A Political Coup Amidst the Road Shows for Getting Back to Square One:

Nepalis have to bear a compulsion of taking to the streets at least every 15 year-after with demands for changes ensuring economic progress with political stability for good. Let us rewind the history to look at how Nepalis took to the streets during the years 1962, 1980, 1990, and 2006. During the latter three phases, people had to come to the streets with slogans such as ‘down with the Panchayat Regime, and down with the monarchy rule’ demands. In 1962, people revolted against then government with allegations of mismanagement and corrupt practices; albeit, more of what done was the palace- maneuvered strategy to sabotage the BP led popular government.

Yet another street show is now taking place with a series of rallies both in urban concentrations and outside, and the people leading the shows—I call the restorationists— claim that it could take some four months to achieve the intended goals. The ongoing 2020 street shows differ significantly from any of the earlier ones. People have now come to the streets with very contrasting demands chanting ‘down with corruption, monarchy hi-hi, republic bye-bye’ slogans.

The restoration demands that were almost absent ever since the monarchy got replaced by the ‘Ganatantra’ have been increasingly growing after the visit of Samanta Goel (Raw Chief), Manoj Mukund Naravane( Indian Army Chief), Harsha Vardhan shringla( Indian Foreign Secretary), and General Wei Fenghe( Chinese Defense minister and also a first- state Councilor).

Rumor has it that both China and India are not happy with Nepal’s increasingly deteriorated governance system. Their dissatisfaction relates mainly to the two issues: One, why is Nepal incapable of achieving stability even after 30 years of democratic governance system? Two, why do people take to the streets for a political change every 20 or 25 years after?

They believe that the Nepali Avatar of Francisco Franco— a Spanish General, who led the nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic and ruled over Spain from 1939 to 1975 as a dictator and eventually restored Juan Carlos as King of Spain—would have to emerge given how the nation is suffering. They not only believe in it but are instigating for it too. Their hopes have been stronger and therefore seem to be elated especially after the visit of Naravane and General Wei Fenghe, and their tête-à-têtes with the Nepal Army generals , including the Army Chief.

Both Beijing and New Delhi should have been taken by surprise with Khadka Prasad Oli’s yesterday’s decision of dissolution of the Parliament. It was he who used to reteiterate that he leads the post-1990 strongest government never ever to be shaken by any moves from any political tremor with any Richter’s magnitude scale. What made him shaken now so as to resort to the dissolution of the Parliament that otherwise could have paved the path for him to achieve his much talked promise of prosperity through stability?

The restorationists that have been organizing nationwide protests for the last couple of weeks cite the example of Charles II of Great Britain and Ireland and ask: why things cannot and therefore should not happen in Nepal that has happened elsewhere around the globe? It is appropriate to recall that Charles—known as the Merry Monarch— was one of the most popular and beloved kings of England despite being hedonistic and following a livelier life after return to normality from over a decade of rule by Cromwell and the Puritans. Do the restorationists think the unpopularity of both the father and son—Gyanendra and Paras— would not stand as a stumbling block for the people to rally behind the restoration revolution?

It is as true as a daylight that both Oli and Bhandari left no stone unturned to making mockery of themselves and the positions they hold—the former by issuing the same ordinances and withdrawing them over and over again, and the latter— a typical character in Nepal’s contemporary politics— supporting Oli for his any ill-intent. It has been now a word of mouth beneath every roof that Bhandari is ever eager to do anything desired by Oli.

A great number of the restorationists hold another hope as well. They believe that the Nepali Avatar of Francisco Franco— a Spanish General, who led the nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic and ruled over Spain from 1939 to 1975 as a dictator and eventually restored Juan Carlos as King of Spain—would have to emerge given how the nation is suffering. They not only believe in it but are instigating for it too. Their hopes have been stronger and therefore seem to be elated especially after the visit of Naravane and General Wei Fenghe, and their tête-à-têtes with the Nepal Army generals , including the Army Chief. Analysts even believe that General Wei and Naravane have reached a tacit understanding of supporting Nepal Army should it initiate any move of such kind.

I see this possibility to come truer with the dissolution of the Parliament. It is because the nation now on could witness many more chaos with riots and political unrests that could hardly allow the proposed April-May mid-term elections to see any light of day. I see a very bleak chance of the reinstatement of the Parliament by the Supreme Court for the Chief Justice has already started getting his shares in the political appointments Oli has been making.

