Rewriting the Nation: Politics, Culture, and Representation in Contemporary Nepali Literature

Starting with the People’s Revolution (I) in 1990, gathering momentum with the Maoist uprising between 1996 and 2006, and culminating in the People’s Revolution (II) in 2006 and Madhes Revolution (2007), Nepal has undergone momentous changes in the last three decades, the most important among them being the transformation of the country from a unitary Hindu monarchy to a federal secular republic. This study analyses contemporary Nepali literature to examine how socio-political issues of inclusion and exclusion based on language, caste/ethnicity, religion, and geographical region, emerge in Nepal’s recent past. The study finds that the issues pertaining to minoritised languages, castes/ethnicities, religions, regions, and gender are moving centre stage in recent years, and by articulating a more radical account of Nepali story-telling, these contemporary writings have become the forerunner in envisioning a more inclusive imagined community.