Imbibe Ethical Values

Recently, CPN-UML chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli laid the foundation of party's central office in Kirtipur Municipality. It is being constructed on 11 ropanis of land donated by owner of the Bhatbhateni supermarket chain Min Bahadur Gurung. Gurung also announced to construct the building. This news made headlines in major media outlets. The UML's move has drawn flak from media, intellectuals and even its workers for accepting generous donation from a controversial businessman.  Even the UML Standing Committee member Binda Pandey expressed her dissatisfaction over the party's decision to accept the land donation from Gurung. However, Rajendra Gautam, the head of the party’s publicity department, has stated that Gurung has been a UML cadre for a long time and there is no harm in receiving a donation provided without a hidden bargaining.

Those, questioning the land donation to the party, have offered moral and theoretical bases. Gurung has been dragged into various criminal cases so it is not ethical to accept generous donation from him. On the theoretical ground, a common understanding is that a leftist political party must stand on its own feet and should not accept donations from anybody who can harm the party. It is imperative for the leftist forces to get insight from Epicurus of Samos in Athens. A leading philosopher in the Hellenic period, Epicurus rejected the existence of Platonic forms, god’s presence and immortality of soul. He stressed that self-discipline, simple living and friendship are major things that make life happy. 

Karl Marx, founder of communism, did his Ph.D. in the philosophy of Epicurus. Marx formulated various ideas based on philosophies of Epicurean and Hegel with a view to make the world a better place for all human beings. Therefore, the ideology of Marx not only gave birth to hundreds of revolutionaries but also brought waves of revolutions in various countries. Upon assuming power, even the revolutionary leaders develop a tendency of sticking to their post lifelong through various tricks and strategies. This has been clearly highlighted in Animal Farm by George Orwell.  

Old Major, Snowball, Squealer and Nepoleon are major characters in the book. Old Major taught the simple-minded animals in such a way that they vowed to fight for life against the atrocities and cruelties perpetuated by Mr. Jones. In our context, late Pushpa Lal Shrestha can be compared to the character of Old Major because he taught Nepali citizens to fight for rights. As the animals revolted in unison against Mr. Jones, Nepali people also stood against Rana regime, Shah dynasty and Panchayat. 

The political changes put the leaders on the positions of high offices with a hope that the changes would transform their life. Similarly, as the animals compromised on sharing milk that was more important to pigs, the rulers, than the general animals, Nepali people believed rousing speeches of the leaders. One evening, the common animals heard loud laughter and crept into the farmhouse garden and saw Napoleon sitting on the chair and playing cards, enjoying beer and toasting with half a dozen human beings, ignoring all common animals. In a similar manner, our innocent voters are seeing their leaders hobnob with affluent persons. It is advised that our left leaders must not act in a way the characters in the very book are doing.