Nepal, June 6 -- Rabindra Mishra and Swarnim Wagle were powerful public intellectuals who had the potential to drive significant political, social and economic changes in Nepal.

They chose to do it through political parties and are now mired in the day-to-day pursuit of political power. One has pegged his political fortunes to reinstating a fatigued concept of monarchy that is in search of a movement as much as it is in search of a king. The other is busy building the political fortunes of a television personality turned politician who has been charged (the trial is underway) with stealing the savings of ordinary Nepalis through fraudulent loans from cooperative banks.

How did two of Nepal's best and prospective high-impact change maker...