The momentous day that heralded a new era
Yuba Nath Lamsal
At midnight on April 15, 2008, Nepal stunned the entire world whereas stirring a huge jubilation within the country. It was the historic decision made by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly that finally and formally bade adieu to the 240-year old feudal institution of monarchy. Stunning as it was because none had ever thought that Nepal's monarchy would see such a fateful day because the monarchy in Nepal had been portrayed by propaganda mongering media and hypo critic royalist publications as the institution deeply rooted to Nepal's culture, religion and national unity. But all these claims and clamors proved to be farce and futile because the abolition of monarchy happened so easily and smoothly that people, soon after the decision, came out in the streets and started celebrating with fireworks. This credit goes mainly to the people of Nepal for their courage and valour and also to the Maoist party that fought a decade long-insurgency pursuing the agenda of republican Nepal. The Maoist party is the mother of republican agenda which came into fruitarian after the Constituent Assembly election held three years ago.It was an epoch-making step that heralded a new era in Nepal. This was epoch-making because it, for the first time in the history of Nepal, established the supremacy of the people's power. Monarchy is a feudal and anti-democratic institution, which is not compatible with basic norms and principles of democracy. Monarchy is a dynastic rule. In a genuine democracy, dynastic rule is not permitted. The people have their right to vie for the highest political position of the country. The highest political position of any country is the head of the state. But in a country where monarchy exists, the position of the head of the state is denied to the people but reserved for certain clan and class in the name of kingship, which is against genuine democratic spirit. The genuine democracy is guaranteed only in a republic set up which Nepal now enjoys.Much blood was shed by the people of Nepal to achieve this goal. In the decade-long Maoist insurgency alone, more than 13,000 people lost their lives and more than that were disabled and injured. The Maoist insurgency was clearly aimed at establishing a republic set up in Nepal which is very much clear in their political documents and statements issued on different occasions. The republican agenda first raised was in 1949 when the Communist Party of Nepal was formed. The very manifesto of the Communist Party of Nepal demanded the abolition of monarchy and establishment of a republic. In this sense, the communists are the trail blazer of republican democracy in Nepal. But all other political forces were against republican set up but wanted vibrant monarchy. At a time when all other political forces including the Nepali Congress were advocating monarchical democracy in Nepal, the demand for republican democracy and pursuance of this agenda was no less challenging. The communist party was banned even in multi-party democracy just for the reason the party pushed for the abolition of monarchy.There were many factors that eventually contributed to the abolition of monarchy in Nepal, the main being its exploitative nature and feudal structure in the society, which the monarchy always protected and patronized. There had been deep dissent in the society against monarchy although it did not come in the open and in a more explicit way for reason of being persecuted by the suppressive regime. The policies and attitude of Gyanendra Shah, who rose to the throne after mysterious Narayanhity massacre in which the then king and his entire family were killed, proved more fatal for monarchy and fruitful for the people and the country. Gyanendra's move not only infuriated the people to come to the streets but also helped bring parliamentary parties and the Maoists together to form a united front against monarchy. Prior to that Nepali politics had been divided into three main streams-royalist and conservative group that included feudal and those who enjoyed power and perks under king's absolute regime, reformist parliamentary parties that advocated Westminster model of democracy under monarchy and the Maoists who all-out launched an armed insurgency to establish a republican set up. Earlier, feudal, royalists and parliamentary parties had camped together against the Maoists. But the equation and situation changed after Gyanedra took over power in 2005. Marginalized as they felt by Gyanendra's move, the parliamentary parties including the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML for the first time realized that their future was not safe and secure under monarchy. This realization dawned on the leaders as the monarchy in Nepal had always been the stumbling block in the process of institutionalizing democracy. Be it in 1951, 1960 or in 2005, monarchy played a very detrimental role, which made the people of Nepal to struggle again and again for democracy. In 1950, when democratic movement led by the Nepali Congress was picking its momentum nationwide, monarchy entered into a secret agreement with India and the ruling Rana regime