Newsletter 7

KING GYANENDRA

A Model Monarch

King Gyanendra seems to have been born to protect the institution of monarchy. For the second time in a little over half a century, King Gyanendra has been placed in a position to give continuity and restore the total faith of the people in the monarchy. In 1950 when royal family members sought asylum in India, it was King Gyanendra who kept the monarchy intact when he was just three years old. In the latest role destiny has imposed upon him, King Gyanendra could prove to be the savior of this vital national institution.

By KESHAB POUDEL

After 50 years, King Gyanendra ascended the throne once again when the chief priest crowned him at 11:30am on Monday at the Hanuman Dhoka Palace following the announcement of the death of King Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev at the Birendra Military Hospital on 3:45am.

Twenty-nine years ago, King Birendra ascended the throne at the same Nasal Chowk of Hanuman Dhoka Durbar following the death of King Mahendra after a heart attack. The circumstances surrounding King Gyanendra’s accession, however, were gripped by unusual tragedy.

The Raj Parishad declared King Gyanendra the new monarch following the deaths of King Birendra and King Dipendra within a span of 48 hours. Under Article 34 (5) of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal 1990, a meeting of the Raj Parishad was convened and the council confirmed the demise of the King Dipendra. Prince Gyanendra, who was appointed as regent during King Dipendra’s brief reign, was declared the new monarch.

Since King Dipendra was unmarried and had no offspring (sons or grandson), as per the Section 5.6 of the Succession to the Throne Act 2044, Prince Gyanendra — the second brother of late King Birendra and uncle of late King Dipendra — was declared the successor to the throne.

History has thrust upon King Gyanendra a role similar to the one he discharged in 1950. But the challenges ahead are more difficult for him this time. In his first four-month reign in 1950, he protected the monarchy from abolition by Rana prime minister Mohan Sumsher. This time, too, he is entrusted with the task of maintaining the continuity of the monarchy and upholding public faith in the institution.

Although a section of the people sees him as an illiberal member of the royal family, the time has come for King Gyanendra to prove them wrong. As chairman of King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, King Gyanendra has already showed his effectiveness and efficiency in the area of natural conservation. "King Gyanendra is an efficient and knowledgeable man, as I had an opportunity to work with him in the area of conservation," said a western diplomat on condition of anonymity.

The nation hopes King Gyanendra succeeds in filling the vacuum generated in the country following the tragedy in the royal palace. That would be one of his greatest contributions to the nation and institution of monarchy.

In an address to the nation after his accession, King Gyanendra clearly reaffirmed his commitment to investigate the incidents that took place on the night of June 1 in which eight royal family members — including King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, Prince Nirajan and Princess Shruti — were killed.

"In a strange twist of history, King Gyanendra seems to have been destined to save the crown of the Kingdom of Nepal for a second time when there seems to be a real threat and a near breakdown of the institution of monarchy. In 1950 he was crowned as king when his grandfather King Tribhuvan, his father Crown Prince Mahendra and his brother Prince Birendra and other family members sought asylum to India. King Gyanendra finds himself shouldering similar responsibilities after his brother, King Birendra and nephew King Dipendra, along with most of their family members, met with a tragic end on Friday June 1, 2001," Attorney-General Badri Bahadur Karki said. King Gyanendra’s immediate response to calls for an investigation into the palace killings showed how eager he is to tackle issues raised by the people. The new king has a tough time ahead as public sentiments sparked by rumors have sent tremors of panic across the city. In the name of expressing grief, some individuals are making efforts to destabilize the country, something the people will have to vigilant against.

Nepal has seen a series of political instability and anarchy in the last five years. The Nepalese people are knowingly or unknowingly playing a part in creating this instability. Whether through constitutional or unconstitutional processes, the country has seen a prolonged phase of political volatility.

The country can expect to overcome this critical situation, including the six-year-old violent insurgency, since the nation has a new monarch who has a long experience in matters of governance. King Gyanendra has witnessed the vicissitudes of Nepalese society and shared views with late King Birendra.

He has committed himself to the values nurtured by his late brother, particularly those of strengthening constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy and attaining the all-round development of the country. The promptness with which he has constituted a high-level commission of inquiry, headed by the chief justice and including the speaker of the House of Representatives and the leader of the opposition, to probe the cause and circumstances leading to the deaths of King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, Crown Prince Dipendra and most of the royal family members and seeking a report within three days proves he is a man of action.

Of course, the task before him is not at all easy because the country is facing very serious problems: a Maoist insurgency, disarray within political parties and frustration and chaos in society. King Gyanendra must heal the tragic family wound and act as a bridge among political institutions through the delicate mechanism spelled out in the constitution. King Gyanendra, like his elder brother, is well aware of the precariousness of national situation and the volatility of the political process. If things stabilize soon, the country can gain much-needed strength for political rejuvenation.

Political leaders have already expressed support to new king. "We are confident King Gyanendra will support the constitutional process initiated by late King Birendra," said Madhav Kumar Nepal, leader of the main opposition CPN-UML. "We urge all Nepalis to support the new king in his efforts to consolidate multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy."

