Sumiha Baskota Assumes Role as Chairperson of Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee

Kathmandu. After venturing into alternative politics and overcoming many ups and downs, Sumiha Baskota struggled for a decade. Possessing her political stance, values, principles, and clear ideas, she never wavered from crises. 

That very ideology and continuous effort established her. Having entered parliamentary life for the first time after being included in the Khasa Arya cluster (women) proportional list of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, Sumiha is in the responsibility of the Chairperson of the Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee.

Sumiha feels that her responsibility has increased even more than before. Yesterday, when she was on the streets, it was easy to raise voices for change on various issues; reaching the delivery point has become challenging, and that burden has become even heavier.

‘We have a government led by us. We have to move forward responsibly,’ she says, ‘It is much more difficult to deliver than it was to raise voices on the streets. But we have to make it easier.’ 

During her political campaign over the past 10 years, Sumiha entered politics for some specific reasons. She had been raising her voice on issues such as political transformation, ending corruption, establishing good governance, and improving service systems. She stated that she will now work for reforms in these areas after reaching the parliament. 

Sumiha believes that when the service system is improved, when good governance is established, and when corruption is ended, citizens will feel that the delivery they seek, the 'Singha Durbar at every doorstep' they seek, and the administration have reached them. However, she opines that there are many loopholes in our laws. ‘The laws are very complex. Now, as members of parliament, we have to break through that complexity and create an environment that facilitates work in a new, simplified way,’ she added.

For Sumiha, parliamentary practice has become a new and very important exercise. A member of parliament can do a lot of policy-level reforms. Even so, the responsibility of the Chairperson of the Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee has also been added to her shoulders. This is also understood as a mini-parliament. She stated that she is committed to enacting laws that will determine the bright future of this country, deciding where to take the state in 20 years, not just 10 years. 

Along with this, she reiterated her commitment to move forward with an eagle eye to study all matters related to the rights granted by this constitution, fundamental rights, human rights and their status, and all aspects of the justice administration, to expedite them, and to establish good governance. 

This term feels special to Sumiha. The 084 election came in 82. The Janji movement on Bhadra 23 and 24 led to elections addressing the demands of the Janji generation. The Janji generation had two demands: one, good governance, and two, ending corruption. The party she is affiliated with had been raising these issues.

The government has given the highest priority to good governance, improving the service system, and ending corruption in its 100-point agenda. She states that the focus will be on its implementation in the next five years. ‘If we can do fundamental work on these issues and truly change the condition of the citizens, then in the next 10 or 20 years, the form of Nepal will be different,’ she said.

In Sumiha's understanding, the public has a hundred percent reason to hope from this government. She states that she has come to politics not to politicize people's problems, but to solve them.

 She clarified that she has come to resolve the problems that existed in the past by overcoming them. She pledged that everyone would uphold and not let go to waste every single vote given by the people to the Rastriya Swatantra Party.

Giving examples of work done in the last month and a half that could not be done in a year, she said, ‘All the bureaucracy must move at this pace. Our only objective is: regardless of who becomes my or my person, every citizen of this country should have the environment to receive good education, health, be able to earn a living, and employment should be created. This will take some time.’