‘Security is more than just defence and weaponry’

By Aashish Mishra

Kathmandu, Sept 26 : The term national security often summons images of the armed forces, ammunitions and wars to our minds. Many of us have only ever learnt to associate national security with national defence. However, defence and the military only make up a tiny portion of the term that incorporates almost everything in our society.

“Food security is also a part of national security and so is the economy. The scope of national security extends to culture as well and it covers natural resources too,” clarified defence and security analyst Brigadier General (Retired) Keshar Bahadur Bhandari. “Every aspect of our national life falls under the purview of national security.”

Bhandari, who is credited with drafting Nepal’s first-ever national security policy in 2002 while serving in the National Security Council Secretariat, finds that there is a lack of understanding about what national security means and how it relates to the citizens. And this, he believes, stems from a dearth of information and historical contextualisation.

“Comprehensive literature regarding the national security policies of small nations like Nepal is extremely hard to find,” Bhandari, who holds a PhD on the subject, explained. “Moreover, the social, political and geographic contexts that countries exist in are different for each nation but there are not enough works exploring and noting these differences.”

There is a knowledge gap, he said, between the west and the rest, with very little information present about the national security needs and frameworks of small and developing countries, if at all. This prompted the scholar, who has worked as the United Nations military advisor in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to produce the book ‘National Security and the State: A Focus on Nepal.’

Published by Nepa~laya, the book seeks to fill the perceived knowledge gap by analysing the opportunities and challenges presented by Nepal’s geopolitical location. As per the prologue provided to The Rising Nepal, the book acknowledges and studies the impact the country’s history, from unification, conflicts with Tibet, China and British India, the Sugauli Treaty, 104 years of Rana rule and the events that have unfolded since the regime’s toppling, has had on its security situation and ability to protect its national interests.

According to the publisher, the book also seeks to present a native narrative within existing theoretical perspectives. Of particular note is the concept of Nepal as a nation-state that Bhandari challenges. “After unification, Nepal emerged as a state of several nationalities described as Chaar Jaat Chhatis Varna (four caste groups and 36 ethnicities), hardly reflecting the western concept of nation-state yet was mis-conceptualised as such,” Bhandari maintained. “An elaborate analysis of Nepal’s status concludes that Nepal is not a nation-state but rather, it is a state-nation.” An analysis that ought to influence Nepal’s worldview and guide its security policy.

The book explores the various dimensions of Nepal’s security, outlines existing and possible threats and presents recommendations through the example of policy documents of other small states, namely Israel, Mongolia and Sweden. It also discusses the pertinent topic of the status of Kalapani and details other related issues affecting the Nepal-India relationship.

With all that being said though, a lay person may ask – why does it matter? What does the average citizen stand to gain by knowing about national security or its national security policy? “A lot,” said Bhandari. “As I mentioned, national security concerns the security of natural resources, community traditions, cyberspace, etc. So, by learning about it, people can contribute to their and their society’s safety and welfare.”

For example, when people know the provisions of the national security policy, they may be able to confront activities like the illegal extraction of sand from rivers. “They will know how it impacts them and the state, which authorities to contact and how to proceed.”

Bhandari also stressed that a nation’s security policy was second only to the constitution in importance and held it incumbent on the state to disseminate it. “It is a public good and should be presented to the public,” he said. “Every citizen holds a stake in national security.”