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“Nepal: From Monarchy to Republic” by Professor Lok Raj Baral offers an insightful journey through Nepal’s political landscape, examining its transformation from a monarchy to a republic. The book comprises a comprehensive introduction, eight detailed chapters, and a thought-provoking epilogue.  Baral delves into various aspects of governance, constitutional development, political culture, and the challenges facing Nepal’s democracy.

The first chapter, “Institutional Crisis of Governance,” thoroughly explores the multifaceted governance issues that have plagued Nepal. Professor Baral provides a meticulous analysis of the country’s constitution, tracing its inception and the introduction of critical components such as federalism and secularism. 

He also examines the persistent trust deficit among Nepal’s political actors. Furthermore, the author critically assesses the parliamentary hearing system, deeming it formal, ritualistic, dysfunctional, and derogatory, particularly in the context of appointing judges to the Supreme Court. He also sheds light on the malpractices within the bureaucracy, the stagnation of administrative progress, and the dearth of innovative approaches to governance.

Professor Baral emphasizes the central role of the parliamentary system in Nepal and underscores its importance in other democratic nations. He notes that despite the autocratic tendencies of elected democratic leaders, the parliamentary system offers resilience and adaptability. Drawing a comparison with India, he highlights the parliamentary system’s effectiveness in addressing the diversity present in both countries. Recent Poland polls showed that autocracy is not inevitable. Democracy has the power to change, reform, and refine itself, and survive better.

The book delves into the intricate relationship between education and governance, with Professor Baral expressing concern about the deterioration of Tribhuvan University due to excessive politicization and partisan influences. He laments that many universities in Nepal have become hollow shells, lacking substance and content.

The connection between elections and democracy is dissected cogently, emphasizing that democracy encompasses more than just elections and government formation. It necessitates effective leadership, institutional efficiency, and other crucial elements. The author also addresses the issue of external interference in Nepal’s affairs, labeling it as "invited intervention." He highlights instances where leaders demonstrated resilience against external pressures, such as the decision to announce the Nepali Constitution despite external suggestions to delay it until a satisfactory solution was reached amongst all the political forces, including Madhesi parties.

He does not shy away from criticizing Nepali leaders for their history of unfulfilled promises and subservient attitudes. He recalls incidents where even leaders like BP Koirala sought to win favor with the monarch by displaying unwavering devotion to palace customs. This parent-seeking mentality, as described by Dor Bahadur Bista in his popular book ‘Fatalism and Development’, is reflected in the activities of our leaders then and now.

Intra-party conflicts and their consequences on democratization and political health are explored in detail. The rivalry between Nepali Congress leaders Girija Prasad Koirala and Krishna Prasad Bhattarai is examined, illustrating how democratic leaders sometimes compromise their principles to achieve personal gains. The book highlights how internal conflicts within political parties, including CPN- UML, have adversely affected democracy. Shankar Tiwari's book, "Kasle Sudharchha Congress," offers a comprehensive autopsy of contemporary political happenings and their implications in this context.

While Author  finds Pushpa Lal Shrestha to have believed in multiparty democracy with a republican form long ago and Madan Bhandari’s formulations not so new but ‘a jugglery of jargons and cliches’ used by the Communists of all lines, he is of the opinion that it was pragmatic enough understanding Nepal’s incompatibility with a one-party dictatorial regime. The writer does not find political parties to have taken a permanent shape and are seemingly in the throes of mutation and permutation. He also addresses the opportunistic nature of some political parties, which hinders the country’s democratic progress, both domestically and in its interactions with external powers. 

He argues that some left parties and “rashtravadi” club together and call the Nepal-India Peace and Friendship Treaty 1950 “unequal” and yet, they did not come out with any alternatives when they were in power. Why they didn’t opt for Article 10 of the treaty is beyond answerable. Professor Baral suggests that there is a lack of courage to abrogate the treaty, as it becomes a tool for scoring political points through nationalistic rhetoric.

He  touches upon Nepal’s foreign policy and its limitations in fully adhering to non-alignment and strategic autonomy, even when condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rejecting the agreed State Partnership Program (SPP) with the USA. The author discusses the impact of Nepal’s recent diplomatic disputes, such as the ‘Chuchhe Naksha’ border issue, and suggests that it may have reached a point of no return, with limited room for compromise.

The chapter titled ‘Electocracy vs Democracy’ provides a thought-provoking analysis of elections in Nepal. Professor Baral notes that while elections may not always mirror political reality, they serve as a powerful vehicle for mobilization and democratic dynamism. Throughout the book,  he references concepts and insights from ‘How Democracies Die’, shedding light on the challenges and vulnerabilities faced by democracies. He examines grassroots democracy through local elections and scrutinizes the ability of voters to select their representatives effectively. He cites the 2022 local elections as evidence of the shortcomings of political parties. The book also delves into the deconstruction of ideologies and the dearth of effective leadership, highlighting these as challenges in Nepal's democratization process.

