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Hans India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Nepal: Two months after deadly violence, pro-monarchy group to hold 'peaceful' protests tomorrow
Nepal's pro-monarchist group have decided to resume its demonstrations on Thursday (May 29) just two months after the protests, demanding the restoration of monarchy and a Hindu state, turned violent in the Himalayan nation. Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden has asserted that the street protests and demonstrations will focus on civil disobedience and Satyagraha (non-violent resistance) and will remain "peaceful." Addressing journalists on Tuesday, Lingden said the event will be held at Ratnapark in Kathmandu even if the administration does not permit them. "Our protest will not be violent. It will be completely under our control, and won't be held outside the Ring Road. Even if the administration denies permission, we will hold it at Ratnapark," Lingden said. Lingden alleged that Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is trying to create disruptions during his party's protest programme. Oli, who also chairs the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), during a party function, warned that from 11 am to 2 pm on May 29, Kathmandu should be under the control of his ruling party, the leading Nepalese newspaper, The Kathmandu Post, reported. "The prime minister is trying to provoke unrest on Thursday. Prime Minister Oli made such an inappropriate statement that he either has to correct it or he should resign. We announced a programme at Ratnapark, and the prime minister's party is summoning its cadres nearby to create a clash. Journalists need to report on this matter impartially," Lingden added. Reports suggest that an alliance of pro-royalist and pro-Hindu groups, demanding the restoration of the Hindu state and monarchy, will join hands in the unified protest. Prime Minister Oli reportedly instructed UML cadres to organise and take charge of the Kathmandu streets in light of the upcoming protest. Meanwhile, Kamal Thapa, chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP-N), announced that monarchists, who had been fragmented and inactive, have come together to push their common agenda. "We have moved from a state of complete stagnation to a united front among monarchists. There is now a realisation that this is the most suitable time to push for the abolition of republicanism, federalism, and secularism," said Thapa Thapa accused the major political parties in Nepal of trying to undermine the ideological existence of monarchists. He stated that if the monarchy abolished by the Constituent Assembly of 2008 is revived, then Hridayendra Shah, grandson of former king Gyanendra Shah, could be made the king if there is a national consensus. "If there is a national consensus, let's make Hridayendra Shah the king. If people think Gyanendra Shah is too old, then we must be ready to consider an alternative -- based on consensus. If there is consensus on Hridayendra, then Gyanendra must also accept it. Monarchy is not about an individual -- it is an ideology. We believe that the successor should be a descendant of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Who that should be is not the main issue," Thapa added. Earlier, tension ran high in the Tinkune area of Kathmandu on March 28 during the pro-monarchy protests when two people died, and hundreds were injured in the violent clashes between security personnel and pro-monarchy protesters. The violence also caused estimated damages worth Nepalese Rs 460 million.
The Star
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Hridayendra Shah may be king if monarchy is reinstated in Nepal, RPP-Nepal chair Kamal Thapa suggests
KATHMANDU: Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden has said street protests and demonstrations that the pro-monarchy outfit is staging in the capital from May 29 will be peaceful. Their agitation for the goal of reinstating the monarchy will focus on civil disobedience and Satyagraha (non-violent resistance), he added. Their activities will be held in the Ratnapark area of Kathmandu, and not outside of the Ring Road. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday (May 27) to inform them about the planned protest and demonstration for the restoration of monarchy and the Hindu state, Lingden said the event will be held at Ratnapark even if the administration does not permit them. He also objected to the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist--CPN-UML) plan to hold a mass meeting nearby the same day, suggesting it was an attempt to create a clash. Justifying the need for 'public pressure', he stressed that change in the political system is not possible through elections alone. Lingden has accused Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli of attempting to incite disruption of his party's protest programme. 