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K V Rajan and Atul K Thakur are the co-authors of “Kathmandu Chronicle: Reclaiming India-Nepal Relations”. Definitive and deeply researched, the book opens a window to many stories of India–Nepal relations that largely remain untold and therefore unknown till date. Kamal Dev Bhattarai of ApEx interviews Rajan, also a former India’s ambassador to Nepal, and Thakur, a policy professional, writer and columnist.

What are the key revelations in the book from your anecdotal accounts as India’s longest serving Ambassador to Nepal?

K V Rajan: At the outset, let me clarify that whatever I have set down is with the intention of conveying the total picture as I know it—pertaining to Nepal and to India-Nepal relations. If in the process I have upset or hurt anyone, I can only apologize and hope that the overall context of goodwill and empathy for Nepal will not be doubted. The core message that should come across through the anecdotal reflections is one of hope and optimism for Nepal's future, respect for its insistence on equality and sovereign space, and admiration for the resilience and capacity of the Nepali people and leaders over many years to take the country forward in the face of major odds. 

The linkages between our two nations are old, many and time-tested, the economic complementarities have a compulsive logic of their own, the reservoir of human talent is huge. We need only to understand and draw lessons from the past, deal with imagination and sensitivity to the trends and issues of the present, in order to craft a great future for a peaceful, inclusive and prosperous India-Nepal subregion which will be a role model for the region and perhaps the world. 

We need to have a broad based consensus on the kind of relationship we both want, and establish mutual acceptance in our ties. We can achieve wonders by jointly building on our soft power assets, new technologies, and complementarities. No issue is incapable of solution between India and Nepal if tackled in the right spirit and in the context of their unique linkages and unshakeable faith in a common great future. 

Happily, a consensus-based effort on both sides in tackling problems and making progress is possible, so that projects can be negotiated and delivered despite changes of government. This has been demonstrated time and again, for example spectacularly during the negotiation and parliamentary ratification process of the Mahakali Treaty. 

The book has a different take as to who might have perpetrated the royal assassination of 2001 that wiped out King Birendra Shah and his family, which changed Nepal’s natural progression. Can you elaborate?

K V Rajan: The readers’ will have to draw their own conclusions after going through the concerned chapter in the book. Even the facts that are in the public domain support the strong probability of an international conspiracy whose core was a foreign-based large scale smuggling and terrorism-related industry that was thriving on misuse of the India-Nepal border. The palace tragedy followed a series of serious incidents and exposures. India and Nepal were enjoying excellent relations under the twin pillar policy being followed by the former, of supporting the monarchy as well as multiparty democracy. The expanding Maoist insurgency was a matter of growing concern for India as well as Nepal, but signals were being exchanged on possible compromise solutions. The smuggling-terrorist nexus was the one major force which did not want such a negotiated compromise to be reached and had also been steadfastly trying to undermine relations between India and Nepal and was also uncomfortable with Nepal’s identity as a Hindu state.

All available indications are that the crown prince was trapped in a sinister plan combining serious drug abuse with targeted misinformation. The rest is history. 

How do you think we can reclaim India-Nepal relations in the changed times with Nepal grappling with challenges on several fronts including governance and economy?

K V Rajan: As vibrant democracies the two countries have the duty, responsibility, the right, and the necessity to reclaim their age-old relationship for the sake of peoples on both sides of the border and of future generations. A reset in the bilateral relations is a necessity, for Nepal today is a completely transformed country and India too is very much on the rise, both confronted by new challenges as well as new opportunities in an uncertain and changing world order. Strengthening democracy, improving governance, and accelerating inclusive development must occupy top priority. Future major cooperation must be consensus-based cutting across party lines to the extent possible and civil society needs to play its part in this exciting endeavor.

Catering to the interests and aspirations of youth on both sides on the border, and improving the lot of the marginalized, the most disadvantaged, the poorest and the most needy, should also be a focus. Just as India has set a goal of becoming a developed country by 2047, we should dare to think of a new vision for India-Nepal ties, so that they can scale new heights within the next two decades. A joint endeavor in this direction—which would include sectors like education, health, creation of job opportunities on a huge scale to protect the demographic dividend, and new supply chains which will foster greater interdependencies and economic integration— would go a long way. 

