Issue 65 Vol III, June 15, 2008

E D I T O R I A L

Nepal: king is gone, mischief remains

ONCE upon a time there was a king called Gyanendra in Nepal, the beautiful and yet poor kingdom in the Himalayas. The world’s highest mountain peak, the Mount Everest adorned its top as did the people stricken with poverty and illiteracy. The king lived in great regalia and had several palaces, servants, army and huge wealth stacked in western banks.

His dynasty survived even when he was alleged to have got his own real brother king Birendra and seven other members wiped out in a bloody palace massacre in 2001. He enriched further by stealing over two hundred million dollars from the state treasury as he ruled without any parliament or elected ministers as his brother had done. Finally the Maoists took over and other forces of moderate political opinion helped to oust him. 239 years old kingdom was gone as was the so called avatar of Vishnu. He left reluctantly, almost crying and only when his mother the former queen was allowed to stay back on o in one part of the palace and he was provided another smaller palace to live and expand his business empire. How long that continues and what mischief does he plan, only Nepalese politicians and the public should know and deal with that.  They have made huge sacrifices with over 13,000 people killed and more than that maimed and injured in ten years of rebellion.

Building a republic in a poor country where there are strong forces at mischief all the time is a difficult task indeed. This would require adjustments at the level of ideology and personal ambitions. Nepal must move forward and the neighbours must help.

Interestingly, an arrogant and disconnected Gyanendra was forced to bow and he did shed some tears at his farewell press conference where 200 journalists were jostled to record some attempt to gain sympathy by declaring support of a new a republic. One journalist recorded, “for a monarchy traditionally revered as incarnations of Hindu gods, here was a king almost pouring his heart out and the media hardly seemed to be listening.”

Gyanendra took over as king in 2001 and since then he only alienated most of his subjects by seizing absolute power and doing little good with it. Most Nepalese are glad he is gone. In fact, they would want to punish him. He had failed to rescue Nepal from civil war and economic decline, leading instead to street protests and ultimately his ouster two weeks ago. He was busy stealing and playing mischief only.

Gyanendra, 60, said he accepted the decision to abolish the monarchy. He did not quite apologize for his mistakes, but he did express sorrow for any suffering he said he may inadvertently have caused. He had little choice.

Former Maoist rebels, who fought a decade-long war to abolish the monarchy, are now on the verge of forming a government, talk of a "New Republican Nepal".

Nepal is one of the world's poorest countries, where politicians have a reputation for squabbling and stealing, and bureaucrats are lazy and lack initiative. No doubt millions live in abject poverty. The deposed royal still has a fortune invested in tea, tobacco and casinos.

Most Nepali people now believe the country is better off without its monarchy and a few jeered at Gyanendra as he swept out of the palace in a black Mercedes for the last time on June 11 2008.

Meanwhile, Nepal's ex-rebels have quit the interim government to pressure the prime minister to step down and allow them to form an administration after they won most seats in parliamentary elections two months ago.

The Maoists and Koirala's Nepali Congress, the second- biggest party in parliament, are at odds over who should become president and the integration of former rebel fighters into the army. Nepali Congress wants Koirala to become the first president while the Maoists are pressing for a non-political ``national figure.''

Koirala is currently premier and acting head of state after the national assembly abolished the 239-year-old monarchy at its first meeting on May 28. Prachanda wants to lead a coalition government of all parties that won seats in the national ballot, the first in 17 years.

As part of a 2006 peace accord that ended the Maoists' decade-long insurgency in the Himalayan nation, the rebels sent 23,500 fighters to camps and stored 3,428 weapons under United Nations supervision. The agreement said the fighters may join the ranks of the army, a move being resisted by the military. Chief of Staff General Rookmangud Katawal wants the army's ``purity'' shouldn't be compromised ``in the name of democratization,'' but Maoist leader Prachanda or Puspa Kamal Dahal has said ``democratizing'' Nepal's army and making the rebel People's Liberation Army ``professional'' are key items on his agenda. Koirala is also opposes former guerrillas joining the army because he doesn't want the institution to be politicized. He suggested former rebels be recruited into a security force for industries.

Nepal faced a similar problem in 1951 when fighters of the Nepali Congress were to be integrated. The Nepal Police was formed as a result and Nepali Congress members recruited.

The Maoists won 220 seats in the ballot for the 601-member assembly. Nepali Congress took 110 seats, the CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist) secured 103 and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, representing the Terai region bordering India, won 52.

Difficult times  no doubt for Nepal, but not that sad as these were earlier. There is hope now.

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