The ten point directives King Gyanendra has given to the
Thapa government the other day are the quick follow ups of his recent visits to the
mid-western regions. It had, indeed, become imperative that some of the urgent needs of
the afflicted mid-westerners be met at the earliest possible time. A region neglected for
decades, where majority of able-bodied men always resorted to seasonal migration in search
of livelihood, lacks all the factors of basic human necessities like food, water, health,
education, employment etc. Moreover, the isolation caused by the destruction of meager
infrastructures by the ongoing insurgency has only contributed to aggravate the perennial
miseries. The deaths and dangers to a secure life the people there have been suffering
from have made their lives almost intolerable. King Gyanendra’s visit has worked for
them as the proverbial straw to a drowning man. Now, that he has issued these directives,
he has also to see that they are carried out meticulously. In the present circumstances
the royal directives have become not only mandatory for the ruling government but also the
instruments of strengthening peoples’ hopes and faiths in the institution of
monarchy. Knowing fully well the will and efficiency of the government machinery
complicated by the divided loyalty to different political ideologies and given in to
vigorous tug of war, King Gyanendra, has taken upon himself a big responsibility and a big
challenge. As we have been emphasizing repeatedly, nobody has a bigger stake in the
solidarity of the nation than the King. And as long the elected representative government
does not assume power, it is the King who has to steer the country and save it from
impending danger and disaster. King Gyanendra’s persistence in taking the discredited
leaders into confidence to run the country at such a critical time can never be conducive
to achieve the objectives of his interaction with his people. If the rumors prevailing in
some knowledgeable higher circles in Kathmandu can be relied on, the days of the Thapa
government are numbered. The beginning of the new year may see a new government — a
government of honest and patriotic men — installed in authority. Since, the top
priority before the nation, at this juncture, is the cessation of all insurgency, we do
need a government who have a foolproof roadmap for ridding the country of all bloodshed.
Of course, the Royal Nepal Army are doing excellent job and they have pushed the Maoists
in the defensive. But, we do want the killings of Nepalis by Nepalis to stop immediately.
It is sheer inhuman to permit this senseless mayhem any longer. Nobody would be much
keener than King Gyanendra to restore peace and normalcy in the country, without which,
his pious wishes of redressing the miseries of his poor people can never be fulfilled. It
is not only that. The high expectations of the poor masses raised by his recent
intermingling with them must not be permitted to stay unaddressed. As such, the royal
directives have assumed great importance. That they have very strong relevance to the
strengthening of monarchy and the solidarity of the nation do not need any emphasis. We do
trust King Gyanendra will not hesitate to take any steps to see that they are implemented
without any let or hindrance most expeditiously, so that they may pave way for a
representative government to take over. |
