Citizens Meet Demanding Democratic Republic

By Ujjwal Acharya on August 5th, 2005 in Democracy Wall

Photos on this post will not be displayed for technical reasons.

1. Rubin Gandarva on Stage-I

Rubin Gandarva, a street singer, stole the show. He sang various numbers including the parody of “Danphe Nachera.. Desh Kanha Banchha Ra Raja Rakhera” Pic by Shaligram Tiwari

Civil Society organized a mass meeting at the Naya Baneshwor today demanding for Democractic Republic (Loktantra) which was attended by thousands of peoples of all walks. This is probably the first instance any such mass meeting was called by the citizen themselves.

2. Rubin Gandarva on Stage-II

Pic by Shaligram Tiwari

3. Citizens Speak, Leaders Listen

Pic by Narendra Shrestha via Kantipur

4. The Mass

Pic by Bikash Karki via Kantipur

5. Nepal FM on the street:

Nepal FM Banner

Representatives of Nepal FM participated in a rally from Tinkune to New Baneshwor organized this afternoon by the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) with a banner that showed the enlarged version of the warning letter sent to the station by the ministry of information and communication recently. The letter imprinted Secret (blue colored font, right) and Urgent (blue colored font, left) sought explanations from the 91.2 Megahertz station for broadcasting news. Royal government has banned FM stations, primary source of news for millions of Nepalis, from broadcasting news and current affair information. Nepal FM has firmly decided to take the issue to Supreme Court and has continued broadcasting news despite the possibility of being forcefully closed by the government. Pic by Wagle.

Even more amusing was that most of the political leaders were invited to participation as listeners (not as speakers!). Speakers included senior journalists Kanak Mani Dixit, Federation of Nepalese Journalists Bishnu Nisthuri, Krishna Pahadi, Mathura Prasad Shrestha, Suprabha Ghimire and others (including singers and poets).

6. FM Listeners On The Street:

Members of a radio listeners’ club were also present in the FNJ rally with their own banner. Pic by Wagle.

“We have seen political parties’ pace in those six months after February 1,” journalist Dixit told the participants who braved the rainfall to listen him. “The citizens of the country have to move forward now for their own because there is no one to speak on behalf of the citizens.”

“These days, politics is dead, citizens have to wake it up,” he added. “Citizens’ movement should be peaceful and long standing.” Dixit started saying that he would not criticize King because it’s not worth to talk about the one who doesn’t listen.”

7. Citizens Meet On The Street:

Lensemen On Stage

Journalists’ rally merged into a mass meeting organized by the Citizen’s Movement for Democracy and Peace in New Baneshwor’s BICC road. In this photo, lens men from various media are seen on the stage trying to take the best shot of the occasion. Pic by Wagle.

Dr. Mathura Shrestha, who spoke after two “republic demanding poems” of Arjun Bhattarai and Benju Sharma, said that history had seen kings beheaded for this atrocities and wished he wouldn’t see such situation in Nepal.

The one thing that we as the participants enjoyed most was the song of a little boy in which he played Sarangi for his own-worded song with the theme �the king is not doing good for the country.�

8. Journalists’ arrival:

When journalists’ rally arrived on the BICC road in New Baneshwor, they were welcomed by claps from the citizens and volunteers gathered there to participate in the mass meeting. In this photo, leading journalists reply to the clapping by waving their hands. Pic by Wagle.

Earlier, FNJ organized a rally from Tinkune to Baneshwor protesting the government�s demand of clarification over news broadcast issue from Nepal FM. The journalists displayed the enlarged version of the �high priority� and �secret� letter to the FM demanding clarification over �why shouldn�t its license be cancelled� for broadcasting news.

During the rally, Rainbow FM Pvt Ltd, which runs Nepal FM, distributed the photocopy of the government�s license that clearly says:

12. Programs Broadcasted: News based, entertainment based and information based.

“In autocracy, the rules are nothing,” I heard a participant saying.

