What is human security? It is “a concept emerging not from the learned writings of scholars but from the daily concerns of the people… [It is] a people’s concept and people’s concern, human security is reflected in the shriveled faces of innocent children, in the anguished existence of the homeless, in the constant fear of jobless, in the silent despair of those without hope.” (p. 36) The concept of Mahabub ul Haq about human security goes exactly in the context of Nepal. While talking about human security, issues such as human rights, religious and social disparities should be at the base of the argument.
Two things are necessary for human security. The first is the security from hunger, disease, and repression. The second is protection from sudden incidents that happen in daily life at home, in office, community etc. Human security means a child not having to die; disease not spreading; work not lost; ethnic conflict not exploded in the form of violence, and a discontent person not having to remain mute. In this way, human security is related with all economic, food, health, environmental, personal, social, and political aspects.
Human security goes at tandem with national security. If national security is explained in military terminology only, this cannot reflect on the modern concept of improvement in the security sector. Questions like “whose security?”, “security for whom?”, “security for which values and norms?”, “security from what threats?”, and “security by what means?” (p. 44) are entangled with the subjects of human and national security.
Similarly, it is interrelated with the issues of human rights and human development. By putting these aside, the concept of human security cannot move ahead. Moreover, in a poor and underdeveloped country like Nepal, it is related to human development itself. On and around these topics, the writer has minutely analyzed the human rights exercises of the Nepali society and aspects of criticism of human development.
Since both the organizational and working dimensions of the state have had been weak, the writer has argued that the situation has even eroded the legality of the ruling system. The failures of the state and the conflicts brought by this are mentioned in the book.
But it must be made clear that the failure of the state is not to imply the loss of sovereignty; rather, it should be understood as the state not being able to effectively implement its own rules and policies due to groups outside the state. In the first chapter of the book, the writer has attempted to locate their relevance to the Nepali situation by reflecting on the role of the state, its leadership, and the process of governance as being crucial to policymaking for human security in Nepal.
In the second chapter of the book, the constitutional principle of the Nepali state has been analyzed, and the contradictions found in principles and in practices have been depicted. Constitutional norms had been kept on being developed in the past because of Nepal’s Hindu monarchy, supremacy of the Hindus in national life, ethnic divisions based on the Hindu social system, and establishment of Nepali as the nation’s national language. The writer is of the view that the social structure developed under these very norms has increased social exclusion and discriminations.In the third chapter, it has been ascertained that the country moved towards bad governance because of not being able to institutionalize democracy, and it has impacted on the socio-economic situation, and the country has become dependent on external resources.
In the fourth chapter of the book, there is an analysis of the environment prior to the start of the Maoist People’s War, and the various strategies adopted by the state to control it. It has not been hidden from anybody that Emergency was declared all over the country by suspending the basic rights of the people just to control the Maoists. Ordinance was brought in to control terrorist and destructive activities, and this had increased lawlessness in the security force. Due to increasing culture of lawlessness, the state could not become responsible and sensitive to the people. Because of this, the act of violation of human rights was committed extensively by the security force.
On the other hand, the Maoists also had increased fear, caused instability in the social, political and economic sectors of the state, and attracted people to them (Maoists) by giving strong slogans of ethnic politics. In the book, there are also depictions of formidable scenarios of human security that is linked with human rights in Nepal. In a way, the writer has minutely analyzed incidents of various actions committed in the name of revolution and counterrevolution, and he has also tried to measure the costs of the conflict, particularly the social costs.
The effects caused by the cruelty of the state have been analyzed in the fifth chapter of the volume. This chapter argues for the need to reflect on the core security sector, making an institutional assessment necessary to generate information and draw out its impact on governance in relation to the overall situation of human security in Nepal. The trends set in the country, both due to the lack of accountability and the climate of impunity, are crucial to an understanding of how governance is undermined, and the manner in which the security sector functions. (p. 243)
Improvement in the security sector denotes transformation from a narrow circle of security for the ruling to an extensive circumference of citizen security. And it also signifies protection of human rights and promotion of human security. Apart from this, improvements in the security sector can be made at a time when the political leadership becomes democratic and expresses commitment in a transparent manner.
The writer has argued that there is no possibility of improving human security without improving the security sector in Nepal.
The writer has also argued that this work should be directed by a broader context of relationship between the citizens and the army. In terms of the security sector, the state is facing three challenges at the moment: 1) problem of a clear institutional design that can link security policies with development policies; 2) problems in consolidating the system of good governance; and 3) the necessity of building a responsible professional security force for human security.
The most important question with respect to human security is: Whose security? This will define state-centrism and people-centrism. That is why matter like security should be defined on the basis of human rights and people’s welfare. At present, the improvement of the security sector in Nepal has become a post-conflict phenomenon, which will certainly impact the form, participation, and the structure of future governments.
In the sixth chapter, the writer has provided glimpses of the various policies and exercises adopted by the government. Together with this, the impacts it has made on the questions of human security have also been analyzed. The impacts caused by ignoring the elements that are concerned with democracy and human security in Nepal have also been comprehensively dealt with in the book.
This brings the book to the present moment when it is seen necessary to discuss the issues of the security sectors, human security, and the issues of improvements in the security sectors for human security in the Nepali society.
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