THE ROYAL FAMILY OF NEPAL, GEO-POLITICS AND D'LYNN WALDRON all materials copyright by D'Lynn Waldron, PhD, FRGS
It has been decided by mutual agreement that for the purpose of the historical record that this history of the Royal Family of Nepal, geo-politics involving Nepal, China, India and the Cold War, and D'Lynn Waldron be explained. This history has been read and vetted.

It has also been decided by mutual agreement that at a few of the letters and cards sent to D'Lynn Waldron by members of the Royal Family of Nepal should be made public to show that there was never any personal animosity towards D’ Lynn Waldron by the many members of the Royal Family of Nepal at a time when an American could not be allowed in Nepal because of Nepal's delicately balanced position between East and West in the Cold War. Nepal survived this difficult time as an independent nation with its monarchy intact, which justifies the decisions made by King Mahendra. The text below has been reviewed for historic accuracy.
All materials copyright by Dr. D'Lynn Waldron. Reproduction prohibited.CLICK ON THE THUMBNAIL BELOW TO SEE FULL SIZE REPRODUCTIONS OF THE LETTERS AND CARDS
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In 1958 there were differing views as to whether China or India posed the greater threat to Nepal's independence.

The King had good reason to think Prime Minister Nehru and India posed the greater threat because just a few years before India had engineered the coup in Nepal that deposed the Rana family of ruling Prime Ministers. It was being said in India that Nepal should be annexed by India, and a few years later India did take over the neighboring Himalayan Kingdom of Sikkim, fully justifying the King's fears.

D'Lynn and some of the other members of the Royal Family saw China as the greater threat, because of China's invasion of Tibet and destruction of its culture, and Mao's stated claim to all the Himalayas.

King Mahendra was forced to make a difficult choice between India and China and he chose to let China build the road they wanted through the Himalayas from Tibet into Nepal. This road would lead to the Thribuban Rajpath through the Low Himalayas to the very heart of India where the bridges at Moghul Serai carry the critical wide gage railway lines that link Calcutta, Delhi and Bombay.

D'Lynn was an American and of course opposed the road building by China, so the King could not allow her to do the photo-ethnographic studies she and Prince Basundhara planned in the very area of the High Himalayas where China was building the road. D'Lynn was a journalist and author and what she saw would be published in America and read in India.

For their part Chinese did not want D'Lynn to see their road because she would tell the King that the 'jeepable track' they were supposed to be building was in fact a road capable of supporting an invasion.

Because he was letting China build the road, the King had good reason to fear the pro-Indian element in the recently elected Parliament. Prime Minister Nehru had spoken for publication of deposing the king and perhaps even annexing Nepal. To support annexation, the lie was (and still is) circulating in India that the late King Thribuban wanted India to annex Nepal.

Again, the King was forced to make a choice and he chose to dissolve the parliament and resume absolute rule to forestall any annexation by India.

The Royal Family was divided on the wisdom of dissolving the parliament. Prince Basundhara was already popular with the politicians and he sided with their right to continue with a democratically elected government, in which he hoped to have some role.

Prince Basundhara's mother was born in India and sympathetic to the point of view of Prime Minister Nehru. This, along with her son's having an American wife, may have influenced Nehru to publicly state to be published that he wanted the King replaced by "a prince" clearly referring to Prince Basundhara.

D'Lynn Waldron passed through India in the spring of 1961 with her parents and was invited to Nehru's home. D'Lynn pointed out to Nehru that the Red Chinese were also building roads through India's Aksai Chin, in the direction of Kashmir, and Nehru should stop that if he was worried about road building through the Himalayas. Nehru said that Mao would never invade India because he, Nehru, was the leader of the nonaligned world. But of course China did invade India, through Assam in the Eastern Himalayas, and the shock destroyed Nehru's health.

Geo-politics is a game of multi-sided chess in which the results of any move can have unforeseen consequences from an unexpected direction. King Mahendra made his choices and Nepal survived the threats from both China and India during his reign. He might have made better choices, but he could also have made worse choices.

Nepal is once again threatened from two sides. There is a widespread Maoist revolution that would bring the Killling Fields of Cambodia to Nepal. The Maoists are already killing the teachers, health workers and popular community leaders at the beginning of their take-overs of Cambodia and the Eastern Congo.

If the Maoists were about to take over all of Nepal, India would have to move in from the south. In response China might in as well move though the roads in Himalayas.

Maoist revolutions only succeed when the common people, and especially the young men, believe that their only hope for a better future is in radical change. The Maoists promise a better life but bring brutal totalitarianism.

One prays that the present King of Nepal will make the right choices to save Nepal from the Maoists who would massacre the people who are most valuable to Nepal and destroy Nepal's ancient and beautiful culture.

D'Lynn Waldron: A Brief Biographical Sketch.
D’Lynn Waldron’s life has been one of high adventure, royal romance, and scientific discovery. As an author, artist and photographer, D'Lynn journeyed through the remote areas of Asia and Africa. As a foreign correspondent, she uncovered the deepest secrets of nations and was involved in the deadly intrigues of the Cold War. As a theoretician, she was one of the first to advocate the biochemical basis for moods and emotions. As an artist and scientist, she helped develop the computer technology used for the graphic arts and movies. As a woman, she married a Prince of Nepal.