39 Responses to “Citizens Meet Demanding Democratic Republic”

1. Baised Reporter Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 7:50 pm

Journalists are the one playing politics now !! 🙂
2. Ram Dahal Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 9:49 pm

Citizens are in wake. Declare Aswin 19 a black day and call all citizens to go light off that day for 5 minutes at 8 o’clock evening dot from the side of civil society. Result will be a blow to autocracy.
3. Rajendra Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 10:01 pm

So, the politicians are now tired. Soon, these useless bunch of so-called civil society people will also run out money. If only Keith Bloomfield would stop sponsoring these programs, they would have dies a long time ago. We all know that “journalist” Dixit gets his monthly perks from the UNDP, Indian Embassy and the British Embassy. That’s why he has tp prove his worth because Himal Kabarpatrika isn’t doing well these days circulation wise. History will remember that these were the poets, civil society people that were responsible for making Nepal another Afgahnistan and children will recite poems on how peaceful and stable Nepal was when these people were in jail.
4. hari Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 10:14 pm

Yeah! These rallies are just a waste of time. I mean, how can you say that there were “thousands” in this rally when I was passing through the same palce and I couldn’t even see a couple of hndred covering themselves in umbrella?
Don’t make your website so worthless. It should have some credibility. There were not more than 200 people in this rally according to my estimate. Besides, everyone knows that all these civil society people are simply Nepali Congress & UML affiliated intellectuals who were slammed for 14 years for the same party leaders that they are helping to bring to power. What will Girija do to Mathura Prasad or Devendra Raj. He will simply forget and appease his daughter, niece, nephew, girl friend, etc.
5. reply Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 10:18 pm

Look at that ridiculous idea of Ram Dahal. Nobody turned off their lights on the 19th evening. Just like nobody absorbed Nepal-Bandh and chakka jam on Thursday. Why don’t you understand my dear that the people are not with you or these bunch of civil society people. They have found out the conspiracy against Nepal hatched by foreigners like the Brits and the Danish and are not willing to succumb to these hilarious acts of Lauren Hardy comedy. Of course 200 people there will always be in Kathmandu as it is a huge, huge city. But the majority of the people feel that the security situation has considerably improved post Feb. 1st.
6. raj Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 10:45 pm

I had not seen such pathetic people like rajendra hari etc, who thing only kathmandu is nepal. I am living in a municipality of eastern nepal ( which is less affected by maoist compare to west) and i know how safe we are here! I agree people like girija are bastard,must be punished and kicked out, but those who are supporting the king are another bunch of bastard!
We have privilege to live as we like, not as king and their goons wish.
Just out of anger against those corrupt leader, dont support another bastard ruining out future.
Those people’s childish comment and attitude justified why we are languising poorest life for last two century.
7. kick Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 10:52 pm

ya panche haru ho(rajendra, hari, reply above),

Why are you even here? You should read Gorkhapatra and Rising Nepal and then you will get to read what you want to read. For example 200 people at the meet or more realistically no mention of it.
8. smit Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 11:28 pm

what reply is saying is such a typical response to why we are in the state we are. Blame it on somebody else. It would be easy to believe it is a foreign conspiracy that has got us to the stage that we are in. It would certainly absolve us of any blame. However the truth of the matter is it us and our leaders that are responsible for what we have become. It is easy to blame the political parties or the maoist or even the king but ultimately it is us each citizen that is responsible for the state we are in. It is our own apathy that has lead us to this point. Most of us like to blame the political parties and I agree they squandered the gains the peoples movement had made but how many of us actually stood up and said what you are doing is wrong. Only a very few. Similarly how many of us stood up to the maoist and said what you are doing is wrong. Only a very few. Similarly now it is easy to blame the king or say it is a foreign conspiracy when infact we will never stand up to say what is happening is wrong. This is what makes democracy a real democracy the ability and willingness to speak out. But all we can say is ke garne or yestai ho and move on. That is why we are where we are. So if we want things to be better it is time to stand up and be accounted. Don’t dismiss what these people are doing just because you don’t agree with what they are saying or who they are associated with. That is how the maoist problem started in the first place. If we truly believe in democracy and there is no other alternative to democracy, then it is high time we took responsibility for our past apathy and did something to set things right.
9. Acharya Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 11:38 pm

