It is odd to see Nepal going round in circles
when it should have been rewriting its destiny.
Despite the pro-democratic deluge last year, the
country’s political leadership, quite obviously,
is not yet convinced about the complete
irrelevance of monarchy. In what appears to be
its last ditch attempt to save the institution,
it has suggested, with as much severity as it
could muster, that the present king and his
immediate successor forsake their claim to the
throne and anoint one from the next generation.
Since the grandchildren of King Gyanendra are
extremely young, they are expected to pose no
threat at all to Nepal’s fledgling democracy.
(The clause that the sister has greater right to
rule than the brother is also supposed to
indicate the progressive mindset of the
leadership.) However, the parliamentary leaders
of the country have either forgotten history,
particularly their own, or have little respect
for biological science. One cannot hope
five-year-olds to remain that way forever, nor
can one presuppose that they are powerless. The
offer to the king betrays the ruling elite’s
profound mistrust of the democratic process and
of the participants in it. Nothing could be more
dangerous for Nepal at this turning point in its
history.
The parliament’s obsessive interest in retaining
the vestiges of monarchy is bound to stymie
Nepal’s march towards greater democracy.
Abolition of this institution was the crucial
plank that held together the countrywide
pro-democratic movement of 2006. It was what
brought the Maoists to the negotiation table, and
ultimately into the interim government. The prime
minister’s revived thrust to save monarchy before
all is lost for it could not only drive deep
wedges in the government, but also take the
country back to violence and bloodshed. There is
no doubt that the Maoists’ reluctance to give up
arms completely and the waywardness of some
Maoist frontal outfits are causing a lot of
discomfort to Nepal’s parliamentary leaders. But
a ceremonial monarchy is not the way out of this
problem. The institution has, both directly and
indirectly, stalled the country’s move towards
democracy. Even if retained in a nascent form,
monarchy could remain the rallying point for
anti-democratic forces. The recent violence in
the Terai region, stoked by pro-monarchy forces,
should have given sufficient proof to the
parliament about its pernicious influence.
Unfortunately, it seems to keep looking the other
way.