Economics of Governance chapter delves into Nepal's economic challenges, including a depleting economy and increasing debt. He provides a comprehensive analysis of various sectors, including tourism, agriculture, trade, and hydropower. The role of King Mahendra in land reform and its implications for agriculture are discussed briefly. The book draws from "Why Nations Fail" by Professors Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson to categorize Nepal as an "extractive economic institution," which serves a select few individuals and business entities closely aligned with government elites.

"The Native Construction of a Nation State," chapter explores the concepts of nation, national unity, and "Nepalization." He cites Frederick H. Gaige's assertion that "cultural homogeneity" is not a prerequisite for national unity, advocating for a diverse composition of the Nepali nation. He also credits Gajendra Narayan Singh with sowing the seeds of federalism in Nepal, which materialized in 2007 AD.

The author also highlights the significance of a sound foreign policy, smart diplomacy, and an inclusive approach to Nepal's military, particularly with regards to incorporating Madhesis. He asserts that achieving an egalitarian society requires equitable treatment of the poorest of the poor, Dalits, and other marginalized sections of society based on the principles of equity and social justice.

My Dashain read was ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ by Richard Osman. The book had been sitting on my shelf for over two years now. I wanted something light and fun to read during the festive season to get my mind off things and I had heard great things about it, with many people calling it a ‘cozy murder mystery’. Osman’s debut book, the film rights of which was snapped by Steven Spielberg, reminded me of Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and made me very happy.

Coopers Chase is a luxury retirement village with 300 residents in the Kent countryside in England. Every week, four senior citizens meet to investigate unsolved murder cases. The cases come from the files of a former police officer, Penny Gray, who is also the club’s founding member. But she is now lying comatose at a nursing home. So, it’s Elizabeth, probably a former spy for the MI5, Ibrahim Arif, a psychiatrist, Ron Ritchie, a former trade union hero, and former nurse Joyce Meadowcroft who meet to discuss and solve cold cases.

In The Thursday Murder Club, Ian Ventham, the owner of Coopers Chase, plans to expand the village. But that means having to dig up and relocate the bodies of nuns buried in the cemetery. The residents, especially the religious ones, aren’t happy about this. Then Ventham’s right-hand man Tony Curran is found bludgeoned to death and that soon opens a box of secrets that somebody would like to bury at any cost. Enter the police—DCI Chris Hudson and PC Donna De Freitas—who, along with the murder club members, try to figure out just what is going on.

The book isn’t your regular, pacy thriller. In fact, it’s slow and the scenes don’t flow. There are a lot of personal stories of the characters interspersed within the main narrative. But humor, and prickly British humor at that, is everywhere. The dialogue and scenes are funny. They will make you laugh out loud, even when they deal with serious situations. Osman has created relatable characters who feel like people you know. They make the story come to life. The characters are the driving force of what could otherwise have been a run-of-the-mill story.

The Thursday Murder Club is, at its core, a mystery. But it’s also a novel about friendship, love, loss, and coming to terms with who we are and what we value. Osman also challenges the notion of old age. The four unlikely but immensely lovable amateur detectives or ‘harmless pensioners’ are testimony to the fact that age doesn’t and shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love.

Fiction

The Thursday Murder Club

Richard Osman

Published:

Publisher:

Pages: Paperback

I have read a couple of Lisa Jewell’s books and heard discussions about others on YouTube. Though I have never been particularly fond of any of her works, I don’t know why I keep picking up her books whenever I come across one. It doesn’t make my heart jump with joy but when I see a new book by the author, I always grab it. I had ‘The Family Upstairs’ on Kindle but I still got a paperback copy recently. The cover was gorgeous. Still, I should have saved the money.

Not that the book was bad. But I didn’t really need a physical copy on my shelves. It’s not a book I’ll be recommending people to read. But I know people might enjoy it because it’s a light, pacy read.

A surprise inheritance sends a young woman named Libby Jones down the harrowing spiral of her own shocking history in this domestic suspense that sometimes feels taut and drags on a little in many other places. When Libby inherits a mansion in a posh neighborhood in London, her life, she thinks, is finally changing for the better. But little does she know that by claiming the inheritance she is also taking responsibility for a darker history, that she has a connection to an unsolved crime and a cult-like society. And things are waiting to unravel as soon as Libby makes herself known.

The plot has all the makings of a super gripping read. It is dark and broody. The setting—of cold, bleak London—adds to the claustrophobic feeling. Jewell had a clear concept while writing the book and she has executed that well. The characters are also well-crafted too. But the narrative switches between the past and the present and that’s where you get confused. I can’t really pinpoint why but it’s difficult to keep track of the two narratives and be able to connect them. 

