In defence of democracy dynamics and fault lines of Nepal's political economy/ Ram Sharan Mahat

Part I
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
1. Political Economy of National Unification 3 Entrepot Trade and New Protection 5 Prithvi Narayan's Economics 8 Land, Peasantry and Expansion 10 The Jhara System 14 Administrative Practice 15
Price of Unrestrained Militarism 18 Summing Up 20
2. The Rana Shogunate 23 Increased Ties with the British 24 Family Enrichment and Methods 31 Reforms and Development 36 End of the Rana Regime 41 Summing Up 44
3. The 1950s: Towards Modernization 47 Instability and Confusion 47 Development Scenario 50
• The First Elected Government 57 • Progressive Agenda, Opposition and Takeover 63
4. Panchayat, Politics and Economy 69 • The 'Climate and Soil' Theory 69 • Advantages to the Regime 73 • Plans and Priorities 76 • Slogans and Themes 82 • Development Performance 85 • Political Developments 100 • Demise of the Panchayat Era 103
Part II
DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT
5. Plans and Reforms 113 • Interim Government and New Constitution 113 • Budget, Plan and Philosophy 115 • Wave of Reforms 120 • The Poverty Focus: Ninth and Tenth Plans 132 • More Reforms 135
• Conclusion 147
6. Performance and Delivery (I) 151 • Emerging Political Scenario 151
• Plan Performance 158 • Macro-Economy and Structural Shift 161 • Changing Poverty Profile 166
• National Debt 174
• Summing Up 177
7. Performance and Delivery (II) 171
• Finance and Banking 181 • Rural Development and Empowerment 185 • Agriculture and Forestry 188 • Industry, Trade and Balance of Payments 194 • Transport and Communications 200 • Irrigation, Hydropower and Alternative Energy 206 • Social Sector Development 212 • Summing Up 220
Part III
CRITICAL ISSUES & FAULT-LINES
8. The Legacy of Exclusion and Neglect 225 • Ethnic Exclusion 227 • Regional Disparities 231 • Gender Divide 234 • After Democracy 237 • Needed: More than a Representative Democracy 240
9. The Arun III Debacle 243 • The Project 243 • Controversy and Cancellation 245 • Allegations and Facts 248 • A National Loss 255
10. The Refugee Impasse 258 • Bilateral Meetings 259 • Motive and History 262 • Quiet Diplomacy and India Factor 266 • Towards the Future 269
11. Corruption Perception 272 • Corruption in Democracy 273 • Donor Responsibility 279 • Bribery by MNCs 280 • Towards Non-discretionary Regime 283
12. The 'Development Catalyst' 286 • Road : The Development Catalyst 286 • National Priority Vs Donor Approach 288 • New Developments 292 • Planning Imperatives 295
13. Security Cost: On the South Asian Path ? 298
• South Asia Defies 299 • Securitization in Nepal 300 • Security : A Broader Concept 302 • Social Cost and Sustainability 304
• Peace Dividend! 308
14. The Maoist War 311 • Dynamics of Growth 312
• Methods and Resistance 322
• Cost of Conflict 324
• External Dimension • Government Response and Peace Attempts 329
• UN Mediation? 336
• Conclusion 338
15. Political Deadlock 343
• Background to the Direct Rule 347 • Insurgency and Regression: Mutually Reinforcing 354
• Constitutional Avenue 356 • Constituent Assembly and Bourgeois Revolution 357 • Liberal Democracy sans Violence 361
16. Fault Lines 367
• Soft State Governance 367
• Political Behaviour 371 • Primary National Agenda: Economy or Politics? 374 • Disparity and Centralization 378
• Educational Dualism 380 • Donor Dependence 382 • Low Productivity 385
17. Bottom Line and the Future 389
• Not a Lost Period 390 • Democracy and 'Democratization' 394 • Economic Agenda 398