This represents a new phase in the movement for democracy. Democracy cannot be restored unless the masses realize what is at stake and take the lead. The 1990 movement would not have been successful without the mobilization of the people. With growing conflict, human rights violations, autocracy and random acts of injustice, it is only a matter of time before the common man stands up and leads the fight for democracy. When that happens, no amount of force can stop the common man from freeing himself.
10. Acharya Says:
August 5th, 2005 at 11:55 pm

Hari bhai or whoever you are, I dont know what part of the day were you “passing through” naya baneswor, but I was one of the participants and there were definately thousands of people gathered there. So keep your estimate to yourself and dont you dare come here and malign this website or the thousands of people gathered in support of people’s democracy despite the rain showers.
11. Deshbhakta Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 12:58 am

This definately is a new phase…..hints at a New Nepal…no place for convicted criminals, bank defaults, smugglers in new Nepal……a new Nepal where rulers are answerable to the PEOPLE of Nepal. We don’t need blood suckers to rule in the name of God or Avatar….
12. nationalist Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 1:12 am

I think RNA has appointed some of visilante like Rajendra and hari inorder to give immidiate negative comments about UWB massage or the pro democratic news. Otherwise who can dare to accept Jagat Gauchan and Niranjan Thapa as a minister?????
Who can expect positive from these killers???
13. sisyphus sharma Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 9:01 am

wagle , i was there too . but i cud hear nothing of anyone like arjun bhattarai as a poet . maybe u r hinting at arjun parajuli , the long-bearded satirical “poet”.

now , to talk of whole of the programme , i realised that now it’s the turn of civic society to fail . u see , u again come across that typical nepali mentality during such programmes . i nearly felt for crying while i heard that aruna upreti’s poem. most of the putative poets wud have done it better to keep their shitty peoms with themselves. that was a really useless stuff for which one sud not be drenched in saune jhari.

only three pieces were worth of their action there. the young rubin gandharb was simply superb and soul stirring !! too much salute to him n wagle , u surprise me by not posting his photo over here. rubin gandharb. ck lal and raamesh n frens only cud have made the programme to the point , brief n suceesful in a sense. everything else all was gibberish and stale.

and abt the number, i guessed myself it to be around 5000 or was it 7000? but not more than that. theoritically people will win one day but pratically how long will it take is the most significant issue of today .n the way things are moving , i am certain this generation of politicians will no way lead us to our destiny!civic society’s gathering confirmed it to me.
14. 1whocandie4u Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 10:47 am

The arbitrary and malicious actions taken by government puts a brick on the process and gives extra milage to our analysing ability that this government wants to propel our achievments back to the uncivilised society. Only the thing we can do right now is to work hard to root out present masses of criminal and bank defaulters without leaving any remanants of these people.
15. yodam Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 11:21 am

rajendra, hari, reply and the likes. the first ones to react when people come down to the streets are you guys. as soon as you see people taking to the streets, you get scared, log onto this blog site and start spitting everything you can against those people in the streets. i wonder if you know why you do it. if you dont, let me help you out. people with a lost mentality act the way you do. so you probably dont have a better choice than banging your head to the rock. monarchy is for sure to go outta nepal. i single individual like KG cant be ruling almost 26 million people.
16. reply Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 11:42 am

Look at the comment of “Nationalist”. He says “massage” for “message.” Were you in New Baneswor for the rally for a massage in Thamel?
17. asha Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 11:46 am

