'Change is natural. Change does not have to be sought. What is sought is the speed and direction of change.'
What you should know
Political analyst CK Lal has said that although the state should be run according to the constitution and law, the principle of governing through force exists in Nepal.
In the fifth edition of Kantipur Conclave on Monday, in the session 'Journey of the Nepali Revolution: Reflection on the Past, Assessment of the Future', analyst Lal said that the practice of Prithvi Narayan Shah and Jung Bahadur Rana is still in force. 'In the late 18th century, during the time of Prithvi Narayan Shah, after the conquest of Kathmandu, the belief was established that whoever has power can exercise power as he pleases.' That belief has not gone away from Nepal till now,' Lal said, 'Jung Bahadur strengthened whoever has power in the mid-19th century. This principle of power has strengthened our history and has shaped our mentality, which historians call the story of great people. We have not yet been able to come out of it.'
After the Sugauli Treaty, there was an expectation that Nepal would run according to the constitution and laws, but Jung Bahadur Rana did not allow that to happen, Lal's analysis is that. 'After the Sugauli Treaty, it is now said that it will be done according to the rules, whether Jung Bahadur established it or not, by killing the ruling power with the edge of the sword on the geographical line drawn with the tip of Prithvi Narayan Shah's gun. Whatever Jung Bahadur said about power, that is what it is. Therefore, it has been established that the right to rule is determined by the state,' he said.
Lal said that the state of mind of any citizen is determined by his geography, history, economy, production system and culture. 'Change is natural. There is no need to look for change. What needs to be looked for is the speed and direction of change,' he said.
