A pro-monarch march took place in the capital of Kathmandu on Saturday, where hundreds took to the streets with national flags to extend their support to the constitutional monarchy.
Hundreds of monarch supporters took to the streets in a pre-organized and well-advertised rally on 5 December demanding the reinstatement of the constitutional monarchy and the declaration of the Hindu state of Nepal.
The participants of Saturday’s massive rally chanted slogans in support of the Hindu monarchy and called for the re-establishment of the constitutional monarchy in the Himalayan country, which they claimed was for the sake of the national unity and well-being of the people.
“Today, participants are here without being driven by any impulsive feelings, as the movement led by youths has already set off. We can dream of our beautiful Nepal and this nation would obviously get back its monarch status of a Hindu-state. Until and unless we achieve our aim we would fight for it,” Amir KC, one of the participants in the march who claimed to be leading over 250 youths from Lalitpur to the venue told ANI.
Saturday’s demonstration comes as a series of similar protests were held in the past month for a constitutional monarchy. It was held under banner of Rashtriya Nagarik Andolan Samiti 2077 (National Civic Movement Committee 2020).
On November 10, a group with banner “Nationalist Civic Society” staged a demonstration in Jamal of Kathmandu, demanding restoration of constitutional monarchy and announce Nepal a Hindu state. Two days later, a group named Nepal Scholar Council held a demonstration in Biratnagar with the same demands.
Again on November 19, another group under the banner “Independent Nationalist Citizens Far-West” demonstrated in Dhangadhi followed by a protest in Pokhara on November 25 under the banner “Western Nepali Citizens” and “Nepal Nationalist Group” in Janakpur of Nepal.
The trend of staging demonstrations in other parts of the country also continued to rise as a similar protest was held in Hetauda on 29 November under the banner “Restoration of Constitution Movement” and another protest on 30 November in Kathmandu itself.
A similar form of protest was planned by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party in Jhapa, hometown of the incumbent Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, in support of the monarch and monarchy.
Observers in Kathmandu say that the campaign to restore the king has emerged as a result of failed attempts by existing political parties to serve the public interest.
“When democratic forces don’t live up to expectations– both ruling and opposition parties– then it`s inevitable that some alternative force will try to take its place. That is how I see the revival of this protest,” Biswas Baral, current affairs commentator in Kathmandu told ANI.
“Many people are unhappy with the working of the current government. It has been seen as a failure in controlling COVID-19, in controlling corruption and in implementing federalism. So, there is general disillusionment amongst people so this (protest) could be an expression of that,” Baral said.
On Saturday, protesters displayed placards bearing a portrait of Prithiv Narayan Shah, the founding father of modern Nepal, along with national flags, chanting slogans against the Federal Democratic Republican system that Nepal introduced in 2008 after the abolition of the 240-year-old monarchy.
Since the promulgation of a new constitution in 2015, Nepal has switched to a federal democratic republic.
The First General Election of 2017, held after the promulgation of the Charter, gave a strong mandate to the alliance of the then-CPN-UML and the Maoist Core of the incumbent NCP, which is now in control.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who has since come to power with the duty to implement the constitution, improve federalism and good governance, is now seen to be struggling.