just to restore the lost power of the Shah monarchy grossly ignoring people's sentiments. In the agreement reached in New Delhi brokered by Indian government, it was agreed to give continuity to the Rana regime. Under the agreement it was stated that a new government under the same old Rana Prime Minister would be constituted in which the representatives of the Nepali Congress and the king would be inducted into it. This aborted the budding movement of Nepali people and proved to be lethal for democratic development. The Delhi agreement transferred power form Ranas to king and nothing more than that. The cosmetic change in 1951 that provided unlimited power to the king gave rise to the 1960 incident in which the king took over power and imposed his absolute regime disbanding the democratic system and popularly elected government. The same thing happened in 2005 when Gyanendra Shah, following his father's foot prints, ventured to impose monarchical dictatorship. These incidents proved that democracy in Nepal would never be institutionalized as long as the monarchy exists. This realization finally dawned on political parties. Despite this realization, the parliamentary parties did not have the capability to challenge the monarchy and oust it. This compelled the parliamentary parties to come to the terms of the Maoists on this issue and joined hands against monarchy. Here begins the first but crucial step towards abolishing monarchy which came to fruitarian following the success of the Jana Andolan II. The interim parliament had already declared the abolition of monarchy in 2005 but it was given formal shape only by the elected Constituent Assembly next year.Travelling a long political journey, we have now arrived at the present republican stage which is an era of people's power. This is a historic triumphant of people's power. However, much still needs to be accomplished. It had been expected that the republican Nepal would be different and better than monarchical Nepal. Republic is definitely better because abolition of monarchy marked the end of feudal political, economic, social and cultural practices that is often exploitative and discriminatory. But the republican set up is yet to be institutionalized because of the lackluster performance of the political parties in framing a new constitution, which is a key part of the political process that was initiated four years ago. Perhaps, the third Republic Day, which we are marking, would dawn a new wisdom on the leaders of the political parties to complete the historic responsibility endowed and entrusted upon them by the people.
At midnight on April 15, 2008, Nepal stunned the entire world whereas stirring a huge jubilation within the country. It was the historic decision made by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly that finally and formally bade adieu to the 240-year old feudal institution of monarchy. Stunning as it was because none had ever thought that Nepal's monarchy would see such a fateful day because the monarchy in Nepal had been portrayed by propaganda mongering media and hypo critic royalist publications as the institution deeply rooted to Nepal's culture, religion and national unity. But all these claims and clamors proved to be farce and futile because the abolition of monarchy happened so easily and smoothly that people, soon after the decision, came out in the streets and started celebrating with fireworks. This credit goes mainly to the people of Nepal for their courage and valour and also to the Maoist party that fought a decade long-insurgency pursuing the agenda of republican Nepal. The Maoist party is the mother of republican agenda which came into fruitarian after the Constituent Assembly election held three years ago.It was an epoch-making step that heralded a new era in Nepal. This was epoch-making because it, for the first time in the history of Nepal, established the supremacy of the people's power. Monarchy is a feudal and anti-democratic institution, which is not compatible with basic norms and principles of democracy. Monarchy is a dynastic rule. In a genuine democracy, dynastic rule is not permitted. The people have their right to vie for the highest political position of the country. The highest political position of any country is the head of the state. But in a country where monarchy exists, the position of the head of the state is denied to the people but reserved for certain clan and class in the name of kingship, which is against genuine democratic spirit. The genuine democracy is guaranteed only in a republic set up which Nepal now enjoys.Much blood was shed by the people of Nepal to achieve this goal. In the decade-long Maoist insurgency alone, more than 13,000 people lost their lives and more than that were disabled and injured. The Maoist insurgency was clearly aimed at establishing a republic set up in Nepal which is very much clear in their political documents and statements issued on different occasions. The republican agenda first raised was in 1949 when the Communist Party of Nepal was formed. The very manifesto of the Communist Party of Nepal demanded the abolition of monarchy and establishment of a republic. In this sense, the