Myanmar’s democratic leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, once said to me, “Thank you, General. Please tell the Burmese Army to do what the Nepalese Army has done.”
I had the opportunity to lead Nepal’s army at a time when it steadfastly supported democracy. We fought against the Maoists in their attempt to establish a one-party dictatorship and were major players in the dramatic transition from monarchy to republic. Although I was just a soldier, this struggle to defend democracy made me known outside my immediate military circle, so my friends encouraged me to write about my life story and how it was interwoven inextricably with Nepal’s recent history.