Kathmandu, May 31 -- Ever since Nepal emerged as a nation-state nearly two-and-half centuries ago, one of its guiding principles has been to socially distance itself from empires to the north and south.

As these powers rose and fell, Nepal's rulers adjusted. We fought, lost, and learnt to live with the British in India. When India became independent in 1947, the anglophile Rana regime also faded away.

Kathmandu maintained a difficult neutrality during the Sino-India war of 1962 because Nepali soldiers were at the frontlines, fighting and dying on behalf of one neighbour against another friendly neighbour.

Throughout the Cold War, Nepal's royal rulers walked the tight rope and even managed to take advantage of global and regional rivalr...