28 May is an important date for one of our closest neighbours, Nepal. It was the day the country officially became a federal democratic republic, thus ending a 240-year reign of monarchy. It was when the constituent assembly was formed and the country had achieved the milestone of becoming the 55th republic of the world.

But as the country nears its two decades of being a republic, surprisingly, a new sentiment among the masses has awakened. The once overthrown monarchical government is now finding its demand among the young and the old. 29th May witnessed thousands of people taking to the roads with beating drums and blowing horns, with pictures of the last monarch, King Gyanendra Shah, in their hands. The chanting of “King! Come and save the nation” was loud and clear on the roads of Kathmandu.

The question is – what led to the change of people’s minds? Why do they want the monarchy back? A simple answer to this rather confusing situation is that the people are not happy with the current governance and the instability the country is facing. But to fully understand this resurgence, let’s first dive into Nepal’s monarchical history.

Nepal’s Monarchical History

Nepal, like India, had been ruled by monarchs for a long period. The earliest records tell us that in the mid-18th century, King Prithvi Narayan Shah of the Gorkha kingdom unified some small states and founded the Shah dynasty. And thereafter, the Himalayan country was ruled by a series of kings.

However, the 1950s were a tumultuous period for the monarchy. People began rallying for a democratic political system, forcing the then-ruler, King Tribhuvan, to restore democracy in 1951. But this happiness of the Nepali people was short-lived.

King Tribhuvan’s son, King Mahendra, staged a coup in 1960, which dismissed the elected parliamentary government. Instead, he established a Panchayati system. Mind you, this was not the same Panchayati system that was in India. King Mahendra’s Panchayati system was a party-less political system that was closely monitored by him.

The Fall of The Panchayati System

By the late 1980s, people began showing their dissatisfaction and anger towards the archaic system. Economic hardships and lack of freedom aggravated the public’s resentment, leading to the First People’s Movement or Jana Andolan 1 in 1990, resulting in the collapse of the Panchayati system.

Agreeing to the public demand, King Birendra transformed Nepal into a constitutional monarchy with a multi-party system. This achievement seemed to do little for the country’s political system. The period was tainted with instability, corruption and frequent changes in the government body, along with the growing presence of Maoists, who aimed to address the socioeconomic status of Nepal.

The Nepalese Royal Massacre

2001 was a difficult year for people all around the world. It was a year that sent shockwaves to the people all over. With the assassination of Nepal’s then-monarch, King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah and his family, Nepal suffered a massive monarchial blow.

Surprisingly, the assassination was carried out by the monarch’s elder son and the heir apparent, Prince Dipendra. The prince had shot his father, mother and queen Aishwarya, his siblings and other members of the royal family before fatally shooting himself in the head. Multiple suspicious theories surround the cause of the incident, but nothing definite has ever been reported. However, the prince died three days later in the hospital, leading to the coronation of his paternal uncle, King Gyanendra Shah.

King Gyanendra ruled with an iron fist – he dismissed the elected government and chose to rule Nepal with a decree, a move that angered the people and resulted in numerous mass uprisings against the government. His unpopularity was at an all-time high, with people demanding action, which was governed by a constitution.

The Second Jan Andolan: Nepal’s Final Fight to Become a Republic

It was in 2006 when the Nepalese showed their valour and rose again to voice out their frustration against tyranny. Backed by the support of several political parties and the Maoists, the protests lasted for 19 days, killing at least 21 people and causing more than 5000 people to be injured.

This bloody uprising garnered attention from various countries and international organisations, who called for an end to the civil war. Under this immense pressure, King Gyanendra finally surrendered his power, and the Parliament was reinstated.

A Comprehensive Peace Accord was even signed between the government and the Maoists, marking an end to the 240-year-old reign of monarchy in Nepal, and substituting it with a federal and democratic form of government.

The Years of Democratic Struggle

Even with the abolishment of the ilithasand prosphasity. With no successful coalition and delayed development projects, the country is still in leader who can fulfil his promises.

The country got its new constitution in 2015, that is, seven years after becoming a republic. Even after the creation of the constitution, the indigenous communities were reported to feel marginalised in the country.

2015 was also a rocky year for Nepal in terms of diplomatic relations. Owing to Nepal’s closeness to China, the country’s dependency on India for basic supplies like medicines and fuel was highly visible.

Lastly, the country has experienced high unemployment, corruption, huge scandals and a falling GDP – all of which can be attributed to the instability in governance. This has led the people to rethink their decision – is monarchy the best-suited government for their unstable country?

Is A Return to Monarchy Expected?

It would be correct to say that this small country has experienced both monarchy and democracy. They have lived and suffered from the consequences of the decisions of both. And with the recent happenings, it looks like the people are again willing to give a chance to their once-removed ruler, King Gyanendra, especially the youth.

The people now believe that only authoritarianism and absolute power can bring back Nepal’s lost glory. Social media has also played a big role in influencing and shaping people’s opinions of the monarchy.

Although King Gyanendra leads a peaceful life away from the public eye, he recently made a comment, “Let the people decide”. This statement could be interpreted in multiple ways, but the most obvious is that he is currently revering the pro-monarchist sentiment, hinting at his heroic return.

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