Latest news with #Hindu-majority
Business Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Times
Thousands rally in Nepali pro-monarchy protests
[KATHMANDU] Thousands of Nepali royalists marched in the capital Kathmandu on Friday (May 30), demanding the restoration of the monarchy and chanting slogans in support of the king deposed 17 years ago. The Hindu-majority nation became a secular republic in 2008 after parliament abolished the monarchy as part of a peace deal that ended a decade-long civil war in which more than 16,000 people were killed. The protests are the latest in a string of rallies, as support for the restoration of the monarchy and a Hindu state has grown amid dissatisfaction over political instability, corruption and slow economic development. 'King, come and save the nation', the marchers shouted in unison, beating drums, blowing horns and waving Nepal's national flag. 'I am here to fight against this corrupt system,' said Prem Bahadur Magar, 58. 'We need a constitutional monarchy and a Hindu nation to preserve our national identity.' Magar travelled to Kathmandu for the rally from his home, about 200 km away. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Riot police stood guard but there were no immediate reports of any violence. 'Seventeen years ago, I came to the streets to protest and overthrow the monarchy,' he said. 'But now, I feel sorry for that. Now I realise that the king was far better than these corrupt leaders.' The rally comes a day after the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) – the party of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli – held marches to mark the Himalayan nation's Republic Day. There were also royalist marches on Thursday. CPN-UML party supporter Bijay Lama, 34, said the return of the king was 'just a daydream', saying that most in the nation of some 30 million people wanted the republic to remain. 'If a few thousand people call for the return of the monarchy, this is simply not possible', Lama said, during the rally on Thursday. In March, two people were killed and more than 100 arrested during pro-monarchy protests, with security forces using live fire and tear gas to disperse the rally. The last king of Nepal, Gyanendra Shah, expressed sorrow at the violent demonstrations the following month – while lending tacit support. Shah was crowned in 2001 after his elder brother king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah and his family were killed in a palace massacre. His coronation took place as a Maoist insurgency was raging in far-flung corners of Nepal. Shah suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament in 2005, triggering protests in which the Maoists sided with Nepal's political establishment – leading to the eventual end of the war. AFP
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Thousands rally in Nepali pro-monarchy protests
KATHMANDU: Thousands of Nepali royalists marched in the capital Kathmandu today, demanding the restoration of the monarchy and chanting slogans in support of the king deposed 17 years ago. The Hindu-majority nation became a secular republic in 2008 after Parliament abolished the monarchy as part of a peace deal that ended a decade-long civil war in which more than 16,000 people were killed. The protests are the latest in a string of rallies, as support for the restoration of the monarchy and a Hindu state has grown amid dissatisfaction over political instability, corruption and slow economic development. "King, come and save the nation", the marchers shouted in unison, beating drums, blowing horns and waving Nepal's national flag. "I am here to fight against this corrupt system," said Prem Bahadur Magar, 58. "We need a constitutional monarchy and a Hindu nation to preserve our national identity." Magar travelled to Kathmandu for the rally from his home, about 200km away. Riot police stood guard but there were no immediate reports of any violence. "Seventeen years ago, I came to the streets to protest and overthrow the monarchy," he said. "But now, I feel sorry for that. Now I realise that the king was far better than these corrupt leaders." The rally comes a day after the Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) -- the party of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli -- held marches to mark the Himalayan nation's Republic Day. There were also royalist marches yesterday. CPN-UML party supporter Bijay Lama, 34, said the return of the king was "just a daydream", saying that most in the nation of some 30 million people wanted the republic to remain. "If a few thousand people call for the return of the monarchy, this is simply not possible", Lama said, during the rally yesterday. In March, two people were killed and more than 100 arrested during pro-monarchy protests, with security forces using live fire and tear gas to disperse the rally. The last king of Nepal, Gyanendra Shah, expressed sorrow at the violent demonstrations the following month -- while lending tacit support. Shah was crowned in 2001 after his elder brother king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah and his family were killed in a palace massacre. His coronation took place as a Maoist insurgency was raging in far-flung corners of Nepal. Shah suspended the constitution and dissolved parliament in 2005, triggering protests in which the Maoists sided with Nepal's political establishment -- leading to the eventual end of the war.
Hans India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Cong did not settle border dispute with Bangla for vote bank politics: BJP MP
Hyderabad: BJP Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy criticised the Congress party-led governments, from the time of the first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, for compromising national security in favour of vote bank politics. On Thursday, he discussed the complex history of settling the international border between the former East Pakistan, which later became Bangladesh, and India. He highlighted that India has 111 enclaves within Bangladesh, while Bangladesh has 51 enclaves within Indian territory. He noted that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, despite her reputation as the 'Iron Lady,' failed to implement the border settlement agreements. Reddy alleged that Congress' vote bank politics allowed illegal immigrants from Bangladesh to enter and settle in India for about 65 years. In this context, he noted that in 2015, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the international border was settled. Modi's government introduced the 100th constitutional amendment on May 28, 2015, to address the international border issue between India and Bangladesh. Furthermore, he accused the Hindu-majority parliamentary constituencies of Jessore and Khulna in the then Bengal of being forcefully merged with Pakistan under Nehru's leadership. He claimed, 'The people of Jessore and Khulna elected Dr B R Ambedkar as their MP and sent him to Parliament. Nehru opposed Dr Ambedkar's entry into Parliament and acted out of vengeance by allowing the Hindu-majority areas of Jessore and Khulna to merge with Pakistan.'
Business Recorder
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
India to resume border ceremony with Pakistan
AMRITSAR: India said on Tuesday it would resume a daily border ceremony with neighbouring Pakistan which it briefly halted earlier this month following the most serious conflict between the nuclear armed arch-rivals for decades. At least 60 people died in fighting triggered by an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing – a charge Pakistan denies. India's Border Security force said the sunset ceremony on its side would be open to the media on Tuesday and to the general public on Wednesday at the Attari-Wagah land border in the northern state of Punjab. Pakistan said it never stopped the ceremony, with its troops marching on its side of the border alone. Pakistan downs 5 Indian Air Force jets in retaliation for missile attacks, says DG ISPR The ceremony however is expected to be a low-key affair with diplomatic measures against Pakistan still in place, including the closure of the land border. For years, the ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border has been a popular tourist attraction. Visitors from both sides come to cheer on soldiers goose-stepping in a chest-puffing theatrical show of pageantry. The frontier was a colonial creation at the violent end of British rule in 1947 which sliced the sub-continent into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. The daily border ritual has largely endured over the decades, surviving innumerable diplomatic flare-ups and military skirmishes.
Al-Ahram Weekly
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
India to resume border ceremony with Pakistan - International
India said Tuesday it would resume a daily border ceremony with neighbouring Pakistan which it briefly halted earlier this month following the most serious conflict between the nuclear armed arch-rivals for decades. At least 60 people died in fighting triggered by an April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing -- a charge Pakistan denies. India's Border Security force said the sunset ceremony on its side would be open to the media on Tuesday and to the general public on Wednesday at the Attari-Wagah land border in the northern state of Punjab. Pakistan said it never stopped the ceremony, with its troops marching on its side of the border alone. The ceremony however is expected to be a low-key affair with diplomatic measures against Pakistan still in place, including the closure of the land border. For years, the ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border has been a popular tourist attraction. Visitors from both sides come to cheer on soldiers goose-stepping in a chest-puffing theatrical show of pageantry. The frontier was a colonial creation at the violent end of British rule in 1947 which sliced the sub-continent into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan. The daily border ritual has largely endured over the decades, surviving innumerable diplomatic flare-ups and military skirmishes. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
