Battles of the New Republic

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"Battles of The New Republic" tells the story of Nepal's transformation from war to peace, monarchy to republic, a Hindu kingdom to a secular state, and a unitary to a potentially federal state.

Simultaneously historical analysis, reportage and memoire, this book breaks new ground in political writing from the region. Drawing on interviews with the most powerful leaders in the country, as well as diplomats, it gives an unprecedented glimpse into Kathmandu's high politics, coupled with on-the-ground reporting of the lives of ordinary citizens of the hills and the plains, striving for a democratic, just and equitable society.

It tracks the hard grind of political negotiations at the heart of instability in Nepal. It traces the rise of a popular rebellion, its integration into the mainstream, and its steady decline. It investigates Nepal's status as a partly-sovereign country, and reveals India's overwhelming role. It examines the angst of having to prove one's loyalties to one's own country, and exposes the Hindu hill upper-caste dominated power structures.

"Battles of The New Republic" is a story of the deepening of democracy, of the death of a dream, and of that fundamental political dilemma – who exercises power, to what end, and for whose benefit?