Who is Responsible for Nepal’s Corruption, Poverty and Failed Development?

“As an ordinary citizen, I take full responsibility for Nepal’s corruption, poverty and failed development. I was born in a middle class family, and had a comfortable life. I was never taught to think, but to do well in the exam. My parents taught me to be practical in Nepalese way, to do whatever it needs to make myself more privileged than others, even on the cost of loosing moral values. Traditionally, I inherited my house and property from my parents, and married a woman whom my parents decided to be good for me in terms of the benefit that she would bring to the family. Although I had my own romantic dream about kind of women I wanted to marry, I never got to express them and so resigned to my parents offer. My parents spend heavy amount of money for our wedding party So you see, the only things that I learned from my family and relatives were to be “compromising” and “dependent” on others. So I missed the joy of making my own decision and also earning my own living. Because of this, I never really developed the sense of responsibility, moral or otherwise. I was lucky in the Nepalese context and was supposed to feel at the top. But I never really felt like a complete human being because I suffered from inferiority complex due to the inner realization of inadequacy, lack of self-esteem and self-confidence, which manifested as superior complex to the outer world..

I managed to get a lucrative position in in the public service, by using my highly placed parents- in laws’ influence (oh it was so much expected and so common among middle class family that nobody saw anything wrong in doing that). Perhaps, that was the only reason I married the women “arranged” for me by others, even though I never particularly liked her. I know she had the same feeling towards me. But what can we do? So our lives went on yelling at each other and self-pitying. I have strong urge to flirt with other women I came in contact with.. But I did not have the guts to express my feeling to them. Remember, I never learned to be assertive and self confident, neither at school nor at home. All we did in the school were “doing homework” and preparing for exams. The schools never gave any serious attention in nourishing sense of moral value in their students because they felt that it is of no value to anyone and anywhere. It is an understandable irony. So, actually, like properties and assets, we inherited moral values and ethics from the family. So learning we did, to survive and to do that turned ourselves into sycophants, with no sense of self-esteem and responsibility.

Ok, Coming back to talk about the lucrative job I was selected, in one of the government services, I was not selected on the basis of my capability or integrity, but due to the influence of my parents in law who hoped that I would keep their daughter happy out of gratitude. May be they were right in their one way. The job was so lucrative, that I had to keep my political contacts pleased and favored to retain it. That’s when I first learned sycophancy and corruption. To retain the job, I had to pay heavy ransom to all, right from top to bottom hierarchy. To free myself from possible feeling of guilty, I pretended to blame politicians for all corruption I did. But my heart could never forget me because no political leaders could force me to do anything I do not agree. As expected the standard of living of our family went up so high that very few rich businessmen could have afforded my life style. My wife and children visit departmental store every other day, and buy all the expensive items they liked, not wondering even for a second, how could I have provided them with so much money.

Now my children have grown up and are graduating from school. Luckily, they have attained highest academic excellence due to an expensive school. I could afford that due to my extra income. But despite academic excellence, I think they have failed to learn to be independent, and to love and be proud of their motherland. Otherwise they would not have aspired so much to migrate to foreign countries in the name of higher education. We all know they will never return. It was as if we prepared these bright students for other country, not for our own motherland.

Throughout our whole life, we never once reviewed our values, and commitment in own lives, and never realized that we were equally or even more responsible for increasing poverty, corruption and failed development in the country. We either never voted at all, or voted wrong people, or supported one party or others for our own short-term selfish reasons. We always blamed politicians, kings, government, INGOs, NGOs and everyone else, but us, for what happened in the country but never saw for a second, our own role and responsibility for improving the situation we ourselves created.”

Blaming others, the key factor for failed development.

Much have been said and capitalized on Nepal’s poverty and her failed development. Everyone (including myself) has his/her own version of why Nepal became poor, depending upon our profession, family background, and expertise. Actually it is the manifestation of our collective values and belief that we are experience in the world. and thinking that we have. But one unmistakable commonality in our opinion is the “blame” that we so easily put on things, circumstances, persons or communities. Read any articles published in the Newspaper, or the books on Nepal’s failed development, or TV or Radio news we listen to or watch, or listen to any speech, there will always be an unmistakable voice that blames something, other than the Self.

