Nepal’s Dark Political Paradox, Illiteracy and Politics

Reading Time: 6 minutes

We truly live in a paradox of talent and potential,

A nation is so rich in minds, yet starves in knowledge.

The Democratic Illusion:

In a country with democracy, where people have the power to vote, positive change should be inevitable, right? What happens when those votes are cast blindly, not by thoughtful minds but by desperate hearts? What happens when votes are only based on fake promises? In the case of Nepal, Democracy only exists in words, not in reality. But political paradoxes do exist in Nepal.

Those who suffer the most often choose the leaders who deepen their suffering.

Votes in the Dark:

Hiding behind the shadow of the Himalayas lies a dark side. Millions of people fill the ballots, cast their votes, trust symbols, and vote-buyers because they cannot read. The quote of Democracy “by the people” becomes hollow when a large share of people live in the dark about the policies and the candidates they are voting for. Without education and information, the votes on the ballots are a ritual for the “ Big 3 “ rather than a power for positive change.

According to data published by UNESCO in 2023, the Nationwide literacy rate of Nepal has improved to around 68%. This also signifies that one in three Nepali people is illiterate. These citizens stand before the ballot paper with dozens of symbols and names. The ballot paper is nothing but a confusing array of pictures to them. Without basic reading ability, voters may misunderstand candidates to fail to vote under guidance. According to a report published Election Commission in Dec 2022, 5.06 percent of votes cast under First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) for the House of Representatives were invalidated, while 5.09 percent of the proportional representative votes for the lower house were announced invalid.

Puppet-Masters and Vote buying

Illiteracy breeds political vulnerability.

In Nepali villages and towns, corrupt leaders exploit the people’s ignorance to grab power. Political parties often exploit illiteracy as an opportunity to seize power. They often neglect voter education, instead running for vote-buying. Simple bribes like a few thousand rupees, food can convince the voters more than a political speech. Vote buyers are everywhere, not only in National elections but in College elections as well. I have witnessed firsthand how the vote buyers operate on college campuses during the time of the election.

In our elections, the principles of equal opportunity and free, fair, and impartial polls are breached right from the nomination of candidates to the actual voting day. Poor, illiterate voters are targeted, manipulated, and bought with money in Nepal.

The result is a political puppet show where the strings are money. The leaders promise quick gifts instead of some long-term ideas and solutions. The corrupt politicians remain in power until the citizens remain uneducated, hungry for food and money. Corruption, nepotism, and lack of accountability are highly embedded in Nepal’s political culture.

Make money when in power and use that money to come in power.

The Paradox of the “Big 3”

The paradox of the “Big 3” represents the re-election of politicians from the same 3 parties, who ultimately vote the same 3 persons for the position of Prime Minister. Oh yeah, “The 3 Brothers Of Doom”. They are one of the reasons for the political paradox. Let’s see the loop :

• One talks big, gets the seat.
• Sells loud dreams, but it’s all memes.
• Blames the last fool, plays it all cool.
• Next old guy slides in, oh look, same old spin.
• Citizens fall for the show, same old drama (Let’s gooo)
• Schools stay broke, minds stay low, but no one knows.
• Votes get cast, hopes again lost, all at a cost.
• Three suits, one by one in a row, playing a show
• People stay blind, truth’s just hard to find.
• Merry-Go-Round, the game is the same, find the fool to blame.

Shattering the Political Paradox

Breaking this political paradox requires turning our blindfolded democracy into a new journey. Civic education and literacy should be the priorities, not just afterthoughts. Empowering the voters transforms politics for the better. A report published by the Global Commission, titled “Why Elections with Integrity Matter?”, highlights the major challenges to elections and outlines the necessary actions to ensure elections with Integrity.

Let’s get into a few steps for breaking the paradox:

1. Invest in Political Literacy

Political literacy simply means having the knowledge and awareness to understand and participate in civic and political life. As citizens, we must know about how politics works, what our rights are, and how to make correct decisions on choosing candidates. People without political literacy are easily manipulated in Nepal. “Political Literacy is not a civic skill but a necessity. Critical Evaluation is a very important ability for citizens. It is the ability to distinguish between credible and biased sources, question narratives, and the most importantly, “Recognize Political Propaganda”. A person with political literacy can challenge injustices and stand against bad governance.

2. Voters Education

Only learning to read the ballot paper is not enough; citizens must be able to know what it means to vote. Voter education is not simply about ” How to vote”. Citizens without voter education become mere pawns rather than the controllers of the game. Educated voters choose the politician, whereas the uneducated are chosen. Voters’ education also somehow means political literacy. The Election Commission should run nationwide campaigns, explaining how the government works and how to identify proper candidates. Nepali radio, newspapers, and social media could regularly carry fact-based information on civic rights and government policies.

3. Transparency and Accountability

Transparency is a political weapon. It is a pinnacle of fear for the corrupt politicians. It is an act of making systems visible. And transparency without accountability is just PR. Accountability means answerability. In a dictatorship, the powerful own no explanation. But in democracies, someone in power must be answerable to the weaker (like the public). To maintain Transparency and Accountability, the financial budget should be well studied. Transparency and Accountability help to tackle corruption head-on. Civil society can pressure the government to audit the education budgets and to criminalize vote buyers. People’s trust is rebuilt when the theft of education and the nation’s budget is caught.

Civic education should become a routine, just like regular health checkups in Nepal. Lessons on democracy, civil rights, and critical thinking should be included in the school curriculum. This can seed a culture of informed and proper voting for future generations.

Youth’s Voice

A country like Nepal doesn’t have money, doesn’t have jobs, doesn’t have infrastructure and that will not come magically to them. The main focus of countries like Nepal should be in education, but apparently political elites don’t seem to care about education in the country. Imagine this, there is this one country – the most corrupt country in South Asia according to reports, people have no critical thinking, do not even know how to vote wisely, don’t even have essential skills to sustain their life frankly.

The country is small, has no proper system and infrastructure, how do you think it can flip its state? Unless some miracles happen, the obvious answer is education and how much do you think it’s the priority? Close to negligible. A person who’s educated and here I’m talking about real education and not “education”, can take incredibly good decisions not only in his life but in such a way that it can shape the whole eco-politics of Nepal. He won’t be easily susceptible to brainwashing, exploitation, and in the contrast will create job offers and hugely contribute in the development of Nepal.

– Prashant Paneru(Student),20

Beyond The Paradox

A ballot paper in an illiterate hand is like a candle without flame.

Nepal’s destiny depends upon shattering this cycle and going beyond this paradox. Lighting up schools, broadcasting civic truth, to every corner of the country. Educating citizens, empowering voters to learn the ability to distinguish the good and bad candidates. Nepal can transform the Election from a gamble to a beacon of hope and trust.

The cost of ignorance is lifetime suffering. But civic education, awareness are its remedy. If every child and adult is given the tools to read, understand, and ask, then even the poorest voter can choose a good leader.

For more Editorial, Articles, visit: The Spotlight Magazine