Reply to Deshbhakta. Yes, this is definitely a new phase. From Nepal we are now going to become Afghanistan where women move around in covered clothes, where children carry AK47 and where old people live in mental asylums. This is definitely a new phase of total chaos, anarchy and mayhem in a Nepal that was once a peace zone. But there is still hope. But people like Krishna Pahadi, Kanak Mani will die only after Nepal becomes another Sikkim.
18. Wagle Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 12:30 pm

Sisyphus Sharma

Thanks for the comment as always. I did not write this particular blog but I accept the responsibility if there is any mistake in the site. I will try to correct it. I left the program venue at 2: 55 for I was assigned [by the office] to attend another program at Babaralmahal Revisited that would start on the same time.

I really wanted to be there in New Baneshwor but things don’t always turn out to be in your favor. What to do, Sisyphus, job is job. You can’t ignore it. Blogs don’t give me earnings for hand to mouth. But really I regret for not being able to experience the program.

I have just added, to make you feel not surprised, some photos including those of Rubin Gandarva. Njoy!
19. Ranjan Upadhaya Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 12:35 pm

These politicians have nothing to do anyway. So they need money. Civil society people also need money. So they get it from the Danes, Swiss, Norwegians and British, U.S., Indians. There is a conspiracy against Nepal and the Nepalese. It is clear now.
20. sameer Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 1:37 pm

Times like these show who really are in touch with reality and those who are dreaming. For example, bloggers who feel that civil society is useless/ are creating problems/ don’t deserve to have a say in country’s politics- are the dreamers. These people obviously feel that autocracy will be the best option for the country. If panchayati rajya is to start again, these people will finally wake up and realize how wrong they have been all along. I would love to see the looks on these dreamers’ faces when realizations dawn upon them. So sorry that people like these are waiting to destroy any good that might come out of democratic rule.
21. King Kong Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 1:56 pm

To all the KG’s boys(Rajendra, Hari etc.), writing their nonsense in this blog!

What are you pretending to do, how high is your salary for this kind of work? You learnt to work on the computer, because your fathers sucked the aid coming from the countries you are now blaming for conspiracy.

You are the leeches of this society. You betray your brothers and sisters in the districts. You are too cowardish to visit your birthplaces.

Stay nicely close to your father figure, he still rules 60000 poor Nepali boys, trying to earn some money for their poor families, suffering in the villages.
They will give their blood for you cowards, who never did anything else, than suck your father’s purse.

Deep in the ass of the slavemasters, you are not realizing, that you are just miserable poor defenders of a rotten, fascist system, no longer accepted by the majority.

Once you were the only ones to be literate, but luckily times have changed. You will loose your priviliges now, that is the simple reason for the fear, expressed between your poor lines.

Repeat your ‘King is God, King is Nepal’ mantra as often as you want, it will not protect you from being identified and brought to the new reality.

May you survive the anger of the ones you have betrayed since generations!

King Kong says: Kings are history!
22. phulmaya Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 4:04 pm

bored with politics, phulmaya was thinking about geography, or better still nature. she was looking outside of her window which faces the young forest (panche ko palama sakiyeko tara bahudal aaye pachi jatan le hurkayeko). The lush green soothed her pain and refreshed her up. the hariyo jungle and saune jhari reminded her of the barkhe stream she used to swim. which again lead her to politics. she has this strange feeling of toofan nearing; not the natural one but political typhoon. and it will swept away….the dynasty….of raja rajautas….

rubin’s sarangi has called for the day: danhpe nachera, desh kaha bancha raja rakhera……

i was wondering why nobody recited gopal rimal’s ama-ko sapana in the meeting….ek yug ma ek din…
23. asha Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 8:36 pm

