International Relations | K.V. Rajan, Former Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs

Written by K.V. Rajan, Former Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and India’s Former Ambassador to Nepal and Atul K. Thakur, a renowned policy professional, columnist and writer, Kathmandu Chronicle: Reclaiming India-Nepal Relations reveals hitherto unknown and untold aspects of the unique complicated relationship with India. It delves into the attempted transformation of Nepal from the world’s only Hindu Kingdom to a secular, federal, democratic Republic. Published by Penguin Random House India, the book throws new light on the turbulent past, current challenges and future prospects, combining first-hand experience with deep research.

Nepal’s history over the decades has been marked by tumultuous events and transformations, and its relations with India by sharp fluctuations. From the Maoist insurgency to the hijacking of IC 814, from the Palace Massacre that wiped out King Birendra and his entire family to the coup by King Gyanendra against democracy, among others, the much-vaunted India–Nepal ‘special relationship’ has repeatedly experienced setbacks, some of them with long-term implications. Based on in depth analysis and new resource materials, Kathmandu Chronicle: Reclaiming India–Nepal Relations is important not only in explaining the how’s and why’s of the past but because of its relevance to the geopolitical uncertainties of the post-COVID world, as India asserts its aspirations on the global stage and China and other major countries raise their own profiles in the region.

Penguin Announces the Pre-Order Of Kathmandu Chronicle, Bringing to Light New Perspectives on Past Developments and Future Prospects for India and Nepal
–Penguin Random House India

K.V. Rajan, India’s longest serving Ambassador to Nepal, said, “India and Nepal must learn from the past but not live in it. They can build a model cooperative relationship for the needs and expectations of tomorrow’s generations, building on their unique common civilizational ties combined with new mindsets and innovative approaches. “

Atul K. Thakur, a long-time Nepal scholar and author of the book, said, “Many books on Nepal and its relations with India have been written by scholars and foreign policy practitioners, Nepalese as well as Indian. Yet too many unanswered questions remain, about the how’s and why’s of the past, the depth and challenges of present trends, and prospects for the future, in an increasingly uncertain post-COVID world. We felt that joint work could help address this gap by combining first hand field experience, assessments and interactions with independent and objective research. In that sense, this is not only a new book but a new approach to an important and complicated subject.”

Premanka Goswami, Associate Publisher, Vintage & Head, Backlist, Penguin Random House India, said, “Historically and culturally, India and Nepal have shared special relationship. Nevertheless, this association has experienced ups and downs. What are the reasons for these issues? Why is there so much mutual distrust between two nations? Kathmandu Chronicle by KV Rajan, India’s longest serving Ambassador to Nepal to date (1995 to 2000) and Atul K Thakur, brings to light many stories of India-Nepal relationship that mostly remained untold and therefore unknown till date. We’re glad to publish the book from Penguin.” Currently on pre-order, it is slated to be available across the country in bookstores on 30^th April.

About the authors

K.V. Rajan is a former Member of the Indian Foreign Service, retired as Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. During nearly forty years of diplomatic service, he was entrusted with diverse responsibilities which covered political, economic, cultural, academic, media-related and multilateral work and developed intimate knowledge about most countries and major international institutions in the world. As India’s longest serving Ambassador to Nepal to date (1995 to 2000), and subsequently in various other capacities, he has unmatched personal experience of Nepal and understanding of various aspects of India-Nepal Relations.

Rajan’s additional responsibilities at different levels of seniority in the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India included Adviser to the External Affairs Minister; Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the African Union; Co-Chair, Iran-Pakistan-India Gas Pipeline Project; Special Adviser to the Foreign Secretary of India; Head of several key Divisions in India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Rajan is a frequent speaker and writer on key international issues.

Atul K. Thakur is a Policy Professional, Columnist and Writer with specialisation in the interface of economics and politics. His interest in writing and research is quite diverse and reaches to the areas of Public Policy & Affairs, Macroeconomic Policies, International Affairs and Sustainability, with special focus on South Asia. He is an alumnus, inter alia, of Banaras Hindu University and Pondicherry University and has worked across the sectors, spanning Public Policy & Affairs, Management Consultancy, Think Tank, Journalism; Publishing and Media. As an author/editor, India Now and in Transition (2017) is his second and widely acclaimed book. In 2013, he edited India since 1947: Looking Back at a Modern Nation, a major non-fiction book on modern India. In 2021, he curated and edited (with Nepal’s Former Finance Minister Mr Madhukar SJB Rana), An Alternative Development Paradigm for Nepal.

Among others, he has extensively written for The Kathmandu Post, The Hindu, Firstpost, News18, The Indian Express, Financial Express, The Economic Times, DailyO, Mail Today, The Pioneer, Tehelka, Outlook, Mainstream, The Daily Star, Daily Times, Republica, The Record, India Quarterly (ICWA), Strategic Analysis (IDSA), ORF, Gateway House. As a public intellectual and industry insider, he plays an important role in shaping India-Nepal economic cooperation.

Title: ‘Kathmandu Chronicle: Reclaiming India-Nepal Relations’

Author: K.V. Rajan & Atul K. Thakur

Available: Amazon