Monarchy in Nepal: Veering towards Death

I cannot find a better way to phrase this statement about the fate of Nepal’s monarchy. Nepal’s monarchy is facing an early death—as it has pushed itself to the brink of abolition—closer than ever before. King Gyanendra failed to feel the pulse of the nation—mistaking public silence for indifference. That monumental blunder will cost him dearly.

The streets all across Nepal have been swelling with people from all walks of life defying curfews and government ban on gatherings—all aimed at overthrowing the King. Thirteen people have already been killed in police crackdown. The regime’s hope of using that as a deterrent, has in contrast served as a rallying cry against the royal regime. The scale of demonstration has crossed the pre-revolutionary phase. The magnitude of public outrage against the King is such that the foreign ambassadors who once saw the monarchy as an inevitable precondition in any form of government in Nepal have started to wonder how long the King can last.

James F. Moriarty, the U.S. ambassador to Nepal bluntly told CNN that his government doesn’t want to see the King fleeing his subjects clinging on a helicopter. The new street revolution in Nepal is building its own momentum. The seven parties who once were traditional supporters of the constitutional monarchy may have organized the street uprising, but it has gone to point where the commoners are driving force behind it.
Any efforts by the leaders of the Seven Parties Alliance to prematurely cut a deal with the King may possibly backfire. Primarily because the public are equally weary of the bungling of the political parties and they have displayed no mood to take it anymore. One of the reasons behind these spontaneous outpouring of masses in these demonstrations is the desire to end the political misery for once and all. The royal family is viewed by many as a constant source of political misery. Any logic behind accommodating the King, even as a rubberstamping figurehead, may warrant a detailed explanation; and this at a time when frustration and outrage is in abundance while patience is short in supply. Such a situation could very well play in favor of the Maoists—turning this peaceful uprising into an armed and bloody one.

The general strike that was initially called for four days is now in its third week. Food, gas and other essential commodities are short in supply, yet the public has displayed an unprecedented resilience in order to sustain the pressure on the King.
The King on his part has added fuel to the fire. He feigned indifference for more than a week—giving many the impression that either he is detached from reality or won’t give up power that easily. If the King persists, that might be it for the monarchy. Time is running out, yet King Gyanendra has done very little to turn the tide of his unpopularity.