Indepth Analysis

Only in memory now !

Fortitude required in grief!

Kathmandu: An already precipitous state of the nation has been brought closer to the brink by a heart-rending incident in the Royal Palace the suddenness of which has caught the Nepali people utterly unaware. King Birendra is no more and so are the immediate members of his family. Events that led to this disaster have yet to be readily forthcoming to the public from a Royal Palace which must perhaps confront the developments with more care than a grieving public who demand immediate solace to their thirst for information.

Although none less than Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Ram Chandra Poudel has been quoted by foreign agencies who have largely been instrumental in disseminating the news of the disaster and although these grievous information have also evidently been resourced by unnamed senior Palace and military officials in the reports, statement issued by the political parties and their leadership continue to demand the details. Of course, Prime Minister Girija's personal message has assured the details will be forthcoming.

For the moment though, the newly declared Prince Regent, at time of penning this analysis, has in his first proclamation admitted that the sudden burst of an automatic weapon at a family dinner in the Royal Palace has led to this grievous event. As a result King Birendra who nurtured a Monarchy to the peak of popularity demonstrated by the spontaneous outpouring of public grief at his sudden demise is no more.

The period is now of desperation and a search for a Nepali people who had increasingly come to rely on his sagacious steering of a ship of the state that has over the decade increasingly meandered in serach of a stable democracy.

The late King Birendra from his very enthronement as a monarch was a known democrat committed to the people's participation and upliftment and his transparent commitment to this process remained firm even after the resurgence of highly charged partisanship in the political process of late. This obvious monarchical preference has hit the vibes of a people who were increasingly turning to King Birendra for solace in this period of increasing uncertainty. It is not for nothing that a sense of desperation and helplessness prevails in the shocking absence of his benevolent presence.

Indeed, the now widely recognized experience in national and international affairs that is very willingly credited to the late King Birendra is merely one manifestation of the reasons behind the public grief. Among others will be the fact that even at times antagonistic politicians admitted publicly that it was King Birendra alone who has subscribed to the letter and spirit of the constitution of the day. At this precarious moment a grieving public are acutely aware of the vacuum that the tragedy has dumped on the Nepalese public. It is at such times that fortitude and forbearance are required from the grieving nation.

His Majesty King Gyanendra constitutes inquiry commission!

Kathmandu: The Almighty too had not been kind to the Nepali population.

A tragedy of the sort of never heard before gripped the entire nation on the late evening of June 1 when rumors spread like wild fire that some ghastly incident had occurred inside the Royal Palace that could have taken the lives of His Majesty King Birendra, H.M Queen Aishwarya and other members of the respected Royal family.

Indeed the rumors spread through the use of the telephonic communication in between friends and relatives.

The capital city population perhaps were taken aback with this unconfirmed but yet very shocking news about the possible sudden and sad demise of their beloved monarch and His family members.

The men in the Nepali media wished to confirm the sad news but in vain.

This news slowly spread to other parts of the country and later became global.

Nepal had perhaps never experienced in the past a shocking and unbelievable event of this magnitude and dimension that not only shook the Nepali nation but also took the world by surprise which was only but natural.

In effect, Nepali Royalty had already earned a fame in the world regarding its cohesiveness in and among the family members which was considered to be an illustrative example for others. However, the event took place, which to some extent might have damaged the hard-earned popularity and the prestige of the Nepali Royalty.

Most fortunately, His Majesty King Gyanendra has already assured the nation that a "fact finding" team headed by Chief Justice Keshav Prasad Upadhyaya with Speaker Tara Nath Rana Bhat and UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal as other two members of the team will proceed fast and will submit the details of the ghastly killing spree that occurred on June 1 evening inside the Royal Palace.

His Majesty has also assured the nation that the moment the facts are made available to Him by the team, it would be made public immediately.

In effect, this is what the national population wishes. A sort of panic has prevailed in the nation since the June 1 sad incident and this anxiety and sorrow is definitely is over the gruesome killing of King Birendra and his family members. The fact is that the Nepali people have lost two kings within four days or so and hence their becoming impatient is quite understandable.

Most of the political leaders too have wished that the facts were made public at the earliest so that the confusion and various believable and unbelievable stories that originate from the Kathmandu rumor mill go to the dogs.

Undenyingly, Nepali population possesses tremendous respect and honor for the Nepali Royalty and will continue to do so in the future as well. The people have simply become restless over the killing spree at the Royal Palace that completely wiped out the entire family members of most revered monarch of the nation, King Birendra, and some other members of the same Royalty. All that the people need is the submission of the facts by the Koirala government, which is perhaps their right as well in a democracy.

However, the people who have come to the streets must understand that an inquiry commission is already in place that very well speaks of the very well intention of King Gyanendra which also implies that He too wishes to get the details of the massacre of June 1, 2001 at the earliest.