'The prime minister is trying to provoke unrest on Jestha 15 [Thursday]. Prime Minister Oli made such an inappropriate statement that he either has to correct it or he should resign,' Lingden said. Speaking at a CPN-UML function, Oli, who also chairs the party, warned that from 11 am to 2 pm on May 29, Kathmandu should be under the control of his ruling party. Lingden accused the government of trying to suppress the freedom guaranteed by the constitution. 'We announced a programme at Ratnapark, and the prime minister's party is summoning its cadres nearby to create a clash. Journalists need to report on this matter impartially,' Lingden pleaded. A loose alliance of pro-royalist and pro-Hindu groups, who are demanding the restoration of the Hindu state and monarchy, have come together for a joint protest. Riled by their plan, Oli has instructed UML cadres to gear up to take Kathmandu streets under their control. Kamal Thapa, chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal (RPP-N), announced that the time had come for abolishing republicanism, federalism and secularism in Nepal. He noted that monarchists, who had been fragmented and inactive, have joined forces to push their agenda. 'We have moved from a state of complete stagnation to a united front among monarchists,' Thapa said. Thapa accused the major political parties of actively trying to suppress the ideological existence of monarchists. He also claimed that the Nepali Congress-UML coalition is attempting to introduce laws that would label opposition to the republic as 'treason'. On reviving the monarchy abolished by the Constituent Assembly in 2008, he suggested that if there is national consensus, Hridayendra Shah (pic, left) could be made the king. Hridayendra is the grandson of former king Gyanendra Shah. Since the former king is old and unable to take the responsibility in case the monarchy is restored, his grandson could be the 'best alternative', Thapa suggested. Thapa also indicated his willingness to consider an alternative to Gyanendra if concerns are raised about his age. 'If people think Gyanendra Shah is too old, then we must be ready to consider an alternative—based on consensus,' Thapa added. 'If there is consensus on Hridayendra, then Gyanendra must also accept it. Monarchy is not about an individual—it is an ideology. Our belief is that the successor should be a descendent of Prithvi Narayan Shah. Who that should be is not the main issue.' Thapa alleged that the major political parties were actively working to undermine the ideological basis of monarchists. Keshar Bahadur Bista, coordinator of the Rastriya Shakti Nepal, urged the people to support their movement, which was called to generate public pressure to ensure political stability and good governance in the country. Navaraj Subedi, coordinator of the Movement Mobilisation Committee, said the protest would be peaceful and non-violent. He said around 2,000 volunteers would be mobilised to maintain order. - The Kathmandu Post/ANN
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Keep Kathmandu under your control: PM Oli asks party workers as pro-monarchists plan indefinite stir
As the top leaders of the pro-monarchy movement began a door-to-door drive seeking public support ahead of launching their 'indefinite campaign' on May 29, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli Sunday asked his supporters to keep Kathmandu under their control on the day. Addressing a meeting organised by the state committee of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), which Oli heads, he asked the party members to remain prepared to defeat the monarchists. 'That day Kathmandu must be fully under your control from 11 am to 2 pm. You should remain prepared from this moment to handle the pro-monarchy supporters, for which you don't have to wait for further instructions from the party,' Oli said, literally asking his cadres to physically confront the pro-monarchy activists, if need be. The pro-monarchy leaders are planning to launch an indefinite campaign on May 29, the day the monarchy was abolished in the country 17 years ago. Nepal's political parties through a Parliament declaration abolished the 240-year-old monarchy in 2008 and turned the erstwhile Hindu kingdom to a secular, federal, democratic republic. Oli's appeal is virtual reiteration of his call to party workers on March 26, – you must leap like tiger and attack the monarchist – which culminated on massive repression by the security forces on the pro-monarchy rally on March 28 in which at least two people lost their lives and over 20 people were injured. In another programme on Saturday, Oli had instructed his youth workers to crush leaders who are calling for the monarchy's return. Top leaders of the movement for restoration of monarchy, including its convener Nabaraj Subedi; Kamal Thapa and Rajendra Lingden —both former deputy PMs – and Keshar Bista, a former minister, along with their supporters have been meeting people directly, urging them to participate in their indefinite movement beginning May 29 so that the 'corrupt' regime is ousted and Nepal's 'Hindu Kingdom' identity is restored.
