Socialism: A national ‘bluff'

Nepali political parties are competing to prove themselves purer socialists than others.

Even in the era of the meteoric rise of ultra-right politics globally, Nepal is among a few countries whose politics is dominated by socialists of different shades. From democratic socialists to moderate Leftists to Marxists and Bolsheviks to Bolivarans, all dream of establishing a classless society under a single-party dictatorship. Not being a socialist in this country is a political sacrilege and, ostensibly, becoming anti-development, if not outrightly anti-national. Nevertheless, almost all of these pipe dreamers have accepted the “mainstream” adult franchise-based parliamentary democracy.