DIBRUGARH: The ongoing international literary festival at Dibrugarh University in Assam on Friday, February 7 sparked a thought-provoking debate on Nepal’s geopolitical positioning, with writers and intellectuals deliberating whether the country should “look towards the north or the south” for its future growth and alliances.
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The four-day festival, featuring over 200 writers from 25 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe, is hosting more than 50 sessions on literature, culture, and geopolitical narratives. A session titled "Nepal Narrative: People, Palace and Politics" was one of the key highlights, where Kathmandu-based author Amish Raj Mulmi, known for his book "All Roads Lead North: Nepal's Turn to China", shared his insights on Nepal’s evolving relations with India and China, according to a press release.
Discussing his book, Mulmi acknowledged that Nepal’s ties with India have deteriorated in recent years due to the country’s growing dependence on China for economic development. Despite its deep historical and cultural connections with India, Nepal had to turn north because of a lack of resources to sustain its economic aspirations.
In response, former Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae, another panelist, remarked that the book could have been titled “All Roads Lead to South” instead, as Nepal’s connections—historical, cultural, and economic—have traditionally been stronger with India.
Mulmi further noted that the abolition of Nepal’s 240-year-old monarchy in 2008, which also marked the end of Nepal as the world’s only Hindu kingdom, initially strengthened relations with India, but the goodwill deteriorated in later years.
Adding another perspective, Nepal-born writer Smriti Ravindra, author of "The Woman Who Climbed Trees", spoke about the strong cultural ties between India and Nepal. She also highlighted the misconceptions about Nepal’s geography and people, often depicted in literature as primarily mountaineers and Himalayan dwellers, whereas the country also has a large lowland region called Terai.
Ravindra, a native of Terai, pointed out that southern Nepalese, known as Madheshis, are sometimes mistaken for Indians due to their physical resemblance and cultural similarities. She expressed concerns that the Madheshi community often feels neglected by northern Nepalese and the government due to their close affinity with Indians.
Ravindra, who identifies herself as a Madheshi rather than a Nepali, stated that marriages between Madheshis and Indians are common, making cross-border relationships feel more like inter-state unions rather than international marriages.
Meanwhile, when asked about Nepalese diaspora literature, both writers admitted that despite Nepalese communities thriving across the world, the representation of diaspora experiences in literature remains limited.
