This memoir is an exciting read that traverses Nepal’s chapters from autocracy to democracy. Following Bhekh, a young US-educated man who is suddenly faced with opportunities to wear many hats, whether juggling his role as an Ambassador, Advisor to becoming the Minister of External Affairs, there really is no dull moment. If you like reading people’s life journeys and have interest in politics and governance, then this is a colourful book that gives you an insight into the way Bhekh Bahadur Thapa viewed Nepal, the Royal Family, Panchayat system and diplomacy.
His views on the ways the different former Kings ruled Nepal was pretty fascinating! The tug-of-war between the Palace and Singha Durbar… Netflix would die to create a show out of it I’m sure. From King Mahendra, King Birendra to King Gyanendra, he shares his own working experiences and personal reflections on these figures. Additionally, his thoughts on the different Prime Ministers or Ministers that he worked with – he does not hold himself back. Perfect for readers like me!
Family is a theme that cuts across the entire book and it’s lovely to hear about the different ways his wife Rita and he managed to keep the family afloat, do meaningful work but also find opportunities that would help them financially thrive. Later, the children are mentioned and their own trajectories in life briefly shared. There’s love, support, growth and loss.
A lot has happened in his life and he has been fortunate to see and be part of so much. A figure who is an example that someone who means well, does well, will be eventually do more than well!
A Life in Public Service is a book that many in parliament as well as those with interest in International Relations and Regional Diplomacy should prioritise for reading. There’s a lot to learn from Bhekh and if there were more individuals with the finesse, clarity and skills like Bhekh, I am sure we’d all experience the positive result of that.
Happy Reading!
Synopsis:
In 1960, King Mahendra Shah summoned a twenty-four-year-old Nepali PhD student in California to serve as the Member Secretary of National Planning Council. In the extraordinary six-decade long career that followed, Bhekh Bahadur Thapa witnessed first-hand the enormous challenges, as well as the heartbreaks and triumphs, of nation-building in Nepal. He revisits those times, offering deeply personal observations into the transformation of his country, from a feudal protectorate under the rule of the Rana dynasty to its current-day manifestation as a boisterous federal democratic republic. An ‘insider-account’ in the truest sense, A Life in Public Service is a fascinating, intimate look at the modern-day governance of South Asia’s oldest nation.
