Nepal, Nov. 9 -- After I was admitted to St Xavier's School in Jawalakhel-now celebrating its 75th year-in January 1972, I must have spent the minpachas of that winter looking forward to attending the school with its impressive football fields and big buildings. Classes for the year 1972 were supposed to begin on February 1. However, on the early morning of January 31, King Mahendra (1920-1972) passed away in Bharatpur. He had ascended the throne in March 1955. I knew little about Mahendra at that stage of my life.

I would, of course, read a lot about Mahendra in the later grades in school. I would do so not only in the Nepali textbook that had the title Mahendramala but in virtually all the other subjects apart from science and math. Mo...