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VOL. 27, NO. 40, June 20 , 2008 (Ashadh 06 2065 B.S.)
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Graceful Exit
After addressing a big press conference, King Gyanendra leaves Narayanhity Royal Palace gracefully to live his life as a commoner
By KESHAB POUDEL
It was neither a moment of joy nor celebration for the overwhelming silent majority in Nepal, who are yet to find any rationale for abolition of monarchy. Likewise, it also did not turn out to be a moment of opposition among staunch republicans. When king Gyanendra left Royal Palace on Wednesday (June 11) gracefully, there was only a silent cry.
Even amid such a rude group of stage-managed demonstrators – a handful of whom chanted anti-King slogans as he was departing from the palace - a middle-aged woman showed guts to penetrate the police cordon at the western gate of Naryanhity Royal Palace and cried in support of monarchy. Many others joined her cries but silently.
As in a historic period described by Ludwig F. Stiller, S.J, a renowned Nepali historian in his book Silent Cry between 1916-39, all officials, politicians and army, police and silent majority followed the path hoping for survival as an independent nation. In the private conversation each political leaders is expressing their regret for voting to abolish monarchy.
Though it was in a light vein, even the Maoist leader Prachanda has offered king Gyanendra to join his party.
King Gyanendra, too, seems sobered with patriotic posture as shown by his forefathers and left the palace as per the decision of the Constituent Assembly - though the decision itself is questionable.
In a jam-packed Kaski Baithak meeting hall in Naryanhity Royal Palace, King Gyanendra addressed a press conference ignoring the unruly behavior of the media personnel around him. At the last day of his stay in the palace, he seemed relax and calm as he shifted his burden to the new rulers.
"His last statement was emotional coming from his heart and balanced mind. In a nutshell, he described the beginning and end of the monarchy of the modern Nepal, which was unified by his ancestor the great king Prtithvi Narayan Shah," said a political analyst.
"Although the decision of abolition of monarchy was taken by the meeting of CA, what was done was not the reflection of public opinion of the country. Technically it was endorsed by a big house of 601 members who were not allowed to express their opinion before joining the voice vote," said the analyst.
This was the only task which the CA accomplished. In subsequent weeks, it has failed to perform its main task related to the formation of government and initiate the process of making a new constitution. Abiding by his previous commitment, king left the Royal Palace within the given time. Before leaving the palace he had decided to express his views and feelings.
Throughout his presence before the press, he was not deterred by unbecoming behaviors of some ill-motivated unruly journalists. "In fact, that kind of hostile audience tested his mettle and he proved himself much superior in his performance than any of the politicians in power," said the analyst.
When he left the place, he must have felt relieved. Even arch enemy of monarchy and Maoist leader Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai hailed his exit as graceful. "Gyanendra has helped us to implement the republican order," said Prachanda.
"Former king Gyanendra Shah's peaceful departure from Palace was a positive step towards peaceful political transition. Nepali people will forgive him for whatever mistakes he committed in the past if he chooses to cooperate with the changed situation and spend a normal life," said Dr. Bhattarai.
Prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala and CPN-UML leaders also hailed king Gyanendra's peaceful exit. "Gyanendra has cooperated us to peacefully transform Nepal from monarchy to republic," said Koirala.
"We appreciate his way of leaving the palace cooperating to implement the republic," said Jhalnath Khanal, CPN-UML general secretary.
Everybody had almost the same impression that the king was very much graceful, confident and dignified in his posture.
In his last speech, king Gyanendra said there was nobody to speak for him. In fact, this was not the appropriate opinion. There were overwhelming majority of people who were expressing their pain with each other.
Whenever there is a situation of terror either from the state or organized forces people are seen in a mood of silent cry. One is reminded of Ludwig F. Stiller, S.J; a renowned Nepali historian who in his book Silent Cry depicted the history of Nepal between 1916-39. "It remains to be seen whether we will have the courage to walk the last stage towards that unity in which the lot of a Nepali anywhere is a matter of grave personal concern to each of us. The cry of village Nepal is still echoing around us. The modalities have changed and the content has changed, but the cry is still there," writes Stiller.
"The silent cry from the vast majority of the people must have encouraged the king to open his mind regarding the role of monarchy from the beginning to end in his short speech," said the political analyst.
In the span of two major events which finally abolished monarchy, Girija Koirala led the country as a prime minister. "It is an irony that Girija Prasad Koirala was the prime minister at the time of Royal Palace massacre. And he is again the prime minister leading the CA which abolished the monarchy. And for no reason, he was presiding the flag hosting ceremony on the occasion of converting the Royal palace into one of the national museums," said the analyst.
From declaring Nepal to republic and converting the Nayanhity Royal Palace to museum, there is surprising promptness among the political leaders. "The leaders who have not been able to form the government as per the new mandate since last two months were so prompt to convert the Royal Palace into museum in less than a week after it was vacated by the king. These are the things brewing in the minds of the people at the moment of silent cry but the power has its own arrogant effect," said the analyst.
"All in all, he maintained the patriotic role of Shah dynasty. The whole speech was charged with high patriotic feelings highlighting the concerns for the integrity and independence of Nepal, which had been protected and preserved under the royal regime of Shah dynasty. His promise to stay in the county as a commoner reflects his patriotic feeling. He proved himself true to his legacy and, particularly, of his father king Mahendra. All is well that ends well. So far as his last performance at the press conference is concerned, he will ever be remembered for his composed views and graceful posture," said the analyst.
