Nepal’s Revolutionary Journey into Republic Democracy
It is said that a historic day occurs just once every century. There have been a few landmark moments in Nepal’s political history. The declaration of the Republic Day is one such historic day in Nepal. Jestha 15, 2064 BS was the date.
The elected Constituent Assembly formally ended the 240-year-old monarchy and declared Nepal a Federal Democratic Republic on this day. This truly labeled the beginning of a new era in Nepal’s history.
It was a culmination of Nepalis’ relentless struggles spanning over six decades. From this epoch making declaration, Nepali people became the source of sovereignty and master of their own destiny.
Fifteen years have elapsed since Nepal became a republican democratic state. The country witnessed two election cycles since the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015.
In a democratic rule, the government is established by elected representatives of the people and works for the people’s larger objectives and concerns.
This is likely why former American President Abraham Lincoln referred to democracy as a “polity of the people, for the people, and by the people.” People in a true democracy feel a sense of ownership over the political system and administration.
The term ‘republic’ is derived from the Latin word ‘res publica’ which means ‘public affair.’ Republic is ‘a form of government in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives.’ Nepali people chose this system after the autocratic monarchy failed to address structural injustice pestering Nepali society for many decades.
A human being’s most desired commodity is freedom. Human beings’ fundamental desire to be free of obligation and violence gave rise to the concepts of human rights and democracy. Democracy is thus an integral aspect of human life, and the concept of democracy emerged with human civilization. In the modern world, democracy and civilization have therefore become synonymous.
Nepal’s democracy is relatively fresh and volatile. The Republican system is even more young. Monarchy is an anti-democratic and feudal institution. Royalty tends to concentrate power in the hands of one person. People are regarded as mere subjects rather than free citizens.
A republican democracy is a genuine democratic system. In a democracy, citizens elect representatives to govern the country. A system in which a ruler is chosen hereditarily, on the other hand, cannot be termed a genuine democracy.
While we celebrate Republic Day with joy and hope, there is also disappointment. People have high hopes and expectations that the republican system will bring out a better future, political stability, a new era in development, and greater influence for Nepal in the international arena. However, things have not advanced as expected. Political parties have failed to keep their promises to the public.
As a result, public dissatisfaction is significant, and some rightist and royalist groups groups are attempting to extract political benefits. However, Nepali citizens consistently valued liberty and democratic rule above everything else. Any attempts to turn back the clock on history would fail because the Nepali people are progressive and forward-thinking.
The republican system we have today is the fruit of uncounted individual sacrifices. As an outcome, this system will undoubtedly survive and become stronger, as people’s sentiment and sacrifice are closely associated with it.
There might have certain weaknesses and imperfections but these are not the system’s accountability. If there are flaws and deficiencies, it is not the fault of the republican system, but rather of those who are in control of running it.
Looking at the previous general and local election, Nepal witness the rise of new faces and parties which were just the mere example of growing dissatisfaction of people against the old gaurds.
Similarly, many people on social media are ‘mourning’ on the ocassion of republic day not for the sacrifice of the martyar but for the ‘republic system’ itself as the government ‘politically pardoned’ Resham Chaudhary, who was serving life imprisonment, the guilty in Tikapur incident, as per the supreme court.
“Until all of us are awakened to the feeling that politics is not a profession or a business that settles the accounts of profits and losses, wrong tendencies and influence will remain even in the political leadership born from within us,” the President Ram Chandra Poudel stated in his greeting for the republic day.
Leaders from major political parties has viewed that the future of Federal Democratic Republic Nepal is bright provided the political leaders from the major political parties come on board on the common agendas in the national interest, ignoring out the differences.
Nepal and Nepali are on the path of republic, democracy federalism, constitutionalism. Let us believe in and protect its core.
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