Honour sans honour

National honours have become an object of ridicule rather than a matter of pride.

Over the past three decades, Nepal has gone through a sea change, but what has not changed over the years is the same old mindset of the people in power. Since the restoration of democracy in 1990, the same set of leaders of the same political parties have been in power, promising something new but invariably failing to deliver. After the country abolished the centuries-old monarchy and ushered in republicanism, there were hopes that the common citizenry will benefit.