KATHMANDU, March 28: The streets of the capital will likely remain tense on Friday as two ideologically opposite groups are set to stage simultaneous demonstrations at two different locations.
One of the groups has been demanding the restoration of monarchy since former King Gyanendra Shah appealed for support in his video message telecast on the Democracy Day (February 19). The other, as a reaction to the pro-monarchist movement, is defending the republic system currently implemented in the country.
The reactionary republican protest is led by four political parties of the Socialist Front, which includes the main opposition party CPN (Maoist Center), CPN (Unified Socialist) and the CPN led by Netra Bikram Chand (Biplav). The front has planned to hold rallies from different parts of the capital with a corner rally at the Exhibition Road. The front has announced that it will carry out processions from Babarmahal, Tripureshwar, Kupandol, Sohrakhutte, Sundhara, New Road, Thapathali, Putalisadak, Maitidevi, Kamaladi and other places.
The monarchist protest is going to be led by the Monarchy Restoration Joint People's Movement Committee with support from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP-N). The committee has also appointed medical entrepreneur Durga Prasai as the public commander who is supposed to lead the rally on Friday, whereas the possibility of the former king’s participation in the demonstration remains unclear. The royalist demonstrations are planned to be held in the Tinkune area.
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Former King Shah had stirred the political atmosphere on the recent Democracy Day by publishing a video message whereby he called for support from the monarchist elements in the country. He said in the video, “The time has come.”
According to political analysts, the royalist movement is an ill-informed reaction to the lapses in the current political system, caused by the anger and frustration accumulated after comparison with other systems.
“It is normal to wish for a better system, but to get nostalgic about a system that did not even allowed protests is simply an ill-informed reaction,” Analyst Udhhab Pyakurel told Republica, “The monarchist elements must also consider that it is the democratic system that has allowed to hold a protest against the system itself.” He reminisced about the system around the 1990s whereby protesting elements were labeled terrorists by the monarchist system.
While the former monarch’s words are considered reactionary to the political and economic tumult the country is currently facing, the Socialist Front is holding the rally on Friday as a reaction to the former king’s recent activities which include thousands of people pouring into the streets of Kathmandu to welcome him on his arrival from Pokhara on March 9.
Analyst Pyakurel questioned the Socialist Front’s intention for holding their rally on the same day as the protest announced by royalists. “Perhaps, the political parties that were instrumental in bringing about the Republic system want to stake their claim to their achievement by reacting to the monarchist activities,” he said, “They seem to be reacting to the activities by defending the system on the streets.”
Police aim to keep demonstrations peaceful
Both of the groups have claimed that they would separately bring out more than a hundred thousand demonstrators on the streets on Friday.
The District Police Range (DPR), Kathmandu is anticipating violence during the protests owing to the conduct of the supporters of both the movements in recent days. As a countermeasure, the DPR has decided to mobilize more than 3,000 personnel to manage the crowds on Friday.
Spokesperson for the DPR, Superintendent of Police (SP) Apil Raj Bohara told Republica that it will be their priority to limit the protests to peaceful demonstrations.
“Our target is to limit the protests to peaceful demonstration,” SP Bohara said, “We have decided to mobilize more than 3,000 personnel at various points in the capital to manage the crowd.”
Similarly, the District Security Committee has already prepared a security plan. The committee has adopted a special strategy of not allowing pro-republican and anti-republican protesters to meet. Therefore, one group has been designated Tinkune for the protest and the other Bhrikutimandap. The security committee has prepared a special strategy, saying that there could likely be a confrontation as the protest will take place on the same day.
In addition to the 3000 police personnel, the District Security Committee has also coordinated with the Armed Police Force (APF) to mobilize thousands of personnel to manage the protests.