Nepalis don't want monarchy, citizens say; point finger towards India for stoking issue
The Business Standard reached out to a number of Nepali citizens to get their view on the recent reception given to deposed king and desire for returning to monarchy
When thousands of supporters yesterday (10 March) congregated in Nepal's Kathmandu airport to greet former King Gyanendra Shah, it almost seemed the nation was ready for a return to monarchy.
It was a hero's welcome reserved for a man who was ousted owing to massive street protests in 2006. Just two years later, the parliament had voted to abolish monarchy.
As chants of "Long live our beloved king" and "Vacate the royal for the king" reverberated through the capital's air, there was also silence in other parts.
For Nepali citizens interviewed by The Business Standard, the reality is much removed by what is seen on television and social media.
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Rasmi Singh, a student of Agriculture and Forestry in Chitwan, said the 10,000 or 15,000 who greeted the king were not representatives of Nepal, rather there were other issues at play here.
"There will always be more support for democracy. Remember, there's three crore of us here and we support democracy," she said.
Rasmi also highlighted the struggle the country went through to rid itself of the monarchy.
"For 14 years we fought against this. The internal rivalry led to almost 12,000 martyrs. A monarchical regime will be an insult for us," she declared.
'Only disadvantages to such a system'
Between 1996-2006, Nepal saw a protracted armed conflict, sparked by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).
What began as an insurgency to establish a people's republic turned into a civil war.
Thousands of civilians perished. Just when peace talks began to progress, on 1 June, 2001, King Birendra and most of the royal family were killed in what was dubbed the Nepalese royal massacre.
The incident shocked the nation, but concerted efforts were made to ensure the black chapter – while not wholly erased – could be reduced to the backpages, as a visit to the now Palace-turned museum would show.
Meanwhile, Crown Prince Dipendra was accused of the massacre. He, too, died in a supposed suicide attempt three days later.
Gayendra was then crowned king.
By the next year, the peace talks had collapsed.
In 2005, King Gyanendra dissolved the parliament and took direct control of the government, citing the failure to quell Maoist insurgents.
This move was highly unpopular and led to widespread protests against the king's autocratic rule.
In 2006, the People's Movement, dubbed Jana Andolan II began, as political parties, civil society, and the Maoists united in a second mass uprising against the king's rule
Strikes, counter strikes and ceasefires between government forces followed, with the year seeing a series of general strikes and curfews, eventually culminating in the Comprehensive Peace Accord.
On May 28, 2008, the Constituent Assembly, which had been elected to draft a new constitution for Nepal, declared the country a republic and abolished the monarchy. Gyanendra was stripped of his royal title, and Nepal officially became a federal democratic republic.
Speaking on the movement and the way ahead, Rasmi confidently declared that monarchy wasn't making a comeback.
"Nepal has a long history of monarchy - 239-years. But there are only disadvantages. One person holds all the power. We have repeated this mistake before," she said.
"The former king can contest the elections," she added.
But is that a move Gyanendra wants to make?
'Number of other factors at play'
Rally participants yesterday pointed out the failure of the democratically-elected representatives, saying this reinforced their desire to return to a monarchy.
"The worst thing that is happening to the country is massive corruption and all politicians in power are not doing anything for the country," 50-year-old carpenter Kulraj Shrestha, who was at the rally, said.
"I was in the protests that took away the monarchy hoping it would help the country, but I was mistaken and the nation has further plunged so I have changed my mind."
Speaking to The Business Standard, Mukesh Pokhrel, a Kathmandu-based journalist, said there were three things to understand to fully grasp the support for monarchy.
On the call for reinstating Hinduism as a state religion – removed in 2008 as Nepal moved to become a secular state – Pokhrel said it was the Hindu nationalist political party Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) which was backing Gyanendra.
"This party believes in monarchy, but it's not a majority."
The RPP is, in fact, the fifth-largest political party in the House of Representatives.
The party also boasts two former prime ministers, both hand picked by Gyanendra in the 2000s.
"So, of course, these people have been bleeding for monarchy for a long time," Pokhrel said.
Anoth
Pokhrel also pointed out one Durga Prasai – a Nepalese right wing political activist and medical entrepreneur.
"He has defaulted on a lot of loans and when called out, he started calling rallies and demanding compensation for the banks! People believe him," he said.
The rallies also had the attention of the government.
In March 2023 district administration offices were given notices by the Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs to stop illicit activity directed towards banks and financial institutions created by the Durga Prasai nationwide campaign.
"Then there's another quarter, a right wing group also, which demands quick development activities from the government," he said.
"In general, 90% of our people don't support monarchy, they support political parties. But some people here, they don't abide by any ideology, they just want to create disturbance."
But who benefits from such a disturbance? The fingers, once again, turn towards India.
'India out?'
Ramu Sapkota, an entrepreneur now in Kathmandu, says the answer to what is happening in Nepal lies close to Bangladesh.
"Your leader Hasina was deposed. If she is allowed a safe return, won't her supporters also flock to the airport to greet her? Would that mean Bangladeshis want her back?" He asks.
"When you look at what's happening now, you'll also see how Indian media is blowing it out of proportion," he said.
Nepal and India share an often temptous relationship.
Nepal has occasionally raised concerns about India's perceived interference in its political and internal affairs, particularly during times of political transition or instability.
But India is also Nepal's largest trade partner and plays a significant role in its economy.
While this is largely positive, some feel that Nepal is overly dependent on India economically, which gives India disproportionate influence.
Then there's the disputed Kalapani region, which Nepal stresses belongs to it.
Both #BackOffIndia and #GoBackIndia are popular hashtags in Nepali social media sphere.
At yesterday's airport reception, Mukesh Pokhrel pointed out one particular banner which caught his attention.
"There was a big photo of one Adityanath in a banner together with former king Gyanendra. Adithyanath is the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh," he said.
Yogi Adityanath is the longest serving chief minister of Uttar Pradesh – which also administers the disputed Kalpani region.
Meanwhile, Adityanath has been critical of Nepal government's move in 2015 to declare the country a secular state, demanding a roll back of the decision.
University student Rasmi Singh, in this regard, said the Indian involvement was hard to ignore.
"In our country, many people are being brainwashed. They don't form opinions," she said.
She said Nepal was divided into three regions – Terai, Hilly, and Himal.
The Terai is the lowland region, which houses most of the population.
"In most of the Terai region, you'll be surprised to see that most people watch Indian news, the Arnab Goswami and all. They don't consume our national TV channels. You know how Indian media is," she said.
She also pointed out that the Terai region is where the Hindu-Muslim conflicts are now sparking.
Rasma also mentioned famous actress Manisha Koiralla, a Bollywood celebrity from Nepal who now also touts a monarchy.
"Many of us suffer from a huge complex like this. Her grandfather fought against the system and she promotes it," Rasma said, adding such messages reach a lot of people in a country where media literacy is still low.
"The people of Nepal are being deprived in different ways and exploited…the issue of state religion coming up now is also a monarchical relic: one nation, one leader, one religion," she said.
