In search of Identity in Politics of Nepal

Yuba Nath Lamsal

 Book Review

Nepali Politics In Crisis of Identity and Ideology

Authored by Dr Gopal Siwakoti

Published by Pairavi Prakashan

Page-614

Price-495

This is a new book authored by Professor Dr Gopal Siwakoti, who is known widely in the academic field and the field of journalism in Nepal. He taught political science in the Tribhuvan University, country’s pioneer higher academic institution, for more than three decades. He was a professor before he retired a couple of year ago. Dr Siwakoti is equally known and revered in the field of journalism as he edited several journals and also worked as a columnist in some newspapers and journals. Although his health is feeble in his late sixties, he is active in writing on various pertinent issues like state restructuring, constitutionalism, political development and many contemporary issues.

There are already more than two dozen books of political science to his credit and he has been continuously producing books on different topics of politics and political science. His works have helped the readers to understand more clearly the issues on politics, political science, constitution and constitutionalism as he mostly focuses on the current issues of Nepal’s politics and societal aspects of Nepalese and Nepalese society. Also his books seems to be more based on the curriculum of the Universities that have made Dr Siwakoti’s books in high demands among students pursuing higher education in political science and history. This book, which is under review, is also not an exception as it seems to be guided by the curriculum of university’s political science of different levels. The book is, therefore, useful for the students of political science especially on the issue concerning identity-based politics that is in vogue in Nepal at present and also the series of struggles launched by different ethnic, lingual and cultural groups of people in different intervals of Nepal’s history.

The author, Dr Siwakoti, has touched upon all the issues concerning Nepal’s political developments and trends from the perspective of people’s demand for identity-based politics. The topic appears to be very important in the present context as Nepal’s politics, deviating from values, ideals and principles, is being sharply polarized between the people who are demanding identity-based federalism and people who have opposed it. The issue of identity has come up more prominently after Nepal was declared a federal democratic republic. All political parties are committed to federalism in principle. But they differ on the model of federalism. Ethnic nationalities, indigenous communities, lingual and cultural groups are advocating for identity-based federalism. Others have dubbed the demand of identity-based federalism as an attempt of creating ethnic states which, according to them, may ultimately fragment and disintegrate the country. However, those who are demanding identity-based federalism dismiss that the identity-based federalism is neither the creation of ethnic states nor would disintegrate the country. They claim that identity-based federalism, in fact, strengthens the national unity and integrity.

 The raging debate on the issue of federalism is primarily responsible for failing the Constituent Assembly to produce a constitution. This is mainly because of either sheer ignorance on the intricacies of federalism and its model or parties’ deliberate attempt to avert federalism from being formally institutionalized in the constitution.  The book, thus, attempts to bring the issue of identity-based federalism to the fore once again. As the name of the book itself suggests that the politics of Nepal is in the crisis of both identity as well as ideology, the author has focused more on different political ideologies that came to existence in the world and their positive and negative aspects. This is important in Nepal in the present situation because Nepalese people are in the process of constitution writing and state restructuring on which parties have been divided and polarized.  Divided into 15 different chapters that deal with different issues and themes closely linked with politics, the book contains topics like constitutional developments, different political ideologies and their practices and Nepal’s political and social transformation that took place in different phases of history. Apart from political, constitutional and ideological developments in Nepal, the book is a mirror of Nepali society as it contains in brief the issues and phases of political, constitutional and social developments and practices and their successes and setbacks. Thus, the book is useful and worth reading. Despite being so useful and important, the book has some drawbacks as well. Going through the book, one may find some issues to short and surfacial. The author could have dealt in details and at length, which would have made the book more worthy. In addition, the book has a lot of proof mistakes, some of which are serious. It is expected that such drawbacks and mistakes would be done away with in the future edition of the book.