Rastriya Prajatantra Party president Surya Bahadur Thapa has issued a similar plea. CPN-ML leader Bam Dev Gautam and Nepal Sadbhavana Party leader Gajendra Narayan Singh, too, have urged party workers and the people to support King Gyanendra in his efforts to consolidate the democratic process.

"Nepal is facing a very crucial time in its history. We will support the new king’s efforts to consolidate the constitutional monarchy and multiparty democracy," said Gautam said.

As all the major political leaders have expressed their commitment to supporting the institution of constitutional monarchy, the people now expect firm steps aimed at stabilizing the democratic process.

With the nation passing through a very crucial time in its history, public attention is sharply focused on King Gyanendra’s efforts to pull the nation out of its current despair.

DEATH OF KING BIRENDRA

End Of An Era

A monarch who ascended the throne at the age of 28, King Birendra’s reign came to an end at the age of 56, having established a reputation well beyond his country as a mature leader. He ruled Nepal as an absolute monarch for 18 years and 12 as a constitutional monarch. During both roles, King Birendra successfully won the hearts of his people.

By KESHAB POUDEL

After King Birendra and his entire family members died in mysterious circumstances at the Royal Palace on Friday, June 1, the question remains: how will Nepal achieve much-needed political stability at this crucial juncture of history.

Although he was a constitutional monarch for the last 12 years, King Birendra played a very important role in ensuring a smooth transition to democracy. Many Nepalis are concerned whether the absence of King Birendra’s dynamism and maturity would mean a new phase of instability.

If Nepal faced a series of political instability, this Himalayan buffer state between two big regional powers, India and China, may have to pass through a very critical situation. During his 30 years on the throne, King Birendra maintained a well-balanced relationship with both neighbors.

Whatever the circumstances surrounding Friday night’s deaths in the palace, the primary challenge now is to unite the country under the new king. "Nepal has lost one of its greatest kings who always sided with the people whenever there was a crisis," said prominent historian Rishikesh Shaha. "This is a very crucial phase in the history of Nepal and the death of King Birendra is a major loss to the country."

Foreign leaders and major political parties hailed the role of King Birendra in nation building and democratization. Nepal’s leaders need to work toward maintaining political stability at a time when the country has lost a statesman who was always concerned about national well-being and democracy.

As a large number of youths converged on the streets of Kathmandu demanding a probe into what actually happened at the royal palace on that fateful night, the risk of violence continued. Groups of youth were already marching in the city, demanding punishment for the culprits. The local administrations of Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts imposed a curfew after violent clashes.

Violence and demonstrations will further worsen the situation, especially at a time when the country needs patience and courage. "In the name of seeking punishment, the situation may turn worse," said a political analyst. This is a time to show patriotism and loyalty to the institution of monarchy and the nation."

When news of the deaths of King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and other royal family members first spread on the night of June 1-2, few took it more seriously than a crude rumor. The country went into shock after the Raj Parishad made an official announcement on the afternoon of June 2. People thronged the Birendra Army Hospital in Chhauni to seek information. According to the official announcement, which the people received at 1:30pm, King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, Prince Nirajan, Princess Shruti and four other members of the royal family were declared dead at 9:15pm at Narayanhity Royal Palace the previous night. People learned that Crown Prince Dipendra, who the Raj Parishad had declared the new king, was in a coma at the hospital.

Although King Birendra and his family members died in an accident at the Narayanhity palace, nobody knows the exact cause of the deaths that took place during a family dinner or who killed them. Rumors spread that Crown Prince Dipendra shot his family members with an automatic rifle following a dispute over his marriage plans.

Nobody knows how and when the incident took place as almost all the eyewitnesses were either killed or seriously injured as this story was being written. If nobody was available to describe what had happened, how did the news that Crown Prince Dipendra had opened fire on his family members before shooting himself spread like wildfire?

"It is really strange to see news pointing a finger to the Crown Prince Dipendra, quoting Royal Palace sources, spread. When no person who attended the dinner was in a position to tell the facts, how could someone simply spread the news accusing a seriously injured Crown Prince?" asked a political analyst.

It appeared the incident was used to encourage political instability in the country and create panic among the people. Virtually no one was willing to believe that Crown Prince Dipendra could have taken such an extreme action.

"Crown Prince Dipendra was an intelligent and very kind person. I never saw a trace of bad temperament in him. As his teacher, I was well treated and respected," said Dr. Mangal Siddhi Manandhar, professor of geography and member of the parliament.

The common people voiced similar views. When this scribe interviewed 100 youths, 95 percent did not believe the story was credible. "We do not believe that Crown Prince Dipendra could have taken such an extreme step. No son can kill his father, mother and his whole family for the sake of a girl. I don’t know why the media are playing up such unsubstantiated stories," said Shree Prasad Pandit, registrar at the Supreme Court, who came to the Narayanhity palace to pay his respects to the departed king. "The event did not take place as reported. An automatic weapon exploded accidentally," said Chiran S. Thapa, the royal palace master of ceremonies, talking to the BBC World Service Television. "I don’t know the details, but I do believe that it was an accident."