Irrelevant Debate

When the country has many relevant agenda like restoring the peace, Nepal ’s political forces involve in irrelevant debate on Monarchy or Republicanism

By KESHAB POUDEL

As the country has been passing through a very critical phase and security forces have been sacrificing their lives to maintain law and order, political leadership and so-called intellectuals, in both monarchical and democratic sides, are generating an irrelevant debate over monarchy and republicanism.

King Gyanendra : Continuity amid change

Some self-proclaimed diehard monarchists are urging to take actions against a newspaper for publishing a material deemed to be against monarchy whereas self-proclaimed democrats or Loktantrabadi feel pride in raising slogans against monarchy and in favor of republic. Actually, the motives of both the groups appear clear - to create anarchical situation.

Even though w riting or not writing anything in words does not make much difference, Nepal ’s oldest political party has proposed to remove its commitment towards the constitutional monarchy from its preamble fueling so-called diehard monarchists to push the monarchy into another extreme.

“Monarchy as an institution has time tested role of maintaining continuity in the process of modernization. Therefore, it is a stabilizing factor even in the moment of drastic change. A long history of monarchy in Nepal and particularly the last 50 years has been self evident on the role of monarchy as a factor of continuity with stability. Personality of monarch has a very little space or room to go on his own arbitrary way. In every step the monarch in person is dependent upon institutions of the state as well as the palace and courts,” said an analyst.

In his recent visit to far-west, mid-west and eastern zone, King Gyanendra had embraced different dress codes for different paces - showing that there are very limited choices before him in playing his role.

When he visited the security posts, army battalions, King Gyanendra found military uniform as most proper and suitable. However, he had casual dress while visiting temples and common people. All the time there are public eyes upon the activities of the King, his family members, relations and influential coteries.

Even in the past autocratic age, King was not the lone figure to do and undo the matters relating to the states. In his recent interview to government news agency, King Gyanendra accepted his limitation citing the case of Badamaharaj Prithivi Narayan Shah.

If all helping hands around the King are conservative and traditional minded, even ultra-modern attitude of the King face to exhibit its own imprint. If all helping hands around the King are modern and dynamic in their attitude, even most conservative person in the throne may be credited with the progressive and dynamic delivery and performance.

“First of all I am a human being. When a human being goes to heat, he sweats,” said King Gyanendra in his interview with the government media recently referring to his own experience in the visit of far-west and mid-west.

A degeneration of society sometimes finds fault with the institution, which it owns. But in the absence of monarchy also states have been declared failed and examples are many in Asia and Africa in recent past. So whether the country’s oldest and largest democratic party opts to change its preamble or some so-called monarchists enjoy King’s active role, the institution of monarchy has time-tested history on its side.

Nepal has not reached the level of failed state. It is still possible to live and let live with democracy as well as monarchy with a progressive development of the life in quality.