The Statement By Ex-King Gyanendra
Dear Nepalese brothers and sisters,
This country which came into being 240 years back as a garden of four castes and thirty-six sub castes as imagined and established by our ancestor His Majesty, the Great King Prithvi Narayan Shah, is going through a period of very serious and sensitive upheaval. It is well known that the Nepalese Monarchy which has always been activised for people's prosperity and progress has always been working together and cooperating with the happiness and woes of Nepali people. Burning examples of that are unification, preservation of nationalism, democratisation and modernisation through the united effort of the king and national integrity as equivalent to the value of our lives. Our committed energised feelings towards these values and standards have remained constant from the past and are equally strong in the present and will remain so in the future.
I would like to inform everybody concerned that when seven years back because of an unnatural, unexpected and tragic incident while shouldering the responsibility of the Head of the State according to the national heritage and ages of old monarchical traditions, I had no other interests except considerations for the sovereignty, independence, national pride, territorial integrity, peace and the institutional development of democracy, and overall progress of all the citizens. In the then Hindu kingdom of Nepal, the birth place of Buddha the efforts started, with the best of intention trying to ensure the peace and prosperity in the country were not successful overtime, which I have already accepted earlier. The chain of events and ensuing results are obvious to everybody like an open book.
I would like to express, with God as my witness, certain things which I couldn't express earlier because of my official responsibilities but which was troubling my inner heart all the time, through you dear journalist friends to my Nepalese brothers and sisters and the international community. May be we should call it destiny that when I was innocent child, I had neither any wish nor desire nor any possibility of having a distinct role except the compulsion to have to quietly accept the crown. Likewise, for the second time when an unimaginable and horrifying event took place on the night of Jestha 19th, 2058, I could not express through word my internal pain when I was compelled and tied up by the chains of tradition and duty without being even able to shed tears over the mortal remains of those respected and beloved family members and lighten the burden of pain at the gruesome destruction of my close relatives. Even at that time some people blamed and accused me and my family with great indiscretion and cruelty but we had no alternative but to tolerate that too, nor were there people who spoke on our behalf. Being prejudiced against me and my family members the efforts which were continuously started through different means by taking advantage of those circumstances and events, have been very painful to us and are still so. Other members of the Royal Family who were wounded but survived the incident in the Royal Palace are still alive. They are also witness to it. The bullet fragments which couldn't be taken out for technical reasons are still in the body of my wife who was also wounded and survived. The detailed facts had also come out from the medical doctors involved in their treatment. The high level Royal Investigation Commission had already made public the detailed report about the incident. When all the Nepalese people and the Royal Family were overwhelmed with grief, at that time, to level accusations and blame in this way seems to be a strategy to damage the goodwill of the Nepalese people towards the institution of Monarchy and to spread ill will, which was also not compatible with human suffering.
Likewise, I have also heard false rumours about allegations that I have property abroad. All my property is in Nepal. I have no movable or immovable property in foreign lands. The property which had been bequeathed to me from my ancestors, according to Nepalese laws is also not in my name and I have institutionalised it maintaining that property and have only conserved it. During the last seven years neither have I added any property nor have I taken any action by which the traditional property has been reduced. I have not also usurped the right to property of any member of the Royal Family. I believe that I would also have rights to maintain private property according to the prevalent laws of Nepal.
Respecting Constitutional Assembly elections and the decision taken by the constituent assembly meeting on Jestha 15th, I am cooperating in every way towards the successful implementation of that decision. I have also not thought of leaving the country. I would like to live in my own Motherland and contribute in whatever way possible to greater good of the country and peace in this land. I believe that there will be support for this from all sectors.
I pledge to be completely dedicated to the independence and territorial integrity of the nation of Nepal which was formed and has remained independent and sovereign because of the blood, sweat and sacrifice of the great ancestors of us Nepalese, wherever and whatever circumstances I may be in. I love the independence of this nation. My feelings and sentiments are that of sanctity, indivisibility and original values of this independent nation should always be preserved. My heartfelt good wishes are for the overall welfare of the self-respecting common Nepalese people.
Today, on this date, I have handed over the Crown and Sceptre used by the Kings of Shah dynasty and which has remained as heirloom in this dynasty to the Government of Nepal for safekeeping and protection for ages to come.
Finally, on behalf of my family members and myself, I would like to express my sorrow, if anybody has been inadvertently hurt by actions of my own or of the members of my family while I was working as head of State for the welfare of Nepal and the Nepalese. I would like to express gratitude to all citizens, constitutional organs, judicial sector, security organisations, civil servants, teachers, professors, students, farmers, labourers, industrialists, businessmen, intellectual youths, religious organisations, journalists, civil society, personnel working in the Royal Palace service and all others from different walks of life and all the other associated Nepalese inside and outside Nepal who extended their cooperation to me. I would also like to thank the friendly neighbouring countries who have always wished well for Nepal, the international community and representative of diplomatic corps. I would also like to thank the members of the Committees for Security and management recently deputed by the government of Nepal. I would like to thank the government of Nepal for all the help and cooperation extended to me. I also hope that like now, I would keep on getting the same level of necessary cooperation from the Government of Nepal in the future too.
May Lord Pashupatinath bless us all. Jaya Nepal Date: June 11, 2008
