Late Khagendra Bahadur KC's 'Kranti and the Coup: A Personal History, 1945 - 1963' launched
KATHMANDU: ‘Kranti and the Coup: A Personal History, 1945 – 1963’, a personal memoir by the late Khagendra Bahadur KC and translated into English by Prawin Adhikari, was unveiled at the Nepali Army Officer’s Club in Kathmandu, on Saturday.
Published by Sutra, an imprint of Quixote’s Cove, the book intricately crafts a compelling narrative of the unparalleled shift of political power in Nepal, viewed from an extraordinarily privileged perspective. Striking a balance between entertainment and information, the book revives a segment of Nepali recent history that remains largely unknown to the majority of readers.
At the book launch event, Professor Khagendra Prasad Bhattarai, former Vice Chancellor of Pokhara University, expressed his admiration for the research that the late KC had invested in writing this book. In the epilogue, KC had stated his intention to provide a more lucid account of the events. Prof Bhattarai drew attention to anecdotes from the book about King Tribhuvan, which led Chandra Shamsher Rana to confide in his brothers and sons about the potential impact on the Ranas' future. "An anecdote about how a seven-year-old King Tribhuvan plotted to achieve his goals provides a glimpse into the future king, a detail I have not encountered elsewhere," shared Professor Bhattarai.
The book commences with an account of Chandra Shamsher, yet it portrays Bishweshwor Prasad (BP) Koirala as the hero. Kedar Bhakta Mathema, former Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University, also former Ambassador to Japan, shared, “KC describes Koirala as a talented political leader with integrity and charisma, who outshines all other leaders. Yet, like all Shakespearean heroes, Koirala had his flaws - he lacked courtly refinement, could be stubborn, and was often tactless - traits that are necessary for political leaders." Mathema further said, “It's not merely a chronicle of events from the Rana period. It is filled with the author’s reflections, comments, and anecdotes. The linguistic approach gives the book a novel-like feel due to the various episodes and anecdotes.” He also commended the book for making history approachable to readers of all ages.
Kranti and the Coup, priced at Rs 1,000, is available at major bookstores around the city and worldwide.
Author KC was a beloved family man, an adored teacher to generations of students at Tribhuvan University and Patan College, and a keen observer of the upheavals in contemporary Nepali life. As the 'English secretary' to Minister General Babar Shumsher Rana, KC was in the very eye of the storm during the epochal transition that brought Nepal out of the dimness of a medieval reality into the modern world in the 1950s.
Translator Adhikari is the author of 'The Vanishing Act' and an assistant editor at La.Lit, a literary magazine. He has translated works of fiction between Nepali and English such as 'The Long Night of Storm' by Indra Bahadur Rai and 'The Vegetarian' by Han Kang, written screenplays, and published retellings of folk tales.
