There are many different types of Nepalis. Manjushree Thapa is one type of Nepali. I don't think that she is any less 'Nepali' than other Nepali writers. I wouldn't be arrogant enough to say that just because she 'hasn't worked in the corn fields, knee deep in mud' that she cannot portray the heart of the Nepali. Maybe her not being 'knee deep in mud' would affect her fiction writing, but I didn't feel it hurt her non-fiction--Forget Kathmandu.

I think she writes as a concerned citizen trying to understand the political dynamics happening around her--specifically related with Kings Birendra, Crown Prince Dipendra and Gyanendra and the political parties at play. She is trying to gain insight of the future of Nepal by trying to understand what is going on at present in the context of how Nepal has arrived here historically. She does not apologize for being an upper-middle class Nepali. Infact, I found her showing her personal relationship with the historical characters of Nepal to be quite refreshing. I also liked the fact that she emphasised where her heart was in the affairs of the nation--her concern and confusion. She didn't hide her heart behind the veil of academic objectivity. Instead, she wrote and captured the heart of many upper-middle class Nepalese, who are busy with money making, looking good in society, and indifferent to the suffering of the poor. I really appreciated that.
I am not here to say whether she was right or wrong for doing that. But I liked it and admired it.