Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli was elected as the new prime minister of the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal on Sunday. He is the first Prime Minister under the newly adopted Constitution of Nepal.
Indian Cooperative talked to him while he was waiting to be sworn in as the Prime Minister and it was amazing to see his faith in the cooperative movement.
A man who is equally loved and hated today in Nepal due to the ongoing Madheshi protest, K P Sharma Oli believes that if a poor country has to develop it has to adopt the cooperative model of development. It is inclusive and encompasses the last man on the fringe of the economic scale, he feels.
Talking to Indian Cooperative Oli was categorical” there are three ways to develop the economy-one by the government initiative, second by the private enterprises and third by the cooperative method.”
Once our govt comes into being we would make cooperative as one of the important tools for developing our nation, Oli added.
Earlier, Oli had seen how cooperatives of the world descended on Nepal to help the quake victims. From ICA to IFFCO- all had lent a helping hand. While the ICA Regional Director Balu Aiyer paid a visit touring the quake affected areas, IFFCO MD Dr US Awasthi packed off truck loads of relief material by calling an emergency meeting at its headquarters in Delhi.
The Chairman of National Cooperative Federation of Nepal Mr Keshav Prasad Badal who is also member of Oli’s Party felt overwhelmed by the response.
Oli was full of praise for the role played by Badal who himself felt proud of his cooperative connections especially after experiencing unprecedented international support in the wake of the April quake which claimed more than 900 lives.
Nepal has a thriving cooperative movement with about 320 district cooperative units. It has 18 central cooperative unions affiliated to the NCFN of which Badal is the Chairman. There are also 31,000 Primary Cooperative units scattered across the country.
Compared with his predecessor, Sushil Koirala , Oli is said to adopt a tougher line toward India. He is also seen as less sympathetic toward the Madhesi parties agitating for revisions to the new constitution, quotes CNN. But the news of Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling Oli to congratulate him minutes after his election as the prime minister has soothed any pessimism.
Cooperators, however feel that the presence of two- Oli and Badal at the helm of Nepal augurs well for the cooperative movement of the country.
