Paradise Lost?

State Failure in Nepal

Ali Riaz, Subho Basu

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Year: 2007
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780739158654
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Asian History
• Index: History

Paradise Lost examines the state-society relationships in Nepal and demonstrates that the nature of the state, disjuncture between the state and the society, and the rupture of the ideological hegemony of the ruling class of Nepal have created a situation where existing institutional frameworks are disintegrating and the state is rapidly unraveling. Dr. Ali Riaz and Dr. Subho Basu analyze the roles of ethnicity, identity, and deprivation, in engendering discontent and the rise of the Maoists as a formidable political force. Mindful of the geo-strategic importance of the country, this book contextualizes these domestic developments within the post-9/11 global world. Jointly authored by a political scientist and a historian this book brings together structural and historical perspectives. Written in an engaging language, Paradise Lost? will appeal to political scientists, historians, sociologists, and those interested in current affairs.

Table of contents

• Contents
• List of Tables
• Acknowledgments
• Nepal Timeline: 1768–2006
• Introduction: Understanding the Crisis in Nepal and State Failure
• Chapter 01. State Formation and Political Transition in Nepal (1768–2005)
• Chapter 02. Ethnicity and Politics in Nepal
• Chapter 03. Economic Crisis and the Lack of Performance Legitimacy
• Chapter 04. Maoist Insurgency and the Militarization of the Nepali Polity and Society
• Chapter 05. Popular Uprising 2006
• Chapter 06. Problems and Prospects
• Appendix 1: Nepal: The Fundamentals
• Appendix 2: Memorandum from UNPF to the Prime Minister
• Appendix 3: Unofficial Translation of the Letter of Understanding between the Seven-Party Coalition and the Communist Party of Nepal
• Appendix 4: Unofficial Translation of the Eight-Point Agreement between SPA and the CPN (M)
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Authors