Opportunity is banging at the door. A business-as-usual approach will not do. 

As a long-time scholar on Nepal, your book is making news in both India and Nepal. Could you reflect on Nepal’s prolonged transition and fluctuating graph of India-Nepal relations?

Atul K Thakur: Despite their much-vaunted ‘special relationship’ (a term rarely used by Nepal in recent times), India-Nepal ties have repeatedly experienced setbacks, some of them with long-term implications. Since India’s independence, Nepal has undergone several significant transformations, and not coincidentally, India has been intimately involved in many of these pivotal moments. 

Yet, there have been regular anti-Indian eruptions in Nepal, and there is so much mutual distrust and suspicion despite India's best intentions. I believe Nepal and India, both at the level of government as well as civil society, urgently need to come to terms with the past, understand comprehensively and objectively the unique challenges and opportunities offered by the present, and ‘repurpose’ their relationship if it is to achieve its exceptional potential in the coming years. 

Our book, based on first person experience, deep research, analysis and introspection, and new resource materials, facilitates understanding of how an India with credible aspirations to becoming a major world player and a transformed Nepal in a transforming world order could revisit their ties to ensure a steady upward trajectory.

Both countries owe it to their peoples to free the relationship from political vicissitudes as well as the negative legacies of the past. Concepts of national interest and mutual security need to be relevant to the world of today and tomorrow. Only mutual empathy, as either country strives to overcome its major challenges, can transform the relationship into a truly special one.

The book makes a sincere and honest effort to add to the literature on the subject through original analyses, interpretations and research.

How is China a big factor for repurposing India-Nepal relations?

Atul K Thakur: The new post-monarchy dispensation only hastened the expansion of Chinese influence and removed possibilities of ending long festering irritants like the border dispute in the Kalapani area—a unanimous multiparty Parliamentary vote endorsed a new map of Nepal incorporating border areas which it had not claimed earlier.

India has made its Nepal ties a function of Nepal-China relations. Yet the fact is that Chinese influence in Nepal will continue to expand. It is only natural that the people of Nepal, particularly the younger generation, yearn to take advantage of all kinds of economic opportunities and benefits that China has to offer. Nepal's importance to China was initially because of its desire for security on the question of Tibetan refugees. It did not seem to mind India’s preponderant influence over Nepal. Today China has additional reasons to assert itself: one is to reduce India to size to the extent possible, the other to ensure that its Middle Kingdom credentials are enhanced. But India can draw comfort from the increased wariness of Nepal about Chinese intentions because of its overtly intrusive interest in the former’s internal affairs, and the long term price of too close a Chinese embrace.

China is just not over-pervasive in Nepal with projects and political manipulation, its best edge is with the propaganda machinery that is oriented to damage the finer fabrics of India-Nepal relation beyond the core. The China factor is being played out in Nepal and unfortunately not for a constructive aim of enhancing its economic ties with the northern neighbor but to create a complex web involving India’s stake and finally letting a disastrous narrative help the traders of ultra-nationalism for scoring high politically and ruling the game of late.

How should Idia reclaim the true spirit of its old good bilateral relations with Nepal or reset it in the changed times?

Atul K Thakur: India and Nepal must return to the core strength of their unique social, cultural, strategic, political, and economic ties. India and Nepal share deep social, cultural, strategic, political, and economic ties that have been forged over many centuries. Unfortunately, ties wither if exposed to the changing fundamentals of time. India-Nepal ties have frayed slowly as the economic bonds between the two countries have failed to keep pace with India’s modernization and growth. The opportunities offered by India’s prospering economy have become increasingly inaccessible, and thereby irrelevant to ordinary Nepalis. The persistent border dispute between the two countries is an opportunity for them to modernize old ties towards a shared vision of prosperity. India and Nepal must do more than merely resolve boundary issues.

