Documentation of Peace Process

Book Review (A Half Decade of Peace Process: (2005-2010): Its Challenges and Prospects

Yuba Nath Lamsal
Much has been written on Nepal’s ongoing peace process that started in late 2005 with the signing of the 12-point agreement between the insurgent CPN-Maoist (now UCPN-Maoist) and the seven party alliance (a loose network of parliamentary parties). The 12-point agreement was a watershed event in Nepal’s political history. This was the beginning of the peace process as well as the movement against Gyanendra’s political misadventure of taking over absolute power and attempt to marginalize the political parties thereby imposing a brutal and dictatorial reign. However, the documents related to this agreement and several others have not been in composite and compiled form as the book under review has done.
The book "A Half Decade of Peace Process (2005-2010): Its Challenges and Prospects" is a documentation of events that unfolded during the five years of the ongoing peace process and its impartial and fair analysis. The book contains all the events and incidents that took place right from the beginning of the peace process, its inherent causes, consequences and weaknesses. Divided into six parts, the book has dealt vividly with different aspects of the peace process and other issues directly linked with it. Different years from 2005 to 2010 have been named under different titles. The year 2005 has been called as the year of dilemma, whereas 2006 has been labeled as the year of historical upheavals and prospect of peace. The year 2007 has been dealt under the caption of ‘weakening peace process fascinates foxy foreigners’ whilst the year 2008 has been dubbed as the ‘year of hope for peace’. The years 2009 and 2010 have been dealt under the topics ‘ ‘peace undergoes more disarray’ and ‘reaffirming peace amidst gloom’ respectively.
Prem Kumari Pant is a long time journalist, who edits the English language weekly news journal Weekly Mirror, is the editor of the new book. Also the president of Nepal-China Society, Pant has already written and edited two books on Buddhism and Nepal’s foreign policy initiatives. The new book is her third book, which is more valuable than the other ones. This book has chronicled the events and provided information and analysis especially on issues concerning Nepal’s fledgling peace process. In the preface to the book, editor Pant has admitted that it is not her new creation but an ‘assortment of public documents, press reporting and analysis mostly covered in The Weekly Mirror.’ This is her frank and honest acknowledgement. According to her, the principal objective of the book is to enlighten the readers on the country’s contemporary politics. The editor is absolutely right as her efforts have really educated the readers about the peace and political process that began five years ago.
A cursory look at the book and its analysis gives a fair sense that the editor has made meticulous efforts in trying to be objective as far s possible. She is a journalist who has her own views and perception on certain national issues especially on matters of patriotism but she has tried not to impose her views. But, as a patriotic journalist and writer, who has been constantly and fearlessly using her pen power for national interest, her patriotic perspective is clearly visible in the book.
To sum up, the book is a documentation of historical events which is useful for researchers, academicians and others who want to explore the turn of events over the last five years of the peace process. Unlike other writers, who try to impose their perspective and analysis on the readers, she has been honest and fair enough to the readers as she has included all aspects in a purely impartial and independent manner. In this sense as well, this book is important. Ms Pant has left everything to readers to judge, analyze and evaluate the historical events and make their own conclusion.
After all history is a chronology of events and historians document without manipulating and distorting them. The editor of this book has done exactly that and done justice to the readers. Although Ms Pant is a journalist, her initiative to come up with this new book is no less a contribution than any historian in Nepal. For this, the editor of the book deserves appreciation. Thus, this is a book worth reading and collecting.

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