Liberty Discussion is a program designed to engage and inform the core members on the ideas of market economy and classical liberal ideas. Discussions are made on contemporary issues (local or national) through open market perspective. The article is selected and shared within the members to prepare oneself for the program.
On May 21, 2022, Bikalpa, an Alternative with the support of Nepal-U.S. Alumni Network (NUSAN), organized Liberty Discussion on the ” Political Economy Discussion series ” at Wake Cup café to discuss the article, “Why government should be Limited.” The program is designed to engage, inform young people, and create a platform for Biratnagar youths through regular dialogues on political economy, governance, democratic principles, and values of liberty.
The discussion began by welcoming all the participants and describing the Objectives and importance of conducting such a discussion. During an in-house discussion, participants opined on a wide range of issues concerning individual freedom, Political Freedom, Economic Freedom, Entrepreneurship, innovation, and the Role of government. Participants enthusiastically interacted during the discussion session.
As the discussion began, the participants of the discussion were quite receptive to the general understanding of “What is Government,” “Function of Government, “and “Role of government in the political and economic sphere of human life. “In his opening remarks, Mr. Basanta Adhikari talked about Political and Economic freedom. He said The only legitimate function of government is to protect its citizens’ rights and provide economic freedom to prosper the individual. He stressed the importance of Economic Freedom rather than Political Freedom and cited different examples during the discussion.
Continuing the discussion, Mr. Nishant Dhungana, one of the Participants, argued that Developing countries like us, which are in the infant stage of development, should not open all the sectors to private sectors. There should be a certain level of monitoring and regulation by the government in the Education and Health sectors. He also said that Since we are a democratic country, the government should consider the Education, Health, and Transportation system for the welfare of the society.
Meanwhile, other participants also argued that there should be an equal playing field for both the private and government sectors. We should focus on the public-private model for the development of society. Further, Mr. Sarwagya Raj Pandey shared the Comparative advantage of an individual in society. He also focused on the individual and collective action in society.
The discussion further enfolded key insights on strong institution plans and policies that determine its economic and social policies, influencing a governance system. The views of the participants were mixed in the discussion. Some participants viewed that the Role of the government is to focus on areas like social welfare, defense, and security. While other said, the government is designed to focus on preserving fundamental human rights, equality before the law, and the enforcement of justice. In comparison, Political freedom gives civic rights and liberties and economic freedom that allows flourishing for the betterment of life and prosperity.
Overall, the participants also shared their valid views on the topic. The session resulted in a fruitful and impassioned discussion. The session ran for two hours. Altogether 20 participants including the members of Bikalpa were presented at the program.
