The above news item received wide coverage in the media very recently and also became a much talked about topic. The incumbent Prime Minister of Nepal Sushil Koirala does not possess any property other than two cell phones. The prime minister's office says Koirala does not own a house or land or a car or a motorbike nor has he invested money in the share of any company. He does not have even a bank account, not to speak of bank balance. Seventy-five year old Koirala is single and known for his austere lifestyle. His close aide revealed that Koirala did not possess any moveable and unmovable property throughout his life.
The reports about his wealth did not mention how expensive the cell phones are. If these are expensive, how did he manage to procure them given his abject poverty? Did he receive these as gifts? If so, was there no motive at all? Critics are now raising these questions, baffled by what indeed appears from the disclosure as an astonishing shock.
There are agencies like the Nepalese chapter of Transparency International, and many other organisations who can investigate wherefrom these mobiles landed in his hand? Possibly, the prime minister's office or the prime minister himself will happily come forward to reply to such queries for the sake of transparency. Whatever the source of his belongings, no report has suggested that Koirala owns any other property.
The report about Koirala comes at a time when our media carries loathsome reports about the huge wealth accumulated by politicians, legislators, ministers and officials in Bangladesh. Not that all the wealth they possess are amassed illegally. Some of them may be well-off through inheritance, but most of them are rich by virtue of their being in politics or in government positions.
The trend of becoming wealthy through politics in Bangladesh started from the early eighties. It looks the objective of doing politics in Bangladesh is the craze for wealth and luxurious life instead of working for the people and the country. Since many view politics as a money-making tool, increasing number of business people are making politics their career. This, to a large extent, explains the rot and decadence imperilling the state of politics in this land.
Koirala in our neighbouring country stands as a lighthouse. He exists in politics and in state power at a time when politics is marked by corruption, vices and abuse of power in this region. Though he joined politics in 1954, Koirala never held any public office and did not accept any paternal property. He lives in a rented house in Kathmandu, the rent of which is paid by his party, the Nepali Congress. Before being elected as prime minister on February 10, 2014, he was the president of the Nepali Congress since 2010.
Asking the majority of our politicians to try to understand the mindset of a person like the Nepalese prime minister would be a futile exercise, but we the commoners do feel good for the Nepalese people and hope Sushil Koirala will be a source of great inspiration for his countrymen.
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