Nepal poised for a 'turbulent' change?

Nepal's already ineffective and fragile politics presumably is poised for a tumultuous change in the near future. Indications to this effect were being made available by the series of political undercurrents that have already taken shape(s)of late or were in the process of taking a specific form in the not so distant future hopefully. The spurt of sudden activities visibly seen both in the government sector and in the various opposition camps belonging to Nepal's dominant political establishment, more specially in the communists' paraphernalia, amply hint at the fact that this Himalayan Kingdom will soon witness a change of Himalayan dimension affecting the entire politics of the nation.

Surprising though it may appear, however, the fact is that the otherwise almost "dormant" and the all time "resilient" Constitutional monarchy too appears to be in a mood to play its due role in the contemporary Nepalese politics in order to arrest in what has been given to understand the deteriorating situation of the country in all possible fields.

If the fresh expressions of King Gyanendra recorded by the supremo of a Kathmandu broad sheet daily during a tête-à-tête with the former only last week were any clue then what could be best inferred is that the new monarch will perhaps implicitly prefer not to waste his time in acting in favor of the people and the nation. However, the monarch does not hint that how he would proceed in that direction given his virtually "limited role" as per the existing constitution of the country. But yet King Gyanendra's talks with the said media-man very much inside the Palace does amply indicate that "His Majesty" was not at all happy with the scheme of existing political things in the country and that "in the name of the nation and the people" He might jump into politics one fine morning and assert his role. Interestingly, King Gyanendra also concurrently assures the population that if he does so time permitting will do so without crossing the stipulated limits of the constitutional monarchy as enshrined in the constitution of 1990. This means that the new King has already gone through the nitty-gritty's of the present day constitution and has perhaps "discovered" some loopholes contained therein in the constitution which safely allowed him to act in a manner as recently hinted.

Notably, King Gyanendra's rather strong comments regarding the functioning of the present day system has come at a critical crossroad of Nepalese politics when tentatively the entire communists forces were apparently in a grand mood to go in for a sort of "reunification" process and thereby wish presumably to expand their political stronghold in the country. King Gyanendra's concern for the people and the nation have also come close on the heels of Maoists-government talks which will by and large decide the political fate of the nation. Notably, the insurgents have accepted to talk to the Deuba led government at a time when the latter stands comparatively weaker vis-à-vis the former for obvious reasons.

The King's concern regarding the fate of the constitutional monarchy in Nepal is also very much loaded with meaning for His Majesty indirectly says that the decision to have either Monarchy or even Republicanism in Nepal could and should best be decided upon by the real judges of the nation that is the national population. This means that His Majesty rejects the Maoists wish for turning Nepal to a republican state in lieu of the present day constitutional monarchy.

And finally, King Gyanendra's "meaning loaded" expressions have also taken shape at a time when the nation's Prime Minister only recently said that the political parties currently operating in the country must not irritate the Nepalese monarchy through their political activities and that they should instead strengthen the hands of the constitutional monarchy in order to benefit from that strength. It is not surprising therefore that Radha Kriahna Mainali, a ML stalwart, only recently very pleasingly "disclosed" through an interview in one Kathmandu weekly that "no one should remain in illusion that Nepalese monarchy to today was a weaker force in truest sense of the term".

Deuba's suggestion not to irritate the monarch and Mainali's self-admission not to underrate the strength of the monarchy is definitely loaded with meaning. Even more meaningful is the timing of these statements coming as it did albeit from three separate "political quarters".

Undoubtedly, who else better knows the mind of His Majesty King Gyanendra than Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba by virtue of being the nation's Chief of the executive and also the in charge of the Palace portfolio. It could be guessed that Deuba could have guessed the King's mood during his time to time official meetings with the monarch and might have sounded the King's overall concerns relating to the nation and its ongoing politics.

It is high time that the nation's scholars ponder over the new developments that were following one after another indeed.

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