A protest in Kathmandu demanding the restoration of King Gyanendra Shah to the throne and declaring Nepal a Hindu state turned violent on March 28, 2025. The protest left two dead and several injured, besides large-scale arson and looting, in its wake.
Public outcry drove King Gyanendra out of power in 2007. Now Nepal is witnessing a series of protests, especially in Kathmandu, to bring him back.
Since 2015, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) of Nepal has spearheaded the demand for Nepal to be declared a Hindu state and for the restoration of monarchy. The Shah dynasty ruled Nepal for 240 years, beginning with its founder, King Prithivi Narayan Shah, who unified what is now Nepal. It ended with the last King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah.
On June 1, 2001, the entire family of the late King Birendra (Gyanendra’s elder brother) was shot dead by his son and Crown Prince Dipendra. After shooting every family member present, Dipendra shot himself and died of the injuries three days later.
This paved the way for Gyanendra Shah, a businessman until then, to ascend the throne.
As a constitutional monarch, King Gyanendra overstepped the powers vested in him and sacked the elected Prime Minister on February 1, 2005, dissolving parliament. This proved to be the turning point for his own future.
The Nepali political parties and the Maoists, who were leading an armed insurgency, reached a consensus through dialogue to abolish the direct rule of King Gyanendra.
The people’s movement of 2007 overthrew Gyanendra’s direct rule and reinstated parliament. An elected Constituent Assembly ended the monarchical system and declared Nepal a secular federal democratic republic on May 28, 2008. The new government, however, decided to allow the former king the use of one of his palaces (others were taken over) and provided him security.
The mutual understanding between the political parties and the former king provided him with a safe and dignified exit.
Two elections were held to constitute a Constituent Assembly to draft the constitution. The first failed in the task. The second Constituent Assembly, however, successfully promulgated a republican constitution in 2015.
The Nepal Constitution of 2015 is considered a progressive document that addresses the grievances of minorities and provides an inclusive framework of representation for marginalized sections like Dalits and women.
Over the years, the government drafted laws directly or indirectly linked to implementing the fundamental rights and established newly-imagined institutions at the federal, provincial and local levels to implement constitutional provisions.
However, the government failed to meet people’s expectations in terms of the delivery of public services. Cases of corruption increased rapidly over the years. These factors created the conditions for the re-emergence of hitherto dormant royalists who began demanding the restoration of monarchy.
The first formal speech of the ex-king on February 18, 2025, on the eve of Democracy Day, appealed to the people to support him “to save the nation and maintain national unity,” claiming that democracy had not been able to win the trust of the citizens.
A large crowd formed in Kathmandu to welcome the former king at the airport when he returned there on March 9 this year from a trip to nearby Pokhara.
The public response encouraged the royalists and the former king to further mobilize the people and organize pro-royalist demonstrations in Kathmandu.
It has been estimated that about 5,000 people attended a protest on March 28 demanding the restoration of monarchy. This turned violent, and protesters attacked security personnel. One of the leaders of the protest, Durga Prasai, used his vehicle to break the security barricade, forcibly entering prohibited areas.
Security personnel used tear gas and rubber bullets against the protestors. A protestor was killed in the police firing and a journalist trapped inside a house which was torched by the protestors, also died. Additionally, 30 protestors and 40 security personnel were injured.
The royalists set fire to vehicles, looted department stores, and attacked public buildings and political party offices.
The mainstream political parties – the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist), the Maoist Centre, the Communist Party of Nepal (Socialists) – have all strongly condemned the monarchist violence. They want to hold the former king squarely responsible for the protest and the ensuing violence.
Several civil society organizations, human rights defenders and the business community have also condemned the violence.
Some civil society organizations and members of the public have alleged that Hindu fundamentalists in neighboring India were encouraging the former king and Hindu religious groups to start a movement for the restoration of a Hindu state.
A large group of the former king’s supporters, for example, carried a banner featuring a photo of Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, India. Adityanath is the head of a temple in Gorakhpur on the India-Nepal border, which has had a historic link with the monarchy in Nepal – they were all followers of Guru Gorakhnath, who set up the temple and after whom the town of Gorakhpur is named.
The rise of Hindu fundamentalist and monarchist groups in Nepal has contributed to a volatile situation and increased political instability. This could ultimately lead to anarchy in the country and may also have spillover effects in the region.
The threat to harmony among different religious communities of Nepal may be further exacerbated by the rise of religious fundamentalism.
The cadre of political parties and the general public are also in a dilemma about religion and its role in politics. The majority of the Nepali people are Hindus, and some wonder why it is a problem with formally declaring Nepal a Hindu state. The former king and his supporters are aware of such public confusion and are trying to exploit it.
They know that the acceptance of a Hindu state demands a Hindu cultural and religious leadership. And the former king hopes to fill that void once it occurs.
Declaring Nepal a Hindu state will, however, undermine the existing constitution as well as the aspiration of “Loktantra” (peoples’ rule) and living in a harmonious secular state. Maintaining political stability is a precondition for prosperity and development.
The Nepali people have long aspired to peace and progress. They believe that the existing constitution, along with the recognition of diversity and devolution of power, may help achieve this objective. Marginalized communities, such as Dalits, are raising their voice and opposing the royal protestors.
Looking at the larger South Asia region, Nepal is relatively politically stable in terms of conducting periodic elections and having a new progressive constitution. The political instability in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka already pose challenges in terms of safety and security of the people.
As for India, it wants to be the biggest economy and a regional power. However, these ambitions may be undermined if forces within India encourage Hindu religious fundamentalists in Nepal.
Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info.
