The Maoist movement and its impact on the democratic transition of Nepal
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Authors
Adhikari, Saroj Kumar
Subjects
Nepal
democratization
democratic consolidation
Shah rule
Rana rule
Monarchs
The Nepali Congress
Maoism
insurgency
Maoist Insurgency
People’s War
ethnicity
ethnic minorities
ethnic grievances
ethnic politics
caste.
democratization
democratic consolidation
Shah rule
Rana rule
Monarchs
The Nepali Congress
Maoism
insurgency
Maoist Insurgency
People’s War
ethnicity
ethnic minorities
ethnic grievances
ethnic politics
caste.
Advisors
Halladay, Carolyn
Matei, Florina Cristiana
Date of Issue
2015-03
Date
March 2015
Publisher
Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Nepal’s age-old ethnic grievances created a platform for the Maoists to launch their political strategy into broad sections of Nepalese society. The explicit politicization of ethnic grievances helped propel the party to victory in Nepal’s first constitutional election in 2008. Soon thereafter, however, the Maoists lost the lead role in Nepalese politics, in no small part because they failed to deliver on their ethnic promises. This thesis examines the rise and fall of the Maoists in Nepal, as well as the sources and context of the ethnic grievances that have simmered in the country throughout its modern political history. It finds that genuine reform has collided with (and frequently lost out to) the short-term agitations of power politics across the partisan spectrum. In this context, the present thesis establishes a framework to understand the role of ideas in democratizing states. The clash between ideas and ideology on the matter of ethnic grievances sheds light on how the Maoists failed to convert the claims of their movement into the actions of their party in government. The lesson for the remaining parties is clear: resolving Nepal’s ethnic tensions is a matter of ongoing urgency in the country’s democratization.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs
National Security Affairs
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
Copyright is reserved by the copyright owner.