruption
Author: - Rebati Ram Poudel

Poverty, poor health, low life expectancy, and an unequal distribution of income and wealth are endemic throughout the world. These are the main reasons for any poor and developing country to strive hard in order to make changes. Even being nurtured by the nature as a sacred place, the countries cannot even break their poor growth records and raise their low per capita incomes. In addition to that, a drama of globalization has engulfed the poor countries into the ocean of loans and donor countries have flourished their GDP and HDI to greater extents. Many factors have deep rooted causes in the under-development of a country. One of the most dominating factors is dysfunctional private and public institutions. Lack of effective functioning government, each and every activity it does generally have a hectic result. It’s due to being unable to use its human and material resources in a sustainable and effective manner. Even though, the country tries to copy the modernization: one being done in the developed countries without really caring what the citizens’ main want is. Undermining the condition of the countries economical status, the government bodies try to implement new kinds of changes in each and every sector. Even one part of the country being so much rural that no any means of transportation can reach due to lack of roads, the government bodies simply neglecting those aspects concentrate upon the more and more development of the urban areas.

This trend broadens the differences in between rich and poor people. Rich people on one hand always try to become wealthier whereas on the other hand poor always try to eat full stomach. When government, on addition to that, tries to develop urban areas where richness already prevailed, new kinds of technologies and changes in socio-economy and culture are only entertained on those parts. Lower class to higher class people when get an opportunity to become rich or more rich, whether the way be right or wrong, most of them try to grab that chance. If it be the wrong way by violating the rules of laws, then the most hatred trend of the world arises which has engulfed almost all of the country i.e. corruption. Hereunder are some major types of corruption that exist in our society.

1) Corruption as power misuse
2) Corruption as economical interest
3) Corruption as social prestige
4) Corruption as culture

Corruption as power misuse:-
It happened on Dec 22nd when I was standing on a line for clearing the bill at telecom. It is a hideous task because one has to wait for more than two hours to take the turn. I sighed with relief after two hours of stay on that day when I found myself third on the line. Suddenly a policeman went straight forward not even waiting for five minutes and started clearing his bill without standing on the line. Furiousness aroused within me and all other citizens who were ahead or behind me due to his immorality. However, I could do nothing rather than to wait for my turn since the power of the policeman was beyond my level of capability in order to stop him from his mischievousness. This type of power misuse not only happened to me, but also many people who, like me, felt powerless and got discouraged. This is the simplest case of violence of law incurred by those people who were supposed to serve the citizens by stopping such act done by others. There is much more eye widening cases of power misuses which are sustained even by the head of states.
Afore mentioned power misuses are some of the key factors in corruption, that later on becomes motive for economical gain. The power holders feel as if they are invincible and mere citizens can do no harm and they can easily get away with lump sum of money blindfolding the law.

Corruption as economical interest:-
What is money? What can one do with money? How can I earn lot of money easily? These entire questions always come up in every citizen's mind. They generally think of many ways to earn bigger sum of money either it be a right way or a wrong way. Some take the right path and live a satisfied life for they didn't have wrong doings whereas some take the wrong path, earn lot of money but fill enough fear within oneself for there is law against corruption. Then there is left one part that is corrupt but lives the happy life. That part might consist of the government officers who make the laws by themselves and those who easily can way out when being alleged of bribery. They are devoted in the corruption for the sake of more and more profit gain. The interest of economic gain links the customer sometime even to the head of states via various levels of officers. This act not only obstructs the rule of law but also discourages the other officers who like to have white money and later lure them into the same game.
I have heard a humorous saying that tells, the corrupted people cry not for they were caught but for not storing enough money for their seventh or eighth generations.

Corruption as social prestige:-
Everyone wants to have a lavish life without any sort of lack. Suffice to say, they like to own a big bungalow, a car, bank balance with more than enough money and being respected by all. They like to expend more than their neighbors, relatives and wealthiest businessmen and like to invite renowned stakeholders for a show off in any sort of programs or celebrations they organize. It's the bitter truth that every human being has experienced. The overall dream comes true when he\she has earned a lot of money. Whatever guests or relatives think from inside but the outer thought is only of concern for the social prestige seeker. That's why they get corrupted in order to generate lot of profit. Enough to say, they dive into the ocean of corruption from which the anti-corruption agents can only bring them out.


