Kathmandu [Nepal], March 9 (ANI): Thousands of pro-monarchists on Sunday hit the streets of Kathmandu to welcome the former King Gyanendra Shah upon his arrival from Pokhara.
The former King was welcomed by supporters from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and pro-monarchy organizations who chanted slogans against the existing political system.
“Today we are gathered here (outside the airport) to welcome and receive the nation’s King,” Bikram Dulal, one of the protestors eagerly waiting for the arrival of former King Gyanendra Shah, told ANI as he held a placard bearing a photo of the last monarch of the Himalayan Nation.
Authorities fortified the entrance of Tribhuvan International Airport, allowing passengers to enter the premises only after confirming the tickets issued in their name. Passengers, both domestic and foreign tourists, had to drag their luggage from far away as the pro-monarchists flooded the airport area, disrupting traffic.
“Monarchy is the demand of time. There is an absence of a guardian in the nation. In order to fulfill that role, King is must, that’s why we are here to receive and welcome our king,” Dulal added, referring to the ongoing political quagmire and prolonged transition.
“The present political system isn’t that good. The time span from 2063 to 2081 BS (2006 to 2025 AD) isn’t good, political parties are indulged in corruption and other scandals. They all present themselves as the king- the superiors. Those who are in high positions, from the center to the local levels, exercise power as kings. The nation has backtracked,” the pro-monarch protestor claimed.
Former King Gyanendra returned to Kathmandu on Sunday from the tourist city of Pokhara in a chartered flight. He had recently visited the Alamdevi Temple in Syangja, the ancestral shrine of the Shah dynasty, and had been staying in Pokhara for several days.
As the vehicle hosting the former King rolled out of the airport entrance, supporters chanted slogans like “Raja aau desh bachau” (Come back King, save the nation) and “Nepali Janata k bhancha? Rajtantra ley vancha” (What do the Nepali public say? Reinstate the monarchy), amongst others.
Following the exit from the airport entrance, former King Shah rose from his vehicle and greeted the crowd with a Namaste and wave. He also received flowers and other offerings from the supporters who had covered a stretch of Kathmandu’s ring road.
Nepal in the year 2006 had abolished centuries old constitutional monarchy after then King Gyanendra seized power and imposed emergency sending all the leaders under house arrest. The movement also referred as “People’s Movement II” witnessed a bloodshed with dozens killed in crackdown against protestors by the government.
After weeks of violent protest and increasing international pressure, Gyanendra gave up and reinstated the dissolved parliament. This is highlighted as the dawn of a new democracy, Lokantantra (People’s Rule).
Former King Gyanendra Shah, who had been staying in Pokhara since February 9, returned to Kathmandu on Sunday afternoon. He arrived at 3:50 pm via a chartered Summit Air plane, accompanied by his family.
During his stay in Pokhara, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Kaski organized a farewell program to bid the former king goodbye. The former king’s return has sparked a wave of enthusiasm among his supporters, marking a significant moment for royalist groups in the country.
Formed in the 1990s after the lifting of the ban on the formation of political parties by the then-monarchial system, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has since then served as the force always supporting the Kingship. It has also taken part in periodic elections and presented its demands.
In 2008, right after the overthrow of the monarchy rule in Nepal, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) secured 8 seats in the Constituent Assembly out of the 575-seat parliament. In the 2013 election, it was able to secure 13 seats. In 2017, it fell down to 1 seat, but it bounced back in the 2022 election with 14 seats.
The party, since its inception, has been supporting the Hindu State and the Kingship as interdependent in the tiny nation buffered between two giants, India and China. The Himalayan Nation of Nepal has a population of 30.55 million and a Hindu population of 81.19 per cent, as per the census of 2022. (ANI)
