Bhanu Pratap

As the global order shakes under the weight of the war in West Asia, Pratap Bhanu Mehta laid blame on ‘realism’ in international relations, which prioritises national interest over morality and international law. But does ‘realism’ truly capture the decay we face today?

From Macaulay’s push for British conquest of India to the US’s takeover of Venezuela, the idea of peace has remained a crucial instrument of violent modern imperialism, all upheld through the structure of the liberal international legal order.

Reading Nepal’s Gen Z upheaval in the light of Hans Kelsen’s idea of revolution and Grundnorm, as well as Merkl’s concept of Fehlerkalkul, provides us with a better understanding of navigating legal theories in uncertain times.