Notwithstanding the centrality of complementarities in bilateral relations, oftentimes, the official line has taken its own turn in interpreting the not-so-easy situations. While repurposing India-Nepal relations, the prudent move would be to rely more strongly on the trust factor, subsiding apprehensions and complexities. India and Nepal have a credible past as well present in engaging with each other—and walking with the changing times. In knowing the new aspirations of both sides, and accordingly creating the background of cooperation, India-Nepal relations will see further heights. In the times to come, hopefully better chapters of India-Nepal bilateral relations will be scripted.

We often turn a blind eye to home décor mostly because we don’t have the time for it or it costs too much money. And if something isn’t broken, why fix it right? But little things can bring out character in your space and give your home the unique touch it needs to feel like your special place. Here are five projects that take less than a single weekend to complete. It will also give you and your family something to do together. 

Wallpaper your bookshelves 

The shelves are where we display and store books and knickknacks and it can look cluttered, especially if your bookshelves are all of different sizes and designs. There’s a really neat way to make things look cohesive and elegant. All you need is some wallpaper and glue. Get some wallpaper in a design and print that you love, cut out the required size to fit the insides of the shelves and get pasting. It will take some effort and concentration as you have to get the sizes right but trust us, this will give your space an aesthetic vibe like no other. 

Paint an old cabinet

Scour your parent’s or grandparent’s storage space and pick out an old furniture to refurbish. It could be a coffee table, side table, a tv console, or an old wardrobe. Sand it down, and give it a fresh coat of paint, add some new knobs if you must and voila, you have an interesting conversation starter piece for your home. All you need is a can of paint. You can use spray paint if painting it with a brush feels too tedious. An old piece of furniture is a great thing to have around the house to give it that personal, sentimental touch.

Hide unsightly wires and cables  

Television and router wires and phone and laptop chargers make spaces look messy and unappealing. Take one weekend to fix this problem. Get grip ties and start by binding different wires together. Get extension cords or multiplugs for places where these can help hide long trailing wires. You get these cool baskets to hide extension cords or you can make one yourself or drill holes in drawers to tuck away chargers from sight. The options are endless. There are a lot of interesting, easy to replicate ideas on Pinterest and YouTube. 

Stitch some cushions covers 

This one can be a comforting afternoon project for those rainy weekends when you just feel like cozying up on the sofa. Go through your mother’s or grandmother’s closet and wardrobes and pick out some fancy saris that they no longer wear. Silk, brocade, cotton work best. Stay away from flimsy material like georgette and chiffon. Since saris are usually over five meters long, you will easily have enough for a set of six cushions. Cut out the desired shape and sew three sides and put a zipper or buttons on one side and you have a swanky new set of covers. 

Work on a mini garden

This is a really fun project for those who live in apartments and are cramped for space. A garden area is usually the last thing on your mind. Get some mini planters and pots and have a kitchen garden going. You can plant herbs along the kitchen window sill or get a larger garden going in the balcony area. You don’t have to go out to buy fancy planters and simply just use what you have around the house. Old vases and mugs can work if you make some drainage holes in them. Simply fill a bucket with water, immerse the ceramic mugs in it, and use a hammer and a nail to make holes at the bottom. 

A good cry can be therapeutic. Sometimes you don’t know you needed it till you end up bawling your eyes out. I find myself unburdened whenever I cry. It’s like a load is lifted off my heart. But I’m not someone who cries easily so whenever a book makes me cry it immediately makes it to my favorites list. 

One of the reasons why I love sad books is because they make me feel these emotions that I perhaps wouldn’t otherwise. I know it might sound silly to some of you but a whirlpool of mixed feelings can actually give you a fresh new perspective in life. So, grab some tissues and settle in for the weekend because the books I’m recommending this week will break your heart into a million little pieces. 