King Kong, how high is your salary from scribbling down propoganda of the Maoists? Or how many innocent children have you killed or women have you raped in the villages? You are a leech of our one time zone of peace. Look how peace can return as soon as a decisive action is taken by our fatherly figure. How soon. No chakka jam despite the students throwing stones at vehicles. The people of Kathmandu have really geared up against all these nonsense of Nepal-Bandhs. You leech and other snails like you that thrive on conspiracy against this great nation, that live in foreigners’ money and make living out of conspiring against one’s own motherland are slaves of yourselves. After death, God will punish you. In the Bhagwat Gita, Lord Krishna has said, one’s mother and one’s motherland are dearer to heaven. Look at yourself in the mirror. All you want to do is de-rail process of restoration of democracy. All you are upto is hatred in the society.
24. rajan Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 8:40 pm

So what 500 or a 1000 people turned up in this rally. What about the 2.8 million of Kathmandu that didn’t show up? Isn’t that a message to people like King Kong? And Ambassadors like Bloomfield who is bent in destroying the 200 year old image of Great Britain in Nepal and amongst Nepalese? What a traitor Bloomfield is to his own country? He has spoilt the image of Britons in Nepal nurtured since the time King George V. What a disgrace. If it was out ambassador we would have hanged him from Darahara. Well, that’s why Britain is in real trouble and in dep soup of terrorism itself.
25. NepaliBoy Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 9:06 pm

To Rajan,

It doesn’t mean that if 2.8m of Kathmandu people weren’t at rally, then they support the King. The king held rallies in support of his move earlier, did they turn up at that time? So, why don’t you take that since only a few thousands turned up in the king’s rally, all other are against him?

To hari,

If you believe this site is not worthy visiting, then stop visiting it. Admin should post a notice for him.
26. Ram Dahal Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 10:04 pm

Have you ever gone through history how Bahadur Shamsher, Babbar Shamsher and Mahila Guru Hem Raj Pande roared in last years of Rana regime ? Exactly in same ways as Sachchit Shamsher, Bharat Keshari and Tulshi Giri do now. Tanka Dhakal is a ditto to Bhojpure Mukhiya of time. Till last year, people talked of Prajatantra. Now they talk of Loktantra. No one wants to be a Praja, all declare themselves Janata, the Lok. What the baboons comment in this site hardly matters. The days of royalties are weaning . Good or bad however you may think but this is the Biginning of End of Shah Dynasty.
27. mina Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 10:07 pm

O, Rajendra ! Who needs the money more ? The king 63 crores at one time or the leaders one vehicle each.
28. raj Says:
August 6th, 2005 at 10:13 pm

Compare the people collected by military decree for king’s Abhivadan and people freely assembled on call of civil society. You will see the difference if you are not within gold walls.
29. King Kong Says:
August 7th, 2005 at 12:43 pm

Maoists and King are same evil!

Dear ‘Asha’, how can you suspect me from being a Maoist, my village is suffering from their cruel behaviour. I deeply condemn all kinds of violence. I am a peaceful, democratic pacifist, who is able to discuss with people of different opinion. Despite thinking, that history will teach its lesson to the ones who are too late, i am thinking, that neither the king nor the Maoist are the future of Nepal.

King Kong says: Only fascists need to kill their enemies!
30. samrat Says:
August 7th, 2005 at 4:31 pm

Reply to Ram Dahal: Don’t say you are saying Loktantra not Prajatantra this time because you believe in democracy. If it is so, the translation of democracy into Nepali is Prajatantra. You changed it into Loktantra becasue Indians say democracy is loktantra. Loktantra is a hindi word not Neplai. At least utter the word democracy in Nepali language correctly. You don’t have to say everything in Bihari style.
31. rajan Says:
August 7th, 2005 at 7:27 pm

Reply to Raj: Just compare the people that came to the streets in 1990 people’s movement and the number of people on February 1st after the King made the announcement!! If there is so much of love for the political leaders or the members of the civil society, thousands of people would have come to streets after the Feb. 1st announcement. But they didn’t. It shows how frustrated people were.
32. Harke Says:
August 7th, 2005 at 10:07 pm

reply to rajan: why don’t look at your king’s face? if your king and his army were confident in their move, they would not have started jungli raj cutting telephone and internet, parading machine gun mounted armor vehicles in the streets, sending armies (read as stupid bunch) to newspapeper newsrooms and TV stations, suspending of all civil rights. Was your King confident at all??????? Nope.

