Chandra Dev Bhatta on Between State and Society: Rethinking Civil Engagement in Nepal

In this episode, Shuvangi Poudyal and Chandra Dev Bhatta engage in a thoughtful discussion on the evolution of Nepali civil society—from its pivotal role in democratic movements to its present-day entanglements with political power, funding constraints, and growing public distrust. Drawing from Bhatta’s research and recent discourse, the conversation explores the blurred lines between activism and partisanship, the influence of donor agendas, and the need for more inclusive, accountable, and locally grounded civil society frameworks in a federal Nepal.

Chandra Dev Bhatta is a political scientist whose work spans research, teaching, and public commentary on Nepali politics, geopolitics, and South Asian affairs. A former research fellow at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, he has explored themes such as the rise and fall of national service in Nepal.