State-People relations in post-conflict Nepal
December 2Nepal has experienced tremendous changes over the last 25
years. The country is in a pivotal state of extreme transition. In
the last two decades, it changed from a monarchy to a republic,
an authoritarian system of governance to a democracy, a Hindu
kingdom to a secular country, and from being a centralised state to
a federal country (Upreti, 2010). Hence, Nepal is at the ‘crossroads’
of being ‘redefin[ed] [as] both nation and state’ (UNDP, 2009:
2) and a new social order is emerging (Adhikari, 2014). Peoples’
perceptions on state-provided basic services, social protection,
and livelihood assistance services determine the state-people
relationship. We have examined these dimensions in this book,
for which conceptual and contextual factors are discussed in this
chapter with special reference to basic services (health, education
and drinking water), social protection and livelihoods.