As 2021 draws to a close, so does another year of engrossed reading. And there is always so much to read about our own country and the neighborhood. The region, by the way, also makes for the most popular non-fiction reads here in Nepal. Here are the ‘Top 10’ non-fiction bestsellers for the year as per Mandala Book Point, Kantipath, Kathmandu.
1. All Roads Lead North: Nepal’s turn to China by Amish Raj Mulmi
This book navigates Nepal-China relationship over the past three centuries. Mulmi tries to tackle Sino-Nepal relations from the perspective of those whose lives are directly impacted by the geopolitical developments in this region. He records experiences of Nepal-Tibet traders, former Khampas (Tibetan guerillas), Nepali entrepreneurs and the population living near the country’s northern border with China. Alongside, there’s also a concise modern history of the complex Nepal-China-India relations. The book portrays China’s increased influence in Nepal through trade, tourism and bilateral investment and highlights how that affects people living along the Nepal-China border.
2. India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present by Shivshankar Menon
The author gives an insight into India’s role after independence, within Asia and the broader world. Menon tries to capture modern India’s navigation of regional geopolitics in order to pursue its foreign policy goals. He also looks at the future and analyzes how India’s policies might evolve in response to the current and new challenges. As India continues to grow economically and gain stature on a global scale, its domestic preoccupations and international choices become more significant. Monon’s long diplomatic career and his grasp of geopolitical and diplomatic history is reflected in his writing. The book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding India’s role in the emerging world order.
3. Unleashing the Vajra by Sujeev Shakya
Shakya analyses the social, political, and cultural aspects underlying the state of Nepal in order to strategize the recalibrations required to capitalize on its location. He questions the basics of Nepali culture, consumerism, conduct, and convergence of economic activities with its two neighbors, India and China. Nepal now has the opportunity to unleash its economic potential and take advantage of the two populous and emerging economic neighboring powerhouses, but the book asserts that the country has only two decades to realize this potential. There is a good overview of the historical underpinnings of today’s achievements and opportunities. In addition, it offers thoughtful perspectives for readers who have an interest in Nepal’s economic and foreign policies.
4. The Politics of Nepal: Persistence and Change in an Asian Monarchy by Leo E. Rose & Margaret Welpley Fisher
The book offers a systematic introduction to the Nepali political system. Rose has always been invested in Nepali politics from when he first co-wrote Democratic Innovations in Nepal with Bhuban Lal Joshi, about two personalities from extreme sides of the political spectrum: King Mahendra and the first elected Prime Minister, BP Koirala. Nepali politics had long been neglected by scholars and was largely unknown to the outside world until mid-fifties, even though Nepal is quite unique considering it has never been reduced to a colonial status and it was one of the few Asian countries where monarchy was the chief agency in the modernization of traditional institutions.
5. Beyond Possible by Nimsdai Purja
Beyond Possible tells the reader that anything is possible, as long as you have hope and determination. Nimsdai Purja takes us on his journey of achieving the seemingly impossible: scaling 14 mountains of over 8,000m in six months and six days under ‘Project Possible’. Along the way he saved several stricken climbers and put spotlight on climate change and the Nepali climbing community. Not only does the book talk about his bravery but also moments he wavered due to his near-death experiences in an avalanche and the frustration when no other climbers were helping him rescue lost climbers. One encounters a world which is so ruthless that death is a common phenomenon.
6. Nehru, Tibet and China by Avtar Singh Bhasin
Bhasin analyses history to understand why Indo-China relations continue to remain tenuous. The book analyses events from 1949 to the Indo-China war in 1962 and its aftermath to provide more context about the bilateral dynamic. Jawaharlal Nehru’s futile attempts to prevent the communists from taking over Tibet and the fleeing of the 14th Dalai Lama to India was the onset of India’s souring relations with China, he writes. Documents and archives are used to make the narrative authentic and credible. A synopsis highlights how policies were made during this critical period in India-China relations as well as their continued relevance.
7. Political Economy of Social Change and Development in Nepal by Jeevan R. Sharma
Nepal has been undergoing various socio-political and economic changes since the 1950s. From a hierarchical monarchy to a republican order which has engrained ideas of human rights and equality, there has been a gradual shift in the political economy of rural livelihoods and deeply penetrated ideas of development and modernity in the countryside. Focusing on local discourses and experiences, it draws attention to the power of historical processes and how they produce ideas of equality, human rights, and citizenship. Sharma also builds on the scholarship in Nepal from a multi-disciplinary and synoptic perspective.
8. Backfire in Nepal: How India Lost Plot to China by Sanjay Upadhya
The author takes the reader through a timeline of Nepal-India relations in the past 15 years. Starting with Nepal’s own Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2006) to the signing of the new transit, security, and strategic treaties between Nepal and China most recently, Upadhya highlights seminal developments that have enhanced China’s role while reducing India’s in this landlocked country. He discusses China’s growing investments in Nepal as well as a number of high-level visits, including from Chinese President Xi Jinping. As is clear from the book, the 2015 unofficial border blockade was, in many ways, the turning point in China’s engagement in Nepal. The book is a must read for anyone who is interested in understanding recent developments in India-Nepal relations.
9. Kathmandu Dilemma: Resetting India-Nepal Ties by Ranjit Rae
Rae examines the contemporary state of India-Nepal relations and offers a plethora of details in bilateral ties. After the 2015 blockade, the relations have gone through several ups and downs. And with China increasing its influence in Nepal, the author argues, the country could become a closely-contested geopolitical battleground. The book is at its most interesting when Rae talks about Nepal as one of the best assignments for an Indian diplomat.
10. The Power of Geography: Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World by Tim Marshall
Mountains, deserts, and distances will have an eternal mark on national character and international relations. Marshall spotlights ten regions that are set to shape global politics and power: Australia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UK, Greece, Turkey, the Sahel, Ethiopia, Spain, and Space. He explains how a region’s geography and physical characteristics affect its leaders’ decisions. Like its predecessor ‘Prisoners of Geography’, the book provides a thoughtful introduction to crucial concepts of international politics through the prism of geography. Any student of geography, in any of its manifestations, would love this book.
(Compiled by Paridhi Bhutra)