There is no possibility of seeing any other worse leaders than what we find now. In fact, most Cs— the Congress, the Communists, and of late the Corona have proved to be disastrous to the country, people and ultimately to the path to progress and prosperity. The monarchy ruled for thirty years having alerted the people ‘the nationality is in danger’; the multiparty system ruled the country in no different way from the monarchial system having made an excuse that democracy was in danger’ and the after April uprising rulers are milking, exploiting and bankrupting the country and the people with a slogan that the Ganatantra’ is in danger.

The move of Oli and Bidya Bhandari to resort to dissolving the House of Representatives is something very much unbecoming and has pushed the country to yet another quagmire of instability and uncertainty—it is a treachery in Nepali politics. Nobody knows how to define the political honesty, moral values and vision of Oli who dissolved the House of Representatives that elected him the head of the government for a five-year term based on which he used to boast of the electoral mandate he enjoyed. Nobody knows how to define a yes-woman like Bhandari who as always enjoyed acting as a rubber stamp for Oli having thrown the legitimacy of the Office of the President of Nepal to waste yard. But it will certainly reenergize the restorationists.

It is as true as a daylight that both Oli and Bhandari left no stone unturned to making mockery of themselves and the positions they hold—the former by issuing the same ordinances and withdrawing them over and over again, and the latter— a typical character in Nepal’s contemporary politics— supporting Oli for his any ill-intent. It has been now a word of mouth beneath every roof that Bhandari is ever eager to do anything desired by Oli. Look at how she dissolved the Parliament immediately after Oli visited her with the dissolution proposal. Both of them have made their positions a joke and have lost legitimacy to continue their chairs. It is surprising that the president—believed to act as the custodian of the nation’s interests— prefers to acting as if she were Oli’s pocket’s property.

Oli seems willing to act as an anything-can-do man. If what he did yet is any guide, he could also dare to impose a state of emergency for the trailer has been shown right yesterday as he summoned the chiefs of all security agencies. The more Oli acts by his whims and vagaries, the greater the hopes for the restorationists make a sea of people rally behind them.

People have not forgotten the so-called ‘Swachhachhabis’ that Gyanendra tried while seeking to be a visible, audible, and the people-surrounded king. The whole plan of restoration could appear another fraud on the nation if the restorationists wish to replace today’s looters by another group of people that have not got any chance to loot the country for long because of not being in the mainstream politics.

People now believe that Gyanendra alone is not bad; most leaders that ruled the country with the dawn of democracy in 1990 have proved worse. There is no possibility of seeing any other worse leaders than what we find now. In fact, most Cs— the Congress, the Communists, and of late the Corona have proved to be disastrous to the country, people and ultimately to the path to progress and prosperity. The monarchy ruled for thirty years having alerted the people ‘the nationality is in danger’; the multiparty system ruled the country in no different way from the monarchial system having made an excuse that democracy was in danger’ and the after April uprising rulers are milking, exploiting and bankrupting the country and the people with a slogan that the Ganatantra’ is in danger. How come this that something— very precious and the hard-earned— are always in danger no matter who rules?

The private, independent, and the non-aligned citizens think that the restoration, if at all to take place, could bring another section of the people to rule that could be as good as today’s looters. People have not forgotten the so-called ‘Swachhachhabis’ that Gyanendra tried while seeking to be a visible, audible, and the people-surrounded king. The whole plan of restoration could appear another fraud on the nation if the restorationists wish to replace today’s looters by another group of people that have not got any chance to loot the country for long because of not being in the mainstream politics. The restorationists need to take stock of all this and should come in the streets that what happened in the past will never recur.

There is no space to disagree that the parties and the governments failed seriously one after the other; frustration and disappointment among the common people have skyrocketed; and common people are becoming more hopeless, helpless and resourceless than never. The nation is almost collapsed. All people except the ones that rally behind either the Congress or the Communists have been suffering tough times ever since 1990.

Since Gyanendra’s track record is not good as well, the only advantage he enjoys is that any ruler after 1990 was/ is not good either. Gyanendra’s becoming a King was in itself a nine days’ wonder. His takeover in the past could have served as a watershed in Nepal’s politics had he put his efforts to take away the country from then existing mess. Monarchy would have not gone then. People like me—they could account for some ninety percent of Nepal’s population— would have certainly loved a monarchy of such stature.