Socialism and Communism Sans Austerity

(Courtesy: Shyam Prasad Adhikari)

"The last stage of socialism is communism" is what a political thinker has said. As stated by Karl Marx, "Communist society is one where each individual works according to his/her's capacity and in return takes from the society all that he or she requires." The major difference between socialist and communist system is that under the socialist system the individual gets from the society all the material benefits in proportion to his or her capacity, whereas under the communist system, because of abundance of goods and services, capabilities loose their significance enabling each member of the society to get all the benefits that an individual requires.

Nepal has been declared a republic and the present government is led by Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist. For any new government coming to power in Nepal, it has become a customary to issue directive for the maintenance of austerity measures to check public expenditures. But unfortunately, the directive remains in paper only, and is taken as a ritual by ministers and all government functionaries. As a result, no one feels responsible and accountable for monitoring and implementing it. The present government too, seems, performing the same ritual by issuing the austerity directive through the cabinet, recently. But the sad part of the story is; "Even as the government has approved a special directive through the cabinet, vowing to check unnecessary expenditures, one-third of the ministers of the current cabinet have left the country on foreign jaunts putting great pressure on public exchequer".

The country is, currently, undergoing difficult political situations and is weighted down by myriad socio-economic problems. People, in general, have started commenting on the ministers' expensive foreign tours by calling the austerity directive of the government as a "Pennywise and pound foolish" decision.

We have now a communist-led government, which believes in communism. Socialism and communism imply national ownership of the means of production and distribution. The idea of fair distribution of goods and services and also of austerity and equality are inherent in these concepts. But a highly tragic aspect of our political leaders versions of socialism and communism are that those who loudly profess them, themselves make a mockery of it by living in grand, ostentatious style and regarding themselves as a privileged class even while countless millions of Nepalis do not get a square meal and go semi-naked. Despite the periodic exhortations by exponents of socialism and communism asking people to economies all-round, in view of the unprecedented economic crisis, foreign cars and Prado jeeps are still being bought from the foreign companies for the use of ministers, MPs and bureaucrats. The cost of ministerial comfort to the public exchequer is indeed very heavy. Their salaries represent a fraction of what the nation has to spend on them and on all the pomp and show that are deemed essential whenever prime minister and ministers go on foreign tours or visit districts to inaugurate a function. Their prerequisites are so many and so out of tune with the times, that many foreign visitors wonder at the governmental extravagance, while the country is still associated with the begging bowl at international forums and in affluent countries.

The conduct of Heads of state and ministers in capitalist or non-socialist countries provides a sharp contrast. The Prime Minister of Turkey has refused to live in the spacious official residence or to use an official car; instead, he prefers to live in a modest rented apartment. The highest executive there has thus set an example of real austerity by living like a common man. But in Nepal, many of our ministers and officials insist on using luxurious cars and furnishing their official residences at heavy cost to the exchequer. The President of Switzerland travels by bus. The governors and governor-generals in Australia and Canada walk in the street like common men and never get road cleared for them. A recent example is that the President of South Korea, Mr. Li Miungbak, was seen riding an ordinary bicycle on way to his office. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, who recently announced that he would not take salary, is a glaring example of politician's sacrifice for the country.

In Nepal particularly in Kathmandu, whenever President or Prime Minister or other VIPS are to pass along a road, other people have to make way and sometimes traffic is hold-up for hours. If our VIPs live in simple style like commoners, they would be better able to realize what problems face the country. If they abandon their limousines and ivory towers, they would be true socialists and communists and not fake ones, as they are now. The yawning gap between their professions and practice does not extend to their mode of living. It is also notable in their day-to-day actions and their effort to acquire wealth and property while the sun shines. In their living styles they imitate affluent aristocracy, and in their lust for wealth they imitate the present neo-rich and in their speech they preach democracy, socialism, communism and austerity. All the sacrifices are on the people's side, comfort and luxuries on theirs.

Austerity and simplicity are postulates of democracy, socialism and communism". But it is ridiculous to see our leaders and politicians, who swear by socialism and communism every day and endlessly, call for more sacrifices by the masses. It appears that our leaders have conveniently escaped the evolutionary process of socialism and communism and are trying to achieve all the material benefits, irrespective of their contribution to the society and are trying to get all the benefits of a socialist and communist society, disregarding the fact that our social and economic systems are still in pre-industrial society stage. It is most unfortunate that our political leaders, proponent of socialism and pursuing communist ideology, preach their "Isms" to people and they themselves practice and behave like capitalists. What a socialism, communism and austerity in new Nepal !!