Late King Birendra was a godly personality!

Kathmandu: The manner the Kathmandu population exhibited their respect and honor for late King Birendra during the late monarch's funeral procession on June 2 evening proceeding towards the ARYA GHAT bespeaks of His immense popularity that he gained specially over the years more so after the advent of the new system in the country.

In essence, the Nepali people, more specially the Hindus consider the King as the incarnation of Lord Vishnu-the protector.

The Hindu population is guided by the Hindu tradition that treats the Hindu religion-observing monarch as Lord Vishnu's incarnation. More so, Lord Krishna in the famous Hindu epic, the Bhagvat Gita, says talking to his disciple Arjuna that: "Look Ye! Arjuna! I'm King among the human beings"!

It is not for nothing that the Nepalese people in the remote areas or say mountains long to get the dust under the feet of the King as He walks around their villages.

More so, there are some tradition bound Hindu families who lit incense sticks in the evening in the photographs of the Nepali King.

And as per the Hindu tradition when one's parents leave for their heavenly abode, the first act the son(s) performs is shaving off their heads. This is considered to be the top most respect for the deceased in Hindu family. Therefore, the youths that have shaved their heads this time in lacs and lacs also is the manifestation of the regard the people possessed for their late monarch.

As far back as September 6, 1973, a correspondent from the Newsweek had posed a peculiar question to King Birendra. The question was: "How do you feel about being looked upon as God?

The late King had replied: (sic) "It is not a question of how I feel about it. There are local customs and traditions. This relates to our religious background. I have responsibility (under the Vedic scriptures) to protect the people against injustice. The concept of God is there among the people"'.

The weeping children, the weeping women and the weeping youths who were in scores perhaps all felt that their one real guardian from amidst them has left for His heavenly abode.

Late King Birendra was indeed a Godly personality!

UML leader resigns from probe commission!

Kathmandu: The freshly constituted inquiry commission by the new Monarch Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev to probe into the causes of the massacre inside the Royal Palace on June 1, 2000 is in a limbo.

The hitch in the initiation of the commission has come after one of the committee members, Madhav Kumar Nepal, resigned from the post of the "commission member".

Newspaper reports say that Madhav Nepal simply rejected the "direct nomination" made by the King Gyanendra forwarding the reasons that it "should have come after completing all the necessary constitutional processes"'.

Sources close to the UML say that a meeting of the UML party held Tuesday held reservations in the manner the King directly constituted the probe commission without apparently consulting the government of the day.

Some Constitutional experts too have opined that the formal announcement of the probe commission should have come from the appropriate channels of the government.

Madhav Nepal and his party sources also maintain that the commission should comprise some other members from other political parties as well.

UML sources also have objected to the three-day time allotted for the entire probe.

This new development in the country might delay the fact-finding mission's job by few days more.

Informed sources maintain that when the King thus has announced the formation of the probe commission, it must have obtained the government's nod. However, the government sources have kept a silence on whether King Gyanendra informed them about the formation of the commission or not?

Be that as it may, the formation of the commission is a positive sign for the impatient countrymen, however, the new development with Madhav Nepal resigning from the post might complicate the matter further.

Condolence from Israel

Israel expresses its deep sorrow at the tragic death of his majesty king Birendra, her majesty queen Aishwarya and other members of the Nepali royal family. Israel shares in the terrible sorrow of the Nepalese people and wishes to extend its sincere condolences. Israel and Nepal have had friendly and cordial relations for many years and the late king had visited Israel during the time he was the crown prince of Nepal."

Special Earthquake Resistant Hospital Annex Opening

KATHMANDU, Since February, 34 U.S. Army troops from the 2nd Platoon, C Company, 84th Engineer Battalion based in Fort Richardson in the U.S. state of Alaska, and 30 Royal Nepalese Army Engineers have been working side by side 12 hours per day, six days per week- to construct an earthquake resistant hospital annex for Bhaktapur Public Hospital.

The primary goal of the mission, named "Bailey Nightingale," has been to exchange technology and construction techniques between the U.S. and Nepal Militaries while continuing to strengthen the already warm bi-lateral relationship between the U.S. and Nepal governments and their people. Each year the U.S. Army Participates in joint exercises like this with militaries of countries throughout Asia and around the World. After investigating several potential sites, the two armies and governments selected Bhaktapur due to its high population density and vulnerability to earthquakes. Special design techniques were employed to make the hospital annex earthquake resistant, which will likely save many lives in the aftermath of a future earthquake.

With the exception of a few rare items such as lead lining for the x-ray room, almost the entire building has been constructed with local materials valued at nearly $150,000. Total project cost is over $1,000,000. All funds have been provided by the United States Army Pacific Command.

The hospital was handed over to the Nepalese authorities on May 31 at a special ceremony in Bhaktapur.

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