A Symbol of National Unity
Attracting large number of people, King Gyanendra shows that the institution of monarchy in Nepal symbolizes the emotional unifying factor
By KESHAB POUDEL
At a time when the country’s major political parties are organizing nationwide campaigns against the monarchy, King Gyanendra has also attracted a large crowd of people of different castes and ethnic groups in Taplejung, eastern hilly district of Nepal.
Institution of monarchy has a long history in Nepal and it is an established emotional unifying factor in religiously, culturally and linguistically divided society. This is what one can see in his recent visit to eastern part of Nepal . Although Maoist withdrew four-months-long ceasefire, it made a little difference to the people who gathered in district headquarters to meet the King.
At a time when the top leaders of Nepali Congress seem to be frustrated by their more than half-a-century old commitment for constitutional monarchy, interestingly, vast majority of its mass following still have the same faith in the constitution of monarchy.
Only recently, the only popularly elected remaining person in the parliament Speaker Taranath Ranabhat had rightly expressed the voice of silent majority of Nepali Congress. “The difference between the active monarchists like Dr. Tulsi Giri and constitutional monarchists like us is that we do politics carrying King in our shoulder whereas people like Giri and his followers do politics climbing on the shoulder of the King,” said Ranabhat.
Like the Speaker Ranabhat said, the first preference of the monarch would instinctively to be upon the shoulder of the popular forces but its varied linkages and accesses make it sometime unreasonable. The experiences of other countries of the world - whether developed or underdeveloped – shows that the institution of monarchy has the power of emotional integration of the people.
The communist prime minister Hun Sen of Combodia - who helped to overthrow monarchy in his country - is now a diehard supporter of the institution. When old King Narrodam Simhanook wanted to abdicate the institution of monarchy, he opposed the King’s move saying that there was no such provision in the Constitution.
Although Jahir Shaha, King of Afghanistan, was overthrown more than two decades ago by the communists, the present government with the backing of republican Untied States brought King Jahir Shaha back during the two crucial phase of political transition – as a stabilizing force.
Former King Jahir Shaha is still symbolized as the emotional unifying legitimate factor in Afghan politics. The present republican constitution of Afghanistan recognizes King Jahir Shaha as the father of nation. The constitution was promulgated in his presence.
Similarly, when the first session of the elected parliament of Afghanistan was commenced recently, King Jahir Shaha was given the seat above the elected president Hamid Karzai. These incidents show that the continuing popularity and legitimacy of monarchy is very much evident in war-ravaged countries.
“The institution of monarchy is a stabilizing force and it maintains continuity of power and authority of the state. Once a country is destabilized and monarchy is removed, there have been very few instances of stability returning,” said a political analyst.
“But, at least for today’s Nepal , a monarch can do more good than harm. Nepalese national unity or identity is often endangered because of her heterogeneity of ethnic groups, languages, religions and so on. The King is Nepalese advantage, now. Nepal enjoys much more stability and peace than many other developing republican states. One of the reasons is that Nepal is a monarchy. But, at the same time, there is some possibility that the Nepalese King is exploited for the purpose of ultra-nationalism and statism,” writes Masayuki Tanigawa, a Japanese scholar in his article the “Rationale for the Kingship in Nepal .” “A monarch is also important in such a state where people do not have a long experience of democracy; and immature political parties are self centered and likely to ignore national interests.”
At a time when the country’s major political parties are trying to discredit Nepal ’s long established institution, Speaker Ranabhat rightly defended the role of monarchy showing that it is safe and popular on the shoulders of popularly elected parties rather than in the company of persons who climb his shoulders. “Constitutional monarchy is our strength and essence and our party cannot imagine the country without monarchy.”
In his three-weeks-long visit to eastern region, King Gyanendra, who is in the process of gaining maturity as a monarch, will realize the forces of his choices.
