No to regression: on protests in Nepal, pro-monarchy sentiment

The violent protests in Kathmandu on Friday, which left two dead, dozens injured and saw arson and looting, were spearheaded by fringe political forces such as the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Though long relegated to the political margins, the royalist camp has managed to seize upon growing disillusionment with the political establishment. The series of pro-monarchist rallies and demonstrations have been drawing crowds across Kathmandu and other cities, signalling an undercurrent of dissatisfaction with the republic, which is surprising and concerning. Nearly two decades ago, Nepal made a decisive break from monarchy, an institution that had shaped its identity for over 240 years. This was neither a moment of spontaneous outrage nor a casual shift, but the culmination of years of discontent. The turning point came with the royal massacre at Narayanhiti Palace in June 2001, which irreparably damaged the monarchy’s image. When Gyanendra Shah ascended the throne after his brother’s death, he attempted to reassert absolute authority and return Nepal to the pre-1990 political order. His power grab and crackdown on democratic forces triggered a backlash. The tide turned definitively when Maoist rebels abandoned an armed struggle to join the mainstream democratic process. Their integration, along with the withdrawal of international support — particularly Indian — for the monarchy, sealed the institution’s fate. A democratically elected Constituent Assembly (CA) was formed, and in 2008, passed a near-unanimous resolution declaring Nepal to be a federal democratic republic. Despite the political volatility which included two iterations of the CA before the Constitution was promulgated in 2015, Nepal has remained a constitutional republic. Since 2008, power has primarily alternated among the Nepali Congress, which has led the fight for democracy since the fall of the Rana regime; the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), the largest of the leftist parties; and the former Maoist rebels. However, chronic instability, opportunistic alliances, poor governance, and self-serving leadership have plagued the system. The hopes of the CA for inclusive development and justice have largely gone unfulfilled.

Even so, most Nepalis remain acutely aware of the authoritarianism and injustices that characterised the monarchist era. The recent surge in pro-monarchy sentiment is a regressive response to democratic disillusionment. The government must move swiftly to hold accountable those responsible for the recent violence, including any role played by Mr. Shah. At the same time, the ruling party and the opposition must rise to the occasion, restoring public faith by demonstrating the strength, responsiveness, and integrity of parliamentary democracy. That is the surest antidote to calls for a return to monarchy.