Corruption as culture:-
Culture is that aspect of human or any animal civilization which is followed by generations for ages. When one becomes habitual to ones culture, even mistakes in the trends of culture are believed blindly. Also, breaking the rules of culture is the toughest part of life for change makers. Some might get out of the habits that are not fruitful in long run, but many dwell in those dead-habits. This is what happens when corruption becomes culture in a country where the trend of bribery continues for long. It would be hard for one to be aloof from this habit but the environment, where this habit is culture, tries to strangle the person in same pond. How much this culture had been affecting us is clearly stated in the book 'Empire of corruption' by BabuRam Dhakal.





Needless to say, if there be any problem there is solution as well. Even with the fact that the culture in which we had been reared up will make hard for us to make some positive changes, our moves should strike the core factor of corruption. Some techniques or strategies which can be implemented in order to wipe out stench like corruption are listed below:
1. Transparency should be there in every government or private organizations' transactions. It includes auditing to be done on yearly basis.
2. Assets of the official workers whether they are of high class like prime minister to the low class like peons should be evaluated before and after their tenure in their respective organizations.
3. There should be strict policies regarding the people involved in bribery (they can be one who take or one who give and those who mastermind or involve indirectly in the sin). Life long imprisonment would be the right and the most eye widening punishment for the corrupted people.
4. With increment in the market price of all the daily required goods, the increment in the salary must be done as well.
5. There must be less difference in the salary from topmost level to the lowermost level.
6. Employers must be employed as per their qualifications and experience.
7. Revolutionary agricultural system need to be applied. Poor people have to be provided enough land for them to survive by farming whereas lands that are owned by lazy and rich people must be seized.
8. Specific areas for the investment have to be analyzed and be given to non-government organizations along with becoming conscious about national interest rather than person.

If all these solutions be applied it is sure that at least 90% of the total stench of corruption would be over. Someday our country might be as rich as that of Denmark and other Scandinavian countries and we would be really proud enough to be proud of being Nepali.

Status of agriculture in Nepal

By: Rebati Ram Poudel

Nepal is an agro-based country whose 75% citizen still relies on the agriculture as the major source of income. Even though majority of the citizens have occupation as farmer, many of them don't even possess their own land i.e. needless to say they are landless. Agriculture is that factor field which is most responsible for economic growth in our country. Till 2006 agriculture itself held 39.5% of the total economy while looking into the indicator of G.D.P. This means still now agricultural sector covers more than one third of the total national economy. If only we could concentrate upon the new approaches for systematic and scientific agricultural system then our national economy growth would reach a greater height. This would ultimately solve the poor economic condition of our citizens and later prosperity would prevail.

There has always been much neglect regarding the agricultural sector for ages. Realization of better country's economy with prosperous agricultural sector is there but unwillingness to act upon it is a problem. Farmers of more than 60% of the fertile land have unheard the irrigation facility yet and still depend upon rain water for cultivation. Lack of proper education or training, farmers apply same old fashioned way of farming that yields less than that with new techniques. Some where fertilizers are used in excess manner whereas some where they are insufficient. Management of the harvested crop has been one of the prominent problems for the farmers. If there be no market there would be no sell which ultimately leads to no economic gain. Orchards of Humla and Jumla are inaccessible for the people of Kathmandu due to no proper transportation facility resulting to rotting of those products. Some farmers don't have lands for their own to cultivate whereas some have unlimited lands that are left barren. Thus, there happens to be many problems in the agricultural sector that had to be addressed by the government.

Last week budget for new fiscal year 2063/64 had been announced. It was expected that this budget would make every citizens of Nepal believe that they are really in different and new stage than before. New and prosperous life would be entertained by people of new Nepal; addressing would be done by the new government especially for deprived groups, regions or sectors, but the dream went wrong. Neither was there any provision for revolution in land services nor was there any new approach for betterment of the sector and people. Only indirectly affecting factors had been introduced that would just touch the hair of agriculture. This act have really outspoken a bitter truth that the country had never been serious towards this sector before and would never be better in future if the budget follows the same trend. Thus, it does suffice to say that the budget has totally excluded agricultural sector for this year.

Why has this unfair act been seen or felt by the majority of the citizens? Answer lies within the concept of globalization and liberalization which has been tried to be introduced in our country as well. But with the fact that the country has many poor people than rich, globalization in the present context would be lethal for our country; this would only make our economic condition more and more worse by making greater and greater barrier between rich and poor which might burst like it did in people's war for 12 years. Until and unless majority of the citizens become capable of having access to each and every basic facilities, striking the right or core point i.e. revolution in agricultural system has to be seriously considered. Then only our country will have greater breakthrough in economic growth and who knows it might reclaim its pride of once being one of the prosperous countries in the world.

Hence, budget has to be reconsidered and a reform in agriculture and better provisions has to substitute other vague and less important sectors.