By Rabi Raj Thapa
Since the political changes of 1951, there has been a dearth of national leaders whom the Nepali people remember with respect and pride. Nepal has produced many self-proclaimed great leaders, but they all fizzled out because of their own folly and vanity or fell victim to external conspiracies or internal dissension—whether genuine or orchestrated.
What, then, makes a national leader great and successful? This is an important question.
One of the most eminent leaders and diplomats, Henry Kissinger, wrote a book titled Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy in 2022. In the book, he wrote about German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer (1949–1963) and characterized his leadership and diplomacy as the Strategy of Humility. He then wrote about French President Charles de Gaulle and described his leadership and diplomacy as the Strategy of Will, which helped restore French grandeur after the humiliation of Vichy France’s capitulation to Hitler’s Germany between 1940 and 1944.
Kissinger also wrote about the 37th U.S. President Richard Nixon and his successful Strategy of Equilibrium, which helped reshape the world order and navigate Cold War geopolitics. He highlighted Egyptian President Anwar Sadat for his grand Strategy of Transcendence, aimed at achieving regional peace in the Middle East. Turning to Asia, he examined Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his successful Strategy of Excellence in modernizing Singapore. Finally, he chose British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for her Strategy of Conviction, which forcefully and fundamentally transformed Great Britain.
Looking back at Nepali history, we can begin with King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the unifier of Nepal as a nation-state; King Mahendra, the modernizer; King Birendra, the peace-loving reconciler; and King Gyanendra, whom some regard as a conciliatory monarch who relinquished his throne and state power to the people with an open heart and deep love for the nation and its people.
My purpose in quoting Henry Kissinger and his book is simply to suggest that Rabi Lamichhane and Balen Shah develop a comprehensive national strategy suited to Nepal’s land and people rather than drifting toward lofty borrowed ideas from the Left or the Right, or from the East, North, South, or West.
Since September 2025, Nepal has entered a new chapter in its history, followed by a transitional government and a general election in which the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) emerged as the largest force in the 275-member House of Representatives, winning an overwhelming 182 seats.
Now, RSP Chairman Rabi Lamichhane and Prime Minister Balen Shah are blessed with an almost two-thirds majority government. This is the right time to act wisely and formulate a long-term national vision and policy strategy, similar to those developed and adopted by the great leaders discussed by the eminent political scientist, U.S. Secretary of State, and 7th U.S. National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger.
The question now concerns the RSP’s Kararnama (contract paper) and its 100-point Bacha Patra (promise document) with the Nepali people. Is it merely an RSP promissory document, a set of guidelines for party cadres, a national strategic document for Nepal, or simply an RSP wish list? The importance and value of any document depend on the extent to which its contents have been debated, scrutinized, and understood.
The time has now come for the RSP to undergo a litmus test of efficiency and effectiveness. As a young political force, the RSP must learn from past historical fault lines if it is to achieve strategic success and long-term survival. There are strong sentiments among the Hindu Sanatani Omkar Pariwar and monarchist constituencies that the RSP needs to recognize, respect, and remember as an integral part of Nepal’s society, history, and national sentiment.
A mere reiteration of “Purna Loktantra” (Complete Democracy) and the slogan of “Samajik Loktantra” (Social Democracy/Federalism?) or “Sambaidhanik Samajbad” (Constitutional Socialism?) as the RSP’s new vision for Nepal will require much more homework and clarification. Today, the RSP must reckon with the fact that a large silent majority still regards the institution of monarchy and a Sanatani Hindu Rashtra, accommodating all religions and faiths, as the best political option for Nepal.
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