The Print
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Conspiracy of regressive forces to reinstate monarchy will be foiled, says Oli
He urged people not to dream of reinstatement of monarchy, the system that the Nepali people have already abolished. Oli, who is also the chairman of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), made the remarks while inaugurating the 10th national general convention of the National Youth Association, the youth wing of the party, on Friday. Kathmandu, May 23 (PTI) Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has said that the ruling CPN-UML would remain at the front to foil all kinds of regressive activities and protect citizen's rights and sovereignty of the country. Referring to former chancellor of Nepal Academy Jagman Gurung that he spread a 'baseless rumour' that former king Gyanendra Shah's birth chart showed he would return to power, Oli said, 'It is useless to dwell on former king's horoscope, but the fate of citizens. The astrologers can observe my birth chart. The royal crown cannot be imagined any more in Nepal.' He called on the pro-monarchists 'not to dream when we, the people fighting against monarchy, are still alive'. Oli made the remarks in the wake of fresh call of series of agitations by pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party starting from May 29 with the twin aims of reinstating monarchy and to establish a Hindu nation in the country. The prime minister called upon his party's youth wing to come forward with preparation to curb such untoward efforts. According to the prime minister, the CPN-UML and all patriotic forces could work in unison to expose such baseless rumours. PTI SBP GSP GSP This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Nepal, the crisis is about the system not just the government
About two decades ago, during the democracy movement, the US Ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty, said that King Gyanendra Shah might have to cling to a fleeing helicopter if he delayed handing over power to the political parties. The king, however, did not leave the country, even after he handed over power. Today, there are protests demanding his return as monarch. Perhaps taking a cue from the past, Rajendra Lingden, chief of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and a major force in the ongoing movement for the restoration of constitutional monarchy within a democratic set-up, recently addressed the following comment to Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli: 'If they don't wish to compromise, we will at least give them the courtesy of leaving by helicopter.' No one from the global community, including the UN, has yet spoken in support of or opposition to the movement, which, according to its organisers, will enter its decisive phase from May 29. The movement to bring back Nepal's pre-2008 status as a Hindu kingdom is still in its early stages, but it has visibly unsettled the establishment, which keeps shifting depending on the coalition equations of the three dominant parties — the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), the Nepali Congress, and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre). Currently, the first two have joined forces, while the Maoist Centre is in opposition. The regime is unpopular and perceived as corrupt. The silence of the international community, which in the past has been vocal in defending the supposed forces of democracy, has further angered supporters of a return to Nepal as a 'Hindu kingdom'. A letter on behalf of the movement to all missions and the UN explains that it will remain peaceful and that civil disobedience will be its chosen method. The leaders of the movement state that they oppose corruption and external interference in domestic politics, and support the preservation of Nepal's culture and identity — all while upholding the core values of the country's democracy. At the core of the movement is anger over the failure of the government to deliver political stability and economic prosperity while maintaining democratic principles. Visibly, the rule of law has become a casualty, and a political conglomerate controls constitutional bodies. On one hand, the top leadership enjoys immunity from corruption and major criminal offences; on the other, the regime has adopted a zero-tolerance approach towards dissenters, treating them as criminals. On Tuesday, Oli appointed Bishwa Poudel, a nominee of the Nepali Congress, as Governor of the Central Bank, following a warning by the party that it will withdraw from the coalition if the promise was not honoured. Oli saved the government from collapsing this time, but the growing rift between the two partners is apparent. Successive governments have chosen not to implement investigations by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) against the Maoists, contrary to what was agreed in the Comprehensive Peace Accord of November 2006. What Nepal witnesses today is peace without justice. Two commissions in the past failed because the government chose not to define their rights and jurisdiction. A new commission formed last week has already been boycotted by 36 organisations representing victims of the conflict (1996–2006), due to a shortlist that lacks transparency, clear criteria, and a merit-based approach. Oli, despite the Maoists currently being in opposition, is seeking their support in case the current coalition collapses. After all, the government came into existence in July last year with the understanding that it would continue until December 2027, leaving the final 20 months for Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress to lead. But how long the present government will last has become inconsequential in light of the monarchy movement. The question is no longer how long the government will continue, but how long the current system can last — and whether it can prevent Nepal from descending into chaos. The writer is the Kathmandu-based contributing editor for The Indian Express
