Another Congress of yes-men and dynasts

In his 1968 essay titled Tragedy of the Commons, ecologist Garrett Hardin discussed how individualistic human behaviour, pursuing self-interest without social and ecological considerations, will ultimately starve the planet of its scarce resources and bring a collective end to civilisations.

- ANURAG ACHARYA

Over the past decades, the metaphor has found its place across various academic disciplines, with economists and environmentalists using it to theorise and underscore the need for a sustainable coexistence. This piece attempts to use the same metaphor to explain how the unretiring Nepali leaders have over-exploited the political capital accumulated by their predecessors, leaving the next-in-line leaders high and dry.

The Nepali Congress is not just a political party in this country. It is a political institution, an organisation that was born in the 1940s, out of social and political revolt against a feudal autocracy. Over the last eight decades, its founding members and their torchbearers have repeatedly led political and social awakenings of this country, fighting for a plural and democratic political system where people’s fundamental rights are protected. Due to the ingrained belief and conviction in democracy, the Congress was seen as synonymous with Nepal's democracy. To earn such a stature, the party’s leadership has had to repeatedly live up to the reputation.