In the last seven decades the nation has experienced three distinct systems. Before 1951, there was the Rana regime, followed by the monarchy until 2008, and later the adoption of democracy. With each transition, there was an expectation that the country’s situation would improve.
However, reality often diverged from these expectations. Recently, there have been
calls to abolish federalism, with claims that it has become too costly for the country.
However, some politicians argue that scrapping federalism is not a solution. On the last
day of the 11th edition of the Nepal Literature Festival, discussions were held on the
Rana regime, monarchy, and democracy. Chandra Dev Joshi, the chairman of the
Communist Party of Nepal (United), stated that federalism has not imposed an
economic burden on the country.
“The essence of federalism is equality,” says Joshi. “Without maintaining equality,
federalism cannot thrive.”
He emphasizes that federalism is essential for strengthening the nation.
Samikshya Baskota, President of Bibeksheel Sanjha Party, suggested that instead of
changing the political system, efforts should be focused on improving the existing one.
“If the current system is implemented effectively, everything will improve,” says Baskota.
She adds that if politicians fail to perform their duties properly, none of the systems will
improve the country’s situation.
Political analyst Hari Sharma argued that only the end of the Rana regime constituted a
revolution; all other changes were protests. Joshi noted that democracy has paved the way for a new environment.
Baskota further criticized the academic curriculum for inadequately acknowledging the
history of political changes. “If the academic curriculums had properly acknowledged history, things might have been different,” says Baskota.
