Conference on 1923 Nepal-UK friendship treaty to start in Kathmandu

The first of its kind conference on the treaty will focus on the context and content of the treaty and what it means for Nepal. The treaty was an instrumental document to safeguard Nepal’s sovereignty and independence.

NL Today

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Kathmandu: On the occasion of the centenary of the signing of the Treaty of Friendship between Nepal and the United Kingdom a conference on the subject matter of the treaty is being held in Kathmandu from Saturday. The two-day conference is jointly organized by Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya archives (MPP) and Britain Nepal Academic Council (BNAC).

A book will be published on the subject matter with contributions by participants and others, according to the organizers.

The 1923 Treaty, signed in Kathmandu towards the end of the rule of Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher, has seen sparse study by academia and is largely absent from the historical narrative of Nepal and South Asia even though it helped lay the foundation of Nepal’s international standing in modern era.

The conference follows up on a workshop on the 1923 Treaty organized by the discussion platform Gyan Gosthi (on December 21, 2021), which delved into the geopolitical significance of the document, the drafting process as observed from the Nepali side, and the content of Rana rule.

The international conference will bring together scholars representing not only the field of history but also other disciplines.

Nepal signed the treaty of friendship with the UK on December 21, 1923.  The treaty has been lauded by historians and critics as an instrumental document to safeguard Nepal’s sovereignty and independence.