Youth leader Manushi Yami Bhattarai, 36, has filed her nomination from the ruling coalition for Kathmandu-7 for the November 20 federal parliamentary elections. The Post's Tika R Pradhan spoke with Yami Bhattarai on issues related to her electoral agenda, prospects, and issues of marginalised groups, including others. Excerpts:

You have filed a nomination for a member of the House of Representatives from Kathmandu-7 today. How are you feeling?

I’m happy to get an opportunity to become a common candidate from the coalition. The selection of youth candidates by political parties sends a positive message throughout the nation, not just Kathmandu-7. I am excited to seek votes with positive energy.

What are your major agendas for the upcoming polls?

We are contesting for the legislature. We do not know whether we can reach the executive positions or not. As lawmakers, our primary function will be to draft better policies and laws and discuss bills. So my focus will be on building public institutions, making them efficient and workable, and strengthening them. Moreover, the structures related to health, education and anti-corruption have been dysfunctional. It’s not that we don’t have such institutions, but we need to strengthen and reform them. I will also push for Jana Lokpal. Since I'm a student of political science and I studied such public institutions, my major concerns will be on those issues. I will also focus on the economy, as the weakened economic base cannot bear the burden of educational and health institutions.

Do you have any specific plan for youth, women and issues related to marginalised communities?

I have been advocating on issues related to Dalits, Janajatis and other marginalised communities. A major problem in our country is developing a situation where youths can live a dignified life with a dignified job. So, my priority will be generating employment in various sectors, including information technology, tourism, cottage industry and agriculture. I will work to make this city a safe place for women. I will also work to strengthen existing laws in favour of women and ensure proper implementation.

How will your term in Kathmandu-7 be different compared to your mother's [Hisila Yami] at a time when people are complaining that contemporary politics is just election-oriented?

An election is a mechanism of democracy, and we must participate in it unless advanced methods are developed. For us, electoral reform is also an important agenda. Without reforms, the elections would only remain a ritual, and people may not see change as they cannot feel the change from any individual candidate. So, electoral reform is also essential to include many Nepalis residing abroad for employment. But elections are not only individual-centric. We need to see the agenda. When my mother became a candidate for the Constituent Assembly, the primary agenda was making the constitution. But our responsibility is to implement the substantial aspects of the constitution speedily and correct the problematic provisions.

Since we also have a role to deliver to the people, I know there is a difference between my mother's term and now. So I don’t think we can compare these two.

Now, we also need to focus on delivery. Learning from my mother’s term and two terms of Rambir Manandhar, I will take the lead by studying the responsibilities of my generation. I don't want to look back much; I want to focus on my future.

You came from the background of the Maoist insurgency, where thousands of people sacrificed their lives. Don't you feel lucky enough to get such an opportunity when many others who have contributed more are not?

Besides our family background, we all have our identities and sacrifices. I have been involved in politics and organisational activities ever since I was 15. I have been involved in student politics; before that, I was with an organisation related to labourers working in India. Many of my seniors may not have the opportunities I have, but it's not only an opportunity issue. We also have to serve the people. I know that our selection process is faulty. Therefore, electoral reforms have been our major agenda. Parties should practise internal democracy while selecting candidates. Besides, we can also develop a system to choose candidates from outside the party including the well-wishers. Every individual has their own emotions on both positive and negative aspects. The main issue is what kind of system we develop. Once the system is developed, all these issues will disappear. In my case, I'm taking the risk to get a mandate from the people. There were also practices in parties of keeping some individuals in a safe zone, but I'm here to get the people’s mandate. So, I don’t think people will take this negatively.

Would you get this opportunity if you were a daughter of an ordinary person?

I wonder how difficult it might be for ordinary people to get opportunities when it is so difficult for people like me.

How do you see the role of youth, women and marginalised groups in the decision-making of political parties?

Internal democracy within political parties is weak, but due to some legal and constitutional provisions, some representations of women and marginalised communities exist.

We are at a critical juncture to break the existing monopoly. But on the issue of youths, it is complicated as there is no legal provision for them like there is for other communities. But youth is not only a matter of age; there must be the aspect of youthfulness, including progressive agenda and outlook. We must have a critical mind. In general, we youths are somewhat enslaved and are involved in factional politics. There is also a compulsion to do so to get opportunities. So, to break this, we must strengthen the internal mechanisms of the parties just as how we talk about well-managed and robust institutions for a prosperous county. If we can strengthen internal democracy in our parties, we can truly ensure the representation of all the groups in numbers and on issues as well. I don't think parties have been able to give justice to the marginalised groups.

What role should youth leaders like you play in that?

We need to change the existing political culture. Nowadays, our cadres depend on leaders for their living. That's how the factional politics of Nepal works. It's a bitter truth. So, we cannot be self-sustained unless we strengthen the political economy. In my case, I don’t need to depend on anyone because I got the opportunity to study, and now I teach to earn a living. But most of our friends in politics are different. So that increases dependency, which we need to break, although it is not so easy. Once you are self-sustained, you will have the courage to speak the truth.

There are comments that Baburam Bhattarai, your party chairman, who had abandoned the Maoist party, happened to rejoin the same party. Has alternative politics failed in Nepal?

It’s not that Baburam Bhattarai has rejoined the Maoist Party. He is the chairman of the Nepal Samajbadi Party, and we are a part of it. It's not that alternative politics has failed. There is always an alternative to everything. We went through various ups and downs in the last few years. Pushpa Kamal Dahal did some experiments like forming the Nepal Communist Party and Bhattarai also did some experiments. Now, both leaders are preparing for new alternatives, including different forces taking both positive and negative experiences from their experiments. That’s what I understand. Instead of joining each other’s parties, they are trying to develop a new alternative.

What is your vision for politics?

I am confident that I will become a representative of my country to strongly speak and present the national interest on national and international platforms. I don't want to see an inferiority complex among the people based on our national interests and our country. Secondly, when we have a weak economic base, everything will be weakened: Social justice issues, political culture and institutions. We need to focus on strengthening the country's economy for the next decade: Promoting youths in IT, generating employment, and developing an investment-friendly, work-friendly environment. If we cannot increase the income of a typical Nepali, everything we talk about will be gossip. We must be focussed on our target to increase per capita revenue in a specific timeframe. We also need to prioritise economic development after learning from developed countries.

People want proper health and education as basic amenities. Most of my relatives hesitate to return to Nepal from abroad due to the lack of health and education opportunities.

Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

I don’t have any roadmap for myself as an individual, but I want to take this country to the stage where people can pin hope through our team effort. I will develop a mechanism for a better political culture.

I don't believe an individual can change everything with a magic wand. I want to strengthen democracy and prove myself.

What are your prospects of winning the polls?

We can see positive voices that youths must come to the front. Since I belong to the young generation, I have a high chance of winning. My agenda is also my strength, which I must communicate to the voters properly. And the most decisive factor is the coalition of Congress, Maoist Centre, Rastriya Janamorcha and Nepal Samajbadi Party.