"Nepal has always been a harmonious society. There has been great unity among people of diverse socio-cultural and religious backgrounds as well as between people from the mountains, hills and plains," he said during a program at Sheetal Niwas. "But now there are some elements that want to destroy this great unity in diversity in the name of stability." [break]
Yadav said the country´s cherished values like liberalism, free press, independent media and judiciary and democratic norms could not be scarified under any pretext.
The President cautioned that the unity between the democratic forces witnessed during 2006 was fast breaking down as the relevant stakeholders were now out to safeguard their own interests instead of protecting the country´s larger interests.
Yadav said this while inaugurating Dr Lok Raj Baral´s new book Nepal-Nation-state in the Wilderness .
The book is a critical look at three important aspects of modern Nepal: viability of the Nepali State, prospects and challenges of its liberal democracy, and strategies for managing the emerging geopolitical trends.
Political scientist Krishna Khanal said Baral´s book´s provided a brilliant overview of the six decades of Nepali politics since the advent of the democracy in 1950. "Baral delves into how the very concept of democracy is being redefined in the new setting," Khanal said.
Khanal also talked about how the emergence of Madhesi and Janajati movements had been a major challenge for Nepal´s established political forces. Political commentator and journalist Aditya Man Shrestha labeled Baral´s book ´outspoken´.
Related story
Refusing to grant citizenship in name of mother is unconstituti...
