Kathmandu: At the Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival, former Indian ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae, shed light on the complex nature of public diplomacy during a session titled ‘Rethinking Development and Diplomacy in the Digital Age’. Rae emphasized the pivotal role of credibility in diplomatic relations, noting that public diplomacy can have both positive and negative impacts. “Public diplomacy has played a huge role in India-Nepal relations, not always positively. It can work both ways,” Rae remarked, underscoring the influence of public perception on government decisions.

Rae, reflecting on his tenure in Nepal, recalled his experiences during a tumultuous time marked by the constitution-writing process and the Tarai protests. He shared insights from his book, Kathmandu Dilemma: Resetting India-Nepal Ties, which aims to address and clarify misconceptions about India’s role in Nepal’s political landscape.

In a separate session titled ‘Writing as Aspiration’, Rae highlighted the significance of self-research in understanding regional history and heritage. “What is written about us in the West need not align with our own narratives. It is up to us to research and write about our history,” he asserted, advocating for a more nuanced and self-driven approach to documenting historical and cultural narratives.

The Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival, which is organized in collaboration with Yashaswi Prangya Pratisthan and Himalayan Diary Pvt Ltd, received support from Surya Nepal Gatha and Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) Nepal as the presenting sponsor.