More on Hope, Less on Commitment

(Courtesy: Mr. Hemant Arjyal)

This piece, in a way, can be taken as the logical continuation of “Forty-ninth Bhoto jatra” published 16 July last year. This year’s bhoto jatra is yet to be held as Lord Macchendranath is still stuck at Iti tole since about two months, there is nothing wrong with the chariot though. It is said that the Lord finds it very difficult to leave the place, as the saying goes, because of his mistress there!

As for RA one of its 757 has had, perhaps, the longest ever C check in any one’s memory. On the surface the reason for the delay is blamed on non delivery of the engine, which might as well be true. But what had stopped the then RA management from making timely and appropriate decision regarding awarding of repair contract earlier? The board and the government knew quite well that with one operational engine the aircraft will remain grounded for long. It is a ‘democratic’ country and naturally both the government and the RA board were within their rights in sitting put - twiddling their thumbs! We had hoped that by doing away with the ‘R’ the airline would turn a new leaf. Wonder whether bringing back the ‘R’ (for Republic this time) would do the magic! But, again, we can not be too hopeful seeing the way the elected assembly is functioning.

The 50th RA anniversary function was held at even lower scale this time amidst opposition from the unions. The chief guest was the Chief Secretary, not the Minister as was customary. There was no minister to chair the function as he had resigned under party’s order. The Chief Secretary, as the highest ranking guest, seized the god send opportunity to vent out his disgust by declaring RA was in the death bed. Many inferred it as the verdict of a ghatey baidya given the fast sinking trend of the airline.

Anniversary functions provide a forum to commemorate achievements, acknowledge faults, specify challenges and, last but not least, present broad improvement plans / promises for the future. There is no point in recalling that RA once flew to London and Frankfurt and had four jetliners. The stark reality is that RA has been doing the regional route with just one aircraft since the last seven months in one stretch. With its reach severely curtailed, it is no surprise that, skilled pilots and passengers have no option but to look for alternatives.

We see a fundamental similarity in the manner the RA and the country is run. The ‘elected’ politicians are seen to be least concerned with the general public and their welfare as they wrangle endlessly. And in the RA, the management is more concerned with its vested interest than start worrying about the sundries like passengers.

This time around the published write ups on the anniversary day were on the minimum. A person who had four different pieces last year had just one this time. As usual both the articles, written by RA insiders, spoke highly of the contributions made and lamented about the way the corporation was neglected by the government. Without substantiating one of the writers makes a tall claim that NAC was still able to “retain its popularity among the customers”. If it is to be believed then it looks like its RA clients were too happy to bear with it even when the services were abruptly cut.

‘Serious aircraft shortage’ was the title of the other piece published in the Nepal Samachar Patra. It points out at the duplicity on the part of the government which makes loudest noise about losses made while it fails to appreciate, by being helpful; the services provided to the remote areas despite heavy losses. The article boasts about RA ground handling services to many international airlines and the revenue this has generated. But in reality, RA landed the ground handling jobs more due to compulsion on the part of other airlines than on its merit.
The primary job of an airline is to fly passengers - profitably and as per the published schedule. We do not have to be an expert to say how RA fares on those aspects.

Coinciding with the Golden anniversary the RA has made its commitment public through the media. It takes a defensive stand, right at the beginning, by acknowledging that criticisms are valued highly and treated as guide lines for making improvements. Next it accepts that RA has not been providing services to the desired extent due to the shortage of aircraft. And that it can not solve all the problems on its own and needs help and understanding of all including the government and its employees. It concludes by hoping to get the love and understanding of all concerned as it strives to achieve the goals set up to create a ‘New’ Nepal.

There is no doubt that the document is extremely over laden with the ‘hope’ aspect. The ‘commitment’, as spelt towards the end, is too weak to be of any significance. One wonders whether it was brought out just as a ritualistic exercise. Surely, RA must have foreseen that it was not likely to create any waves whatsoever. It is an irony that the present excitement is more due to the impending return of old B-757 as if RA was about to get a ‘new aircraft’. But if the news in Kantipur (08 June) is to be believed then there is a serious doubt about return date again.

The government, which holds the controlling interest in the RA, has to seriously think about its future course of action. It will be just enough if the government runs the country properly by providing a rule of law, security to its citizens and make appropriate and sound policy decisions to encourage all round development. It is not the work of a government to engage itself with the nitty-gritties of running an airline. It may have been right to have taken the rein in the early years. But to drag a fifty year adult like a child and tell it constantly what it can do and what it cannot does not fall under good governance by any count.

We do not know what the future holds until we see the policies and priorities set up by the coming government. Hopefully, there will be some concrete steps to ameliorate the mismanagement all around including that in the RA as well. This will be a small step in the making of, not a ‘new’, but a better Nepal. Last year we had hoped that RA will arrest the uncontrolled dive and maintain a level flight before its 50th bhoto jatra. That is out of the question now. But we can not rule out a bleaker possibility should the future government exercise even stringer control over the airline. It may, like all others before, be tempted to learn flying RA first before it does any thing appreciable!