Nepali politics hangs around the would-be unification of the two communist parties, the UML and the Maoists Center.
In effect, it was this sudden unity in between the two communist parties that caused severe threat even to the existence of the Nepali Congress, one of the oldest party of Nepal which claims itself synonymous to democracy.
The NC even claimed at times in the past that the existence of democracy cannot even be thought for fraction of a second in the absence of the Nepali Congress. However, the fact is that Nepali democracy in whatever in its form and shape is still surviving in the Nepali Statute. Whether the fruits of democracy has trickled down to the needy ones down in the villages or not is yet a grave question. However, what is for sure is that the advent of democracy-aka Loktantra alias Gantantra has benefitted a few who, sorry to say, have changed their life styles. The quantum jump has been that the system as such has brought fortune to many a hundreds of men with Rubber slippers of the not so distant past.
The foot path dwellers of the recent past now possess several posh bungalows and hefty bank accounts. The bank balance though may not be in their own names. Where the deposited money is at the moment could easily be guessed.
While some have immensely benefited from this “mysterious system” that it is at least for the common Nepali population, then others at the grass roots have yet to understand the very intrinsic meaning of the system and its advantages if any.
For critics, it is a system whose advent had been due to the Himalayan support that suddenly but in a very calculated manner poured in Nepal which did away with all the old institutions of Nepal that fortunately or even unfortunately included the two and a half century old Monarchy.
The now forlorn Nepal sovereign at times claims that some sort of “written agreement(s)” had been inked in between the then agitating seven parties and the King under the mediation of Dr. Karn Singh-the heir apparent of Kingdom of Kashmir who now unfortunately serves Madame Sonia Gandhi in India, which inter alia stated that the then Monarch would give a new lease of life to the dead parliament and in lieu of such an act, the Monarchy shall continue to remain in Nepal albeit with the status of a constitutional one.
The condition for the continuation of the monarchy was that the King should use his residual powers vested in him and resurrect the “departed” legislature.
Dr. Karn Singh prefers to remain tight lipped and the neglected former King on some occasions voices his inner concerns and says that he was “cheated” by the contracting seven parties.
In fact how the things developed then at time of the last minutes of the agitation and how the agitating parties and the King in the presence of the Indian emissary stuck the “deal” nobody else knows better than the parties engaged in said act.
Albeit, the then Indian Foreign Secretary, Shyam Sarana, now in a visit to Kathmandu could shed some light as he remained instrumental in the dismantling of the Royal institution, as the observers have been given to understand.
Mr. Saran, it is believed, managed the grand shelter together with security to the Nepal Maoists in NOIDA, Delhi while he served as India’s Ambassador in Nepal. To know the details, read the book written by Professor SD Muni-the self-declared Nepal expert.
At least such rumors were in circulation in Kathmandu trickling down from New Delhi.
But the problem is that neither the Nepali parties nor Dr. Karn Singh prefer to clarify the nitty-gritty of the said deal and thus the confusion yet remains. Mr. Shyam Saran too prefers not to speak on this issue.
Yet a layman’s conclusion is that the King while agreeing to revive the dead parliament must have asked something substantial from the contracting parties in return and that could have been the continuation of the Nepali Monarchy. Or what else he could have asked?
This much could be guessed. But the parties then after the revival of the dead House did away with the establishment, which brought the dead politics into action.
What is deep inside this imbroglio has not yet come to the fore but yet the ignored King still hopes that one fine morning he would be reinstated. But who will reinstate him? The Nepali people? Or the alien regime which planned his calculated overthrow?
Fortunately, the now sidelined King immediately after his ouster from the Royal palace preferred to remain inside Nepal as a commoner instead of playing tricks to bounce back to power.
The then Danish and the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Nepal told this scribe that “thanks this man avoided bloodshed and made a history. You had a wise King. He compromised with the people and the parties and thus averted a disaster”.
These two envoys talked to this scribe at the Russian Culture center at a program organized by the Sri Lankan Embassy. This was the same evening when King Gyanendra with his queen drove towards Nagarjun Palace-his new abode granted by the new government headed by Girija Prasad Koirala.
Prior to his grand departure to his new settlement, he addressed a crowded press conference wherein he was more or less insulted by a section of the so called media.
The King must have gulped the bitter pill. He had no option other than to face the changed situation that was equally a dangerous one.
Interestingly, the-to-be side-lined King, Gyanendra had presided over the oath taking ceremony of the new Nepal PM Mr. Koirala.
And PM Koirala acted in a manner that was just unimaginable for some in the nation.
Perhaps it is time that either Vedanti Dr. Karn Singh or the parties in agitation then must clarify the matter and tell the Nepali population as to whether there had been a written agreement in between the parties and the King or not?
Dr. Karn Singh must come forward and tell the truth at least to let the people in Nepal understand the facts better. As a senior Indian citizen and also the one who commands respect in Nepal as well, Dr. Singh is expected to speak the truth and truth only.
Mr. Shyam Saran, now in Kathmandu, too could shed some light as regards the much talked “deal” as he was the one to have come to Nepal along with Dr. Karn Singh, if he recalls.