King GyanendraNepal is as a nation of extremes. The rugged features of the Himalayan mountains bear a remarkable resemblance to the Nepalese character. This country remains an autocratic monarchy, a rarity in this modern day world.

The GDP ranks as the lowest in South Asia. Maoist insurgents started a civil war against the government in 1996 that has led to more than 12,000 deaths and the internal displacement of an estimated 150,000 people. Nepal has an absolute monarchy, with the King having the right to dissolve parliament at will. King Gyanendra did just that in February of this year in what some called a "coup" against the democratic government which the King saw as ineffective in the fight against the Maoist insurgents. At the time, the King made these comments: "democracy and progress contradict one another … in pursuit of liberalism, we should never overlook an important feature of our character, namely discipline." Discipline, however, was not enforced (or, perhaps, was never tried) in the case of the King’s own son, Crown Prince Paras, who has been accused of everything from hitting and killing a popular Nepalese singer with his car while under the influence of alcohol to setting fire to his room while free-basing cocaine.

Much of the opposition to King Gyanendra is due to the bad reputation of his son who is the heir to the throne. But, the traditionalists who support the King want to keep patrimony as the source of power in Nepal.

Contradictions abound in Nepal. Pro-communist Maoists have aligned themselves with pro-democracy parties. King Gayenendra of Nepal says that he desires peace, but he won't agree to a cease-fire with the Maoists. King Gyanendra has called for municipal elections, but pro-democracy proponents have vowed to boycott the polls.

The Nepalese have become divided into two factions – either supporters of the royal government or the Maoists. Even though the current government falls short when it comes to support of democratic institutions and protection of human rights, the royalists clearly are preferable to their Maoist rivals.

The Maoist insurgents have used terror and committed criminal acts (including extra judicial killings, rapes, kidnappings, and conscription at gunpoint) to advance their cause. This conscription of children has resulted in the reported deaths of some 400 children in battle. While very little is known about the leadership structure of the insurgency, their leader’s name, Prachanda, is translated as "the fierce one"; and they like to compare their movement to the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

The Maoists launched what they called the "Nepalese Peoples' War" on Feb. 13, 1996. Their propaganda campaign refers to their program as a "New Democracy" whereby Nepal would be officially Communist while having a capitalist economy.

Their words do not match the reality of their movement. Maoists got their name from Chairman Mao of China who never supported democracy, and his so-called communist idealism resulted in terrible famines while his Peoples' Republican army killed millions of their own citizens.

It should be noted that Mao developed a guerrilla warfare strategy during the Chinese civil war of taking control of rural areas and then encircling the urban areas. The Communist Party of Nepal has adopted a similar guerrilla strategy there. They exploit the gullibility of the populace. The farmers in the countryside own very little, and the Maoists blame King Gyanendra for their difficulties.

They also have convinced some non-communist political parties to endorse their agenda, by calling their movement, ‘New Democracy’ and becoming the symbol of opposition to the royal family. By so doing, they have rallied many foes of the monarchy to their cause.

Hence, Nepalese are forced into a divisive environment where they have to choose between two unpleasant alternatives. And, neither the royal government nor the Maoists have shown a willingness to compromise and end the fighting.

One of the biggest problems facing King Gyanendra is the political fallout from the tragic killing of the previous King by a member of the royal family on June 1, 2004. As BBC news reported, "a drunken Crown Prince Dipendra killed his parents, the King and Queen of Nepal, and seven other royals before killing himself, an official investigation found."

Gyanendra was anointed king by default, to take the place of his popular brother who formerly had ruled the country.

King Gyanendra recently changed his cabinet for the third time since taking over control in February. He has promised municipal elections next year and parliamentary elections in 2007, which opposition parties say they will boycott.

The U.S. State Department has labeled the Maoist movement as a terrorist organization and sent $20 million to aid the Nepalese government. Unlike Iraq, on this issue the U.S. and Europe see eye to eye. The European Union has condemned the ruthlessness of the Maoists.

While the battle for control of Nepal between the royal and the Maoists rages, King Gyanendra appears strong enough to prevent the Communists from taking over the country. However, if anything were to happen to him, there isn’t much confidence in the abilities of his son, Crown Prince Paras, to lead the country. The Crown Prince is more identified with a hedonistic lifestyle, than with developing a reputation that earns the respect of the Nepalese. At the moment he appears to have very little support were he to succeed to the throne. One has to keep in mind, however, that Nepal has a historical tradition of resolving its political conflicts.

What happens to the monarchy remains an open question. Prince Paras may be a key to whether it survives in the future. Some people mature with age. Supporters of the monarchy hope that is the case with Prince Paras. He may be needed to help defeat the Maoist insurgency and to improve the stability of Nepal. Will Prince Paras turn out to be the prodigal son who turns away from his wild ways and becomes a responsible leader in saving his country from the Maoist threat? Or, will he or his father be the last monarch to rule Nepal?

Comments (0)

Comment	smaller | bigger
Name
Write the displayed characters
Subscribe via email (Registered users only) I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage.
	Add Comment