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

This book made me sob—in private, and in public. I might not have actually sobbed in public but I did cry at work because I couldn’t reign in my emotions. It’s a book I wouldn’t recommend to anyone (and I actually mean that in a good way) because it wrecks you. Critics have called ‘A Little Life’ ‘a tour de force’, and ‘a masterwork,’. When it was published in 2015, it was discussed as the most ambitious chronicle of the social and emotional lives of gay men. It’s Yanagihara’s second novel and it chronicles the lives of four college friends and how their friendship evolves over the years. You meet JB, who is an artist; Malcolm, an architect; Willem, an actor; and Jude who is a lawyer. They become your friends and you just get so invested in their lives that you are unable to put the thick volume down. The way the plot sucks you in speaks volumes about the writer’s talent. It’s a book that will stay in your mind long after you have finished it. 

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

‘We All Want Impossible Things’ is essentially a book about death. But the story has a touch of humor that makes you laugh through your tears. Newman talks about death without making it seem like a dark, ominous presence. Despite a painful backdrop, it’s a cozy and comforting read. The story is about two childhood friends Edith and Ashley as they grapple with the former’s cancer prognosis. Edi and Ash have shared everything. They have seen each other through heartbreaks, family issues, marriages, divorce, childbirth among other gazillion issues of life. They complete each other. But now things are changing and neither of them is ready for it. Newman’s debut adult novel will make you cry and want to hug everybody close to you. It’s a slim volume but you will want to take your time and savor the story and the brilliantly crafted characters. There’s also a lot to unpack here. I found myself putting the book down to take in what I had read and think things through. 

Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major 

You get a strong sense of how the story ends right from the beginning even though nothing is given away that early or even more than halfway through the book. But ‘Maybe Next Time’ by Cesca Major keeps you hooked because of its gorgeous writing and plot. It’s a wonderful story about second chances and prioritizing what you value in life before it’s too late that made me cry at the very end. I thought I wouldn’t but I did. I could see what was coming and even though it was expected, I wasn’t prepared for it. The story is about a literary agent named Emma Jacobs who finds herself stuck in a time loop. The same day keeps repeating itself but the outcome is always the same. Will she be able to fix her mistake so she can save the one she loves? The element of magical realism keeps things interesting and the protagonist is so well crafted that her problems become your problems, and you want to be able to fix them all. 

The House of Representatives has endorsed the amendments to the transitional justice-related law of 2014. This marks a significant step forward in healing the wounds of the nation’s decade-long armed conflict. Nearly two decades after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) between the government and the Maoist rebels, the consensus among parties on this crucial law offers hope for thousands of conflict victims, who have been awaiting justice for a long time.

Now that the bill has been passed, the hard work of implementation has begun. The formation of two independent, powerful and well-resourced commissions—Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons—will be crucial to the success of this process. The two commissions must have the authority and means to thoroughly investigate human rights violations, establish the truth about past atrocities and recommend appropriate measures for justice and reconciliation.

Nepal’s post-conflict journey has been fraught with challenges. The first justice-related law brought in 2014 courted controversy due to provisions allowing blanket amnesty for serious human rights violations. The Supreme Court’s order for amendments to align the law with international standards led to delay and political maneuvering for years. After a long delay, the government led by then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal registered a bill to amend the 2014 law in parliament in March last year. The three major parties—Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) - then formed a three-member task force to iron out their differences. The task force broke the deadlock last week and paved the way for this legislative breakthrough.

The bill addresses some of the most contentious issues. Arbitrary and cruel killings have now been defined as serious cases of human rights violations. Additionally, the bill allows for reduced sentences of 70-75 percent in certain cases on the recommendation of the Attorney-General. These changes represent a balance between the call for justice and the practical considerations of national reconciliation. As the bill moves to the National Assembly and awaits presidential approval, it is crucial to ensure that the process does not stop here. The legislative process moved ahead even though the ruling coalition and government changed during the period.  Parties need to be lauded for this. However, continuous efforts must be made to engage conflict victims and ensure that their voices are heard and their needs addressed throughout the justice process.

The passage of this bill is not an end but a beginning. Its success hinges on the commitment of all stakeholders to confront the past, provide justice where due and forge a path toward national healing.