I don’t mention the killing spree KG and his army practiced during the preeceeding years. Rajan…What’s going on? Wait and see….many were not willing to risk their lives at the hands as ruthless forces as KG’s army are….but people will do…..Great revolutions take place just like this…it takes time…years and even decades. If Nepal is to be saved from becoming Afganstan, KG MUST go..
33. raj Says:
August 7th, 2005 at 11:39 pm

To dear Rajan,
The people came to the street neither in 1990 nor day before yesterday in support of the monarchy. The came for Loktantra. If you understand the word Praja, it is exactly ‘subject of the king’, not ‘people’. It is so in Sanskrit. If you will trouble a little bit to understand Latin and split the word democracy in demo and cracy, it clearly explains as people’s rule or people’s government. Lok is people. This is a Sanskrit word and nothing to do with modern India. You are a king by your name. I have no pleasure to be your Praja too, neither I like your Prajatantra or Raititantra or slavocracy. We are free person, free people. So far as Indians use this word ‘Loktantra’, I have no Indo-phobia as that of yours. They use thousands of Sanskrit words that any Nepali do. Yes, some time my elected leaders faulted, I can bring them on the square of Baneshwar and scold them. You can not do so to your so called living god. Remember, peace without freedom is slavery. And people, Nepalese people, do not want to be slave.
34. Ram Dahal Says:
August 7th, 2005 at 11:50 pm

Samrat!
Should I add more what Raj already has explained on my behalf in his/her address to Rajan ? If you go through three words Dash(slave), Raiti(serf) and Praja(subject), both are used in Sanskrit, you will define yourself what your are. And as Raj has said, I too agree with him.’Don’t panic of India to use a good word if they use that one.
35. buzz Says:
August 8th, 2005 at 5:55 am

The participation in the revolution is sad. except for the few ones, who directly benefit from the rallies, no one seems to be interested. journalists are there because they want publicity. seems like there are more journalists than “sahabhagi”.

i just checked the picture at nepalnews.com. so called masal julus. there are exactly 14 students there. some look like street children. is that the state of our “jana andolan”? this is pathetic.

however, this low participation of janata, does not mean that we support the king. no way. the reason for this is we don’t have a leader who we think will take our country to a new direction even if we manage to get rid of KG.
36. wraith Says:
August 8th, 2005 at 9:42 am

too much of freedom.
37. deshabhakta Says:
August 8th, 2005 at 1:40 pm

hey deshabhakta bhanauda hari ram haru ho,

we, the great nepalese people dont need your education on nationalism. we need freedom, self governance, peoples governance and NOT ‘your nation’. if you are still hunger for nation go for another. ask gyane to see some other.

manchhe bhayera banchana sika ho janawar haru. kati dasata swikarhhau?
38. phulmaya Says:
August 9th, 2005 at 1:44 pm

[icd] das (slave) ra las (corpse) mathi shashan garna katibaddha chha. jo das huna mandainan tini haru marine kram tibra gati ma badheko chha. ani, das-haru, das manobritti-ka haru, malik ko gun-gan gaudaichhan. itihas padheka haru lai thaha hola, das pratha ko unmulan garda swayam kehi das haru le birodh gareka thiya. aaja ko yug ma pani tehi manobritti ka haru dekhna parda testa das haru prati tith matrai lagera aauchha.
39. janata Says:
August 10th, 2005 at 10:45 pm

Loktantra-Hindi! Prajatantra-Nepali!! Someone needs to realise that there is a language, even though dead, called Sanskrit.