communists are the trail blazer of republican democracy in Nepal. But all other political forces were against republican set up but wanted vibrant monarchy. At a time when all other political forces including the Nepali Congress were advocating monarchical democracy in Nepal, the demand for republican democracy and pursuance of this agenda was no less challenging. The communist party was banned even in multi-party democracy just for the reason the party pushed for the abolition of monarchy.There were many factors that eventually contributed to the abolition of monarchy in Nepal, the main being its exploitative nature and feudal structure in the society, which the monarchy always protected and patronized. There had been deep dissent in the society against monarchy although it did not come in the open and in a more explicit way for reason of being persecuted by the suppressive regime. The policies and attitude of Gyanendra Shah, who rose to the throne after mysterious Narayanhity massacre in which the then king and his entire family were killed, proved more fatal for monarchy and fruitful for the people and the country. Gyanendra's move not only infuriated the people to come to the streets but also helped bring parliamentary parties and the Maoists together to form a united front against monarchy. Prior to that Nepali politics had been divided into three main streams-royalist and conservative group that included feudal and those who enjoyed power and perks under king's absolute regime, reformist parliamentary parties that advocated Westminster model of democracy under monarchy and the Maoists who all-out launched an armed insurgency to establish a republican set up. Earlier, feudal, royalists and parliamentary parties had camped together against the Maoists. But the equation and situation changed after Gyanedra took over power in 2005. Marginalized as they felt by Gyanendra's move, the parliamentary parties including the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML for the first time realized that their future was not safe and secure under monarchy. This realization dawned on the leaders as the monarchy in Nepal had always been the stumbling block in the process of institutionalizing democracy. Be it in 1951, 1960 or in 2005, monarchy played a very detrimental role, which made the people of Nepal to struggle again and again for democracy. In 1950, when democratic movement led by the Nepali Congress was picking its momentum nationwide, monarchy entered into a secret agreement with India and the ruling Rana regime just to restore the lost power of the Shah monarchy grossly ignoring people's sentiments. In the agreement reached in New Delhi brokered by Indian government, it was agreed to give continuity to the Rana regime. Under the agreement it was stated that a new government under the same old Rana Prime Minister would be constituted in which the representatives of the Nepali Congress and the king would be inducted into it. This aborted the budding movement of Nepali people and proved to be lethal for democratic development. The Delhi agreement transferred power form Ranas to king and nothing more than that. The cosmetic change in 1951 that provided unlimited power to the king gave rise to the 1960 incident in which the king took over power and imposed his absolute regime disbanding the democratic system and popularly elected government. The same thing happened in 2005 when Gyanendra Shah, following his father's foot prints, ventured to impose monarchical dictatorship. These incidents proved that democracy in Nepal would never be institutionalized as long as the monarchy exists. This realization finally dawned on political parties. Despite this realization, the parliamentary parties did not have the capability to challenge the monarchy and oust it. This compelled the parliamentary parties to come to the terms of the Maoists on this issue and joined hands against monarchy. Here begins the first but crucial step towards abolishing monarchy which came to fruitarian following the success of the Jana Andolan II. The interim parliament had already declared the abolition of monarchy in 2005 but it was given formal shape only by the elected Constituent Assembly next year.Travelling a long political journey, we have now arrived at the present republican stage which is an era of people's power. This is a historic triumphant of people's power. However, much still needs to be accomplished. It had been expected that the republican Nepal would be different and better than monarchical Nepal. Republic is definitely better because abolition of monarchy marked the end of feudal political, economic, social and cultural practices that is often exploitative and discriminatory. But the republican set up is yet to be institutionalized because of the lackluster performance of the political parties in framing a new constitution, which is a key part of the political process that was initiated four years ago. Perhaps, the third Republic Day, which we are marking, would dawn a new wisdom on the leaders of the political parties to complete the historic responsibility endowed and entrusted upon them by the people.
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