Nepal, April 27 -- The modestly titled book 'Dabbling in Diplomacy' is a vivid behind-the-scenes look at some of the most explosive arguments and negotiations that have shaped South Asia's politics in the last four decades. The writer, Professor SD Muni, was not only a witness but often an active mediator, unafraid to take unpopular positions to help forge an agreement between fighting parties.

Muni rose from an unskilled labourer to the heights of the Indian government through hard work, integrity and incisive scholarship. Throughout his career, South Asian politicians of all stripes, from democrats to communists to separatists, sought his counsel to untangle the tricky political logjams that stifled negotiations between opposing partie...