The good thing about the book is that though it’s a thick volume the font is quite big and the chapters aren’t long either. So, you will find yourself getting through it pretty quickly. The plot, even when it drags on, does manage to grab your interest. It feels a little too cliché in some places—like you’ve read the section before (in some other thriller books) or seen a similar scene play out in a movie. But I guess that is a problem all thriller readers can identify with. When you have read a lot of horror/thriller books, everything feels somewhat familiar.

Fiction

The Family Upstairs

Lisa Jewell

Published: 2019

Publisher: Penguin Random House UK

Pages: 451, Paperback

‘Death and Awareness’ by Dr Mohan Prasad Joshi contains one hundred poems that worship awareness, and invoke death to teach the mystery of mindful living. In every poem, one can symbolize that a deep-meditative sage, who has acknowledged his future way precisely, is inspecting every incident consciously. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the book is a collection of hymns of awakened spirits that establishes the correlation between awareness and death. As many poems are enriched with philosophies, a reader needs a philosophic mindset to comprehend them.

The poet believes that theories and techniques bring no peace but create an illusion in the minds. The reality/ truth that we call is the immediacy of the moment. True awareness is when we look at ourselves inward and realize we are inhaling and exhaling. It is an actual self-realization. This miracle can happen unknowingly anywhere, but we should sense it. The days we decide to listen to the true self, we feel we are living our purpose and honoring our true nature. ‘You are two sides’ and ‘Rise’ are some of the prominent poems that expound awareness significantly. 

The poet says that we should live in the present and know ourselves. Each day upon waking we have a choice to be human beings or to be a caterpillar. Humans should not get jailed by the past and haunted by the ghost-like future. He believes blissfulness and the feeling of godliness are always in the present. Even enlightenment is in the present because enlightenment is not the goal. He further supposes that life is a false dream. As Heraclitus says ‘No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man,’ one cannot live in the moment twice. 

Once this acceptance arises in the heart, it becomes clear that living in the past and the future is a huge mistake. The poems ‘Why Wait,’ ‘Rise,’ ‘This and next rock n Roll’ and ‘Live Fully while Alive’ are prominent poems under the philosophic realm of living in the present.

Human beings have millions of possibilities. The poet believes our physical existence is a mysterious gateway that can transcend ourselves. In his words, ‘just like dispersed pollen makes thousands of flowers bloom, we have those potentials too.’ However, we are in such a hurry that we have already missed the opportunities to sense them. Being shielded by our materialistic virtue, we all want one another upon the achievement of one. This has pushed us into the vicious cycle of craving. He believes that to let our potential bloom, it needs adequate space. 

Thus, we must evade our endless thirst to see a new version of ourselves. That is the true purpose of human beings in the world, and we also have this possibility. Poems ‘Expound a new definition,’ ‘Antivirus Thoughts’ and ‘Miles and Miles’ are some of the poems under this theme.

Everything in the universe is a Guru because one can learn something from it. For example, the Shrimad Bhagavat narrates the story of the deity Dattatreya who accumulated knowledge from the 24 Gurus. The poet looks upon many things for lessons. The more we subtly observe ourselves, the more we find everything livable. He believes that we all have the same strings despite our different forms that provide a distinguished approach to our journey of awareness. 

Above all, death is a great guru that teaches us the fragility of our existence and helps erase our toxic memories. Some representative poems in this category are ‘Lost my reference Point,’ ‘A River’s Journey,’ ‘Everything is Alive,’ and ‘Despite Differences’ are some of the poems that speak the heart of the poet.

The poet shows a correlation between death and awareness. Death is inevitable, and this is the truth. Many of us are afraid of death. However, he stands out differently in the case of death. The poet is quite conscious of it and asks death to be his friend. He profoundly believes acceptance of death's inevitability leads human beings to consciousness and awareness escorts humans to liberation.  He further writes that death is not that furious, horrible, or dark- ending. 

Death becomes a celebration when there is awareness. We all are in all-time through several memories from many generations in the form of DNA that hurdle our journey of consciousness. Death is the only tool that robustly cleanses and completes us. If one remains awake consistently, s/he will admire that voidness. ‘The Letter from Death,’ ‘The Art of Dying’ and ‘Be Friend of Mine' are prominent examples of glorification of death. 

As a reader, I have found the smooth writing style in poems. He sings the songs of awareness and death with the melodious flute of consciousness. Unlike the contemporary writers and poets, he has a different taste in poetry. He does not have lamentation, grievance, or complaints but has glorification of every little thing. Being inspired by the Samyak view, he accepts the lively grandeur of nature. In some poems, there is the taste of science. It feels like each poem is a masterpiece itself. Overall, the poet is successful in making us wake up from deep sleep transcending our minds.