Blame, blame and blame and more blame

As you can see, Prime Minister always blames oppositions for his failed efforts. Opposition parties think it’s their only constitutional right and privilege responsibility to oppose whatever the government or other parties propose. The civil servants always blame ministers for corruption. Private sector or industries do not loose any opportunity to blame the government for their own failures or incompetence. Sports men think their inability to compete in the international tournament is due to government’s failure to support them enough. Children always blame their parents for their poverty. Teachers always blame students for their inability to do well in exam and students always feel that it is their teachers who could not teach them well. Parents take so much pleasure in blaming the school for their children’s failure. They do not see their own role in grooming children.

The donors always blame implementing agencies for their failure to implement programs properly, and government not supporting them enough. The Government always blames the donors and I/NGOs for not coordinating with them, and not providing enough fund for the priority areas. Feminists always blame Nepal’s legal system for all the injustice happening on women and never try to see other aspects.

This is a common scenario among intellectual circle, politicians, and middle class family, or people to start their intellectual conversations on Nepal’s hopeless condition, by blaming political leaders. Their conversation would always typically favor one leader or political party, or isms against other. In this way we cherish on blame.

There is endless list of things that people blame for Nepal’s poverty, but never see their own role and power to change it.


What is blaming?

Interpreted from spiritual point of view, “blame” is seeing one’s own inadequacies and faults in other people, and loosing control of their own power. In other words, it is projection of our own fault and inadequacies that we try to see in other people. So when we blame others, we simply express own inability and loose our own power to control or change the things for our own good. In the process we give our power to other person or situation to manipulate our lives. For example, the flaws or inadequacies that we tend to see in our children are actually the very flaws or inadequacies that we sense in ourselves at conscious or subconscious level, or when we were child. So there is always tendency among parents to yell at the children for something, that the parents themselves failed to do when they were child. So the parents who scold children for doing poor in math have fair chance of being poor in math themselves.


Why people blame? What psychological factors involve?

I think, we blame others to hide our own inadequacies, or failure to be successful. And why we do it is due to lack of self-esteem and self-confidence. Actually when we blame others, we blame ourselves, and what is worse is that we always knew it. That make use more frustrated and that will create more blaming.

Interpreted at the national level, almost whole population, right from beggars, ordinary citizens to leaders, civil servants, intellectuals and the richest people suffer from moral strength, self-pity, and a very low self-esteem. This sense of helplessness indicates a complete lack self esteem, self-confidence, of individual population,


How to improve the situation?

It is not easy questions to answer and there are not readymade solutions. However, we can begin to improve by simply stopping to blame others and doing the best we can as an individual or professionals. Here are few limited examples of what we can do from our levels.


Media The media in Nepal could do a lot to improve their professionalism and trust worthiness. They could stop favoring one social class, or political party against others. They are supposed to be neutral and trust worthy. It is really an irony that people have to switch on to foreign media to get genuine news and views.


Public officials The Public officials could stop blaming political leaders and firmly adhere to national policy and rules than to sycophancy. Actually, none of the political leaders could do corruption unless public official shows ways to do it.


Medical community The Medical community could really improve their professional competence and quality of their service and gain more public trust. The medical community can not only prevent outflow of Nepal’s money to other countries but also attract other countries for treatment.

Schools The Schools could focus on developing and strengthening students’ divergent thinking, generative learning and developing strong sense of morality in the students. By improving the quality, they could also have attracted foreign investment and students to study in Nepal.


Political leaders The Political leaders could stop blaming other parties, and provide genuine service to the people and stop accumulating money. The reward they will finally get from public will worth far more than they ever imagine it to be. They should start believing themselves and try to regain public trust they lost long time ago..

Private sectors/Industry and business The Private sectors could do a lot to improve their professionalism. Like any ordinary citizen, they are also partially responsible for corrupting the political leaders and government officials.

A house wife A housewife or working wife could do a lot to improve Nepal’s situation, by simply being more receptive to the country’s need for moral values, and influence their spouse accordingly. They are equally responsible for making their husbands and children resort to corruptions in order to meet family’s luxurious demand for new home, decorations, and etc.

There could be endless list of who could do what. I think, it is the individual who will make difference.