By Our Reporter “Nepal’s Quest for Survival in a Challenging Geopolitical Setting” authored by senior journalist and former diplomat M. R. Josse was launched last week. Former vice chairman of the National Planning Commission Dr Gunanidhi Sharma released the book amidst a function widely participated by Kathmandu academicians, former diplomats and senior journalists, among others. Commenting on the book, former foreign secretary and ambassador Dr Madan Kumar Bhattarai said that Josse has nicely presented the affairs related to Nepal’s foreign policy, as well as domestic politics. Bhattarai appreciated Josse for describing in detail on Nepal’s election as the non-permanent member of the UN Security Council decades ago and the 2006 fiasco. He, however, suggested that it would be beautiful if Josse had included MCC, BRI and other recent developments in his book. Bhattarai, former foreign secretary and former advisor to the President, finally remarked that Nepal has become a global laboratory of politics and foreign affairs. Kedar Bhakta Shrestha, former ambassador, noted that Josse’s book with distinct style of writing gives deep insights on Nepal’s domestic politics and foreign affairs. He prescribed that the book can be very much useful for students of international affairs, Nepali policy makers, scholars and even the officials in foreign ministry to know about Nepal’s effective foreign policy in the past. He illustrated the examples of how Nepal was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for two times and how Kathmandu was selected as the SAARC Secretariat Headquarters. Another scholar, Professor Dr Khadga KC remarked that the book is essential for students of international relations, the country’s policy makers, foreigners interested in Nepali politics and foreign affairs. He said that the book with deep insights on domestic and foreign affairs could be a reference book for all. Professor Ananda Srestha, chairman, Nepal Foundation for Advanced Study (NEFAS), justified why his association chose to publish the book. Srestha informed that the book gives clear insights about Nepal’s political as well as foreign affairs scenario. Author M.R. Josse - consultant editor emeritus, People’s Review weekly - said that book was not an organically complete-in-itself treatise on any specific subject, nor was constituted around a singular or continuous narrative. It is, he said, a compendium of myriad strands of a dominant, over-arching theme cutting across several public policy domains related to national security. Mostly, the write-ups deal with the political, security and foreign policy issues having a direct bearing on national security – particularly those that were dominant between the turbulent years from the 1970s to the mid-1990s”, he explained. “The publication deals also with other dimensions of the checquered saga of Nepal’s quest for survival, refracted through the following geopolitical lenses: SAARC, India, China, the U.S., the U.K. and Pakistan. He added that Bangladesh, Sikkim, Tibet and Bhutan, among others, also figure more than tangentially.” The book, priced at Rs. 850.00, is available in select Kathmandu bookstores, including:
  • Mandela Books, Jamal
  • Education Enterprises, Mahangkal
  • Ratna Book Distributor, Bagbazar
  • Pairabi Prakashan, Putali Sadak
  • Pilgrim Book House, Thamel
  • Patan Dhoka Book House, Patan
  • Pashupati Books, Old Baneshwor