The recent protests in Kathmandu by monarchist groups attempting to enter Narayanhiti Palace Museum chanting slogans such as "Down With the Republic," "Long Live the King," and "Let the King Return, Save the Nation" have raised serious concerns as they demonstrated a total rejection of the political transition the nation has made. The desire to retake the crown preserved at the Narayanhiti Museum is nothing more than an attempt to cause instability in the country. They should remember that the Narayanhiti is a closed chapter of our 240 years of monarchical history. Saturday's objectionable acts of pro-royalists at Durbarmarg have indeed posed a challenge to our parties and people who fought hard to implement the federal republican system by abolishing the monarchy in 2008. The last Shah king, Gyanendra, played a significant role in his own and the monarchy's downfall. After becoming the king following a horrific palace massacre that saw the killing of his elder brother, King Birendra, and his entire family in 2001, Gyanendra had failed to unify the country and people but usurped power. He dismissed an elected parliament, imprisoned politicians, muzzled the free press, and ruled as a dictator. After he had assumed absolute power, a people's movement in 2006 forced him to reinstate parliament and compelled him to step down. It sent a clear message: the people would reject rulers who prioritized power above the people. And true to this, political parties, civic society, and ordinary citizens had then joined hands to abolish the monarchy permanently.
It is also true that Nepal's political parties and their leadership have failed to deliver on the promises they made to the people. Corruption, ineffective development efforts, inefficient governments, and infighting within and outside parties have hurt the public and the nation alike. However, these failings do not justify the restoration of the monarchy. Reinstating a king as the head of state is not the answer to the present-day anomalies, while the monarchy's abolition reflected the will of the Nepali people. Attempting to reverse this historic achievement would be a betrayal to the people. Also, our country requires robust democratic institutions, not a return to a system that does not allow for public participation in governance. The 2006 uprising was a watershed moment in which ordinary people asserted their rights. It is also highly imperative for our political parties and leaders that they honor people's sacrifices by addressing governance challenges. This is the best way to silence monarchists in the nation.
Making space for history
Despite several problems on socio-economic and political fronts, Nepal's political parties and an overwhelming section of people who embraced the federal democratic republican system must now work together to strengthen it, as there is no room for a return to royalty, especially the one led by former King Gyanendra, who had shown his totalitarian tendencies from the day he wore the crown. The government must also seriously address pro-monarchist protests because they threaten the fundamental foundation of Nepal's hard-won federal democratic republican system. Finally, it must be said that democracy isn't flawless, but it offers everyone a voice, unlike monarchies, which suppress dissent. And no one should forget the fact that an alternative to democracy is robust democracy, not a return to a system that is a closed chapter of our history. All monarchists in the nation are thus needed to be told: Nepal can and should only move forward, not backward. Last but not the least, the former King should tell his supporters storming into the palace-turned-museum is a bad idea and will only trigger wide scale confrontations and disastrous consequences.
