News, Views From Nepal

Yuba Nath Lamsal In the anal of history, the period under the Malla dynasty is a national renaissance particularly in the areas of art, architecture, trade and diplomacy. Nepal takes pride in the superiority of art and architecture of the Malla period. Most national heritages and brilliant art works of Kathmandu Valley are the creation and contribution of the Malla period. Similarly, Nepal, during the Malla period, was economically prosperous due primarily to its trade with Tibet. The economic prosperity had also enlarged Nepal’s political and diplomatic clout in all its vicinity. But this clout faded after Yaksha Malla divided his kingdom into different states among his sons and daughters. All the economic activities and trade with Tibet were then limited to the three kingdoms of the Kathmandu Valley. The relationship with Tibet was based on trade while relationship with China was more of a political nature. Exchange of missions There is one particular incident of historic signifi...

Yuba Nath Lamsal As the 17th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) was underway in Margarita Island of Venezuela on September 13-18, a real debate started outside on the role and relevance of the NAM in the changed global scenario. The NAM was created 55 years ago at the height of the Cold War marked by a stiff superpower rivalry and division of the world into two rival camps each led by a super power. The NAM was necessary at that time as many countries of the ‘Third World’ could not afford to side with any of the two rival blocs but chose to remain neutral. The NAM, therefore, became an appropriate forum for the countries wishing to have equal partnership and friendship with all countries irrespective of their ideological orientation and strategic alignment. But the international situation and scenario are markedly different at present. Now a question has arisen in the international forums and debates:  Is the NAM necessary in the present situation or is it just a waste of r...

Yuba Nath Lamsal Foreign policy is said to be, or in all practicability too, an extension of the domestic policy. The domestic situation, therefore, impacts the diplomacy of any country in the world. The internal imbroglio followed by instability and conflict within the royal court as well as with other small neighbouring principalities of that time had a huge impact on diplomacy and foreign relations during the Lichchhavi period and thereafter.  With the demise of Narendradev, the fame and eminence of Lichchhavi rule in all realms and spheres came to a virtual end, which was, to a great extent, reflected on both the domestic situation as well as foreign relations. Nepal’s internal situation witnessed a kind of tumultuous state for some years to come until Jayasthiti Malla took over the reign.  The interregnum between the Lichchhavi and Malla rule is fuzzy, perhaps, in the absence of authentic historical evidences, which made historians to base their accounts of Nepal...

Yuba Nath Lamsal Nepal is one of the oldest countries in South Asia. Nepal remained an independent country even when almost the whole of South Asia had become a British colony. Nepal and Britain had come face to face in their mission of territorial expansion and fought a war in 1814-16, following which the Sugauli Treaty was signed, formally ending the war. The Sugauli Treaty had two shocking consequences for Nepal. First, Nepal lost almost one-third of its territory, and second, Nepal’s territorial expansion came to an end. Although the Sugauli Treaty is the beginning of Nepal’s modern diplomacy, the tradition of establishing contact with other countries has a long history. We can trace Nepal’s diplomacy as back as 1500 BC, when Nepal’s Kirat kings had relations with several Indian states, including the most powerful Hastinapur. One Kirat King of Nepal, Jitedasti, is believed to have participated in the great Mahabharat war and, according to historian Balchandra Sharma, he helped ...