Earlier this week they organized a protest program that partially shut down Kathmandu (see at the end of the post about that). They were demanding a referendum on the monarchy and Hinduism in Nepal. They are using religion as a tool to further their political interest and it seems ultra rightist groups in India are quietly supporting them. The fact is duly elected constituent assembly (and parliament) did away with monarchy by declaring Nepal a republic and the parliament restored after the April 2006 people’s movement declared Nepal secular a month after. Royalists, wiped out in the election, are slowly raising their voices. A monarchist and ultra rightist party called Rastriya Prajantra Party Nepal (RPPN) is spearheading the movement. But that’s the beauty of democracy that they are able to speak their mind and stage protest. They denied us the same rights that democracy is providing them now. UWB publishes a statement issued by several fringe pro-monarchy groups supporting the aforementioned cause in its full length:
Joint Press Release in Support of a Referendum on the Monarchy and Hinduism/Restoration of the Constitution of 1990
The Global Hindus and Nepali nationalists endorse the demand of referendum raised by RPP-N to decide on Federalism and Secularism. Acting in concert with other patriotic and nationalistic institutions, we are committed to the causes of Dharma, Nationalism and service to the Nepali people. In that context, we are closely monitoring the rapidly unfolding events in Nepal along with the changing political awareness of the Nepali people themselves. Presently, the conduct of national affairs has been hijacked by a cabal of corrupt political leaders and parties who purport to act in the name of the people’s freedom, democracy, republicanism, and secularism.
The Nepali people and global Hindus living both within and outside Nepal, have rejected the divisive politics and agendas carried out by the Seven Party Alliance under the 12-Point Peace Agreement, which was itself brokered and signed in a foreign capital. The immoral, decadent and divisive actions of a few people are destroying the Nepali people’s sense of unity and national harmony.
Millions of Nepalese have suffered silently under the breakdown of social harmony, under the lack of security, under the failure of basic government services, and through the gratuitous destruction of national unity, all of which have been permitted to take place in the name of creating a “New Nepal.”
The present crop of failed political parties and leaders have calibrated their agendas along secular, republican and/or revolutionary communist lines, and the divisive forces set loose by such myopic policies have spread like a disease which corrupts and enervates the very soul of the nation. Nepal’s destiny has been put up for auction by international and external forces that have conspired to destroy the Nepali people’s unity, identity, harmony, goodwill and dharma.
We stand up today to defend our ancient civilization, heritage, culture and way of life. Nepal is truly a Holy Land and a uniquely irreplaceable paradise that is being slowly killed by corrupt, incompetent and vicious men who love neither the nation, Hindutva nor the Nepali people. Their actions over the past few years have conclusively demonstrated that their selfish and degenerate policies have been a costly failure for the nation and Sanatan Dharma.
Nepal must promulgate a system of governance that incorporates accountability, transparency, social justice, rule of law, equal opportunity, national unity and, last but not the least, “Dharma” as the guiding lights for our nation and people.
In order to achieve this, the struggle must begin from each and every Nepali home: from the villages to the towns and cities, from the hills to the plains, for the establishment of a just and fair country. There can be no room for hatred, corruption, criminality and disharmony.
The political leaders and parties who have brought about this present state of anarchy, chaos, hatred and disunity must be publicly brought to account for their destructive actions against the nation and the people of Nepal.
We reiterate our call for free and fair public referendums on the monarchy, Hinduism, and the Constitution of 1990, demands which have been brought to public notice by this week’s protest program. In tandem with our stance that all matters of long-term public importance must be delegated into the hands of the sovereign Nepali people themselves, we would like to clarify once more that there is no reasonable alternative to a referendum on the monarchy and on Nepal’s status as a Hindu nation.
We fully support the challenge posed by the RPP-N President, Mr. Kamal Thapa, that the present government of Nepal should launch an investigation as to the cause of the Late King Birendra’s assassination. Instead of explicitly or implicitly blaming the “The Emperor of Hindus”, King Gyanendra, the government and the opposition must form an independent team of inquiry to discern the objective truth. Otherwise, in default of any rational evidence to the contrary, the parties and persons responsible for propagating such vicious slanders and accusations against the King and his family owe His Majesty and the people of Nepal a sincere apology for the gratuitous pain and anguish which their lies have brought to Nepal.
The Nepali Nationalists and Global Hindus living within and outside Nepal once again wish to congratulate the Nepali people for their courage to withstand the injustices of both the government and the opposition. We urge the Nepalese government to refrain from using excessive force against the peaceful protestors. Only a prompt call for a referendum on the Constitution of 1990 can defer the civil unrest which is likely to erupt in Nepal when the 601-person Constituent Assembly fails to produce a new and improved constitution by the stipulated deadline. The constitution of 1990 will reactivate itself if the CA fails to promulgate a new constitution. The people of Nepal must once again be made the sovereign masters of Nepal through the referendum.
Jai Dharma!
Issued Jointly By:
__________________
United Nationalist Nepalese (USA)
Narain Kataria, Indian American Intellectuals Forum (USA)
The Hindu (India)
The Hindu Sangarsh (UK)
Gorkha Dal (USA)
Foundation of Nepalese in America (USA)
Coalition of Nepali Nationalist Organizations (USA)
Omkar Dhyan Ashram (India)
Hindu Vidya Peeth-Nepal (HVP)
Shanti Sewa Ashram-Nepal (SSA)
Youth Society for Peace-Nepal (YSP)
Society for Value Education-Nepal (SVE)
Yogi Aadeshnaath (Canada)
The Background:
By Gopal Sharma/Reuters
KATHMANDU- Shops closed and vehicles stayed off the roads in Kathmandu on Monday (22 February) in response to a strike called by a party supporting Nepal’s deposed king, the first closure by the royalists since the monarchy was abolished. A special constituent assembly dominated by the Maoist former rebels abolished the 239-year-old monarchy in 2008, turning the majority-Hindu nation into a secular republic and ending a decade-long civil war that caused more than 13,000 deaths.The Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal that called the strike is demanding a plebiscite on whether the monarchy should be reinstated and whether Nepal should again become a Hindu nation. “People should be allowed to make a choice through a referendum,” said Kamal Thapa, the party chief.
Analysts said the royalists were re-asserting themselves. “They are exploiting the disarray in politics and people’s disillusionment with the current rulers,” said Kunda Dixit, editor of the weekly Nepali Times. “Getting rid of a Hindu monarchy and bringing in a secular republic has not improved the people’s lives,” Dixit added.
Nepal has been in political turmoil since the Maoists quit the government last year in a conflict with the president over plans to fire the country’s army chief. On Monday (22 Feb), hundreds of riot police stood guard at deserted streets but no major incident of violence was reported. The royalists also plans to block entry on Tuesday to the Singha Durbar office complex, which houses the prime minister’s office. (Editing by Bappa Majumdar)
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Comments
11 responses to “Royalists want referendum on monarchy and Hinduism in Nepal”
Is there was a referendum when Nepal was declared Hindu kingdom?
Referendum being democratic Now we are a neia democray god bless and halleluja. Still waiting for formalities. But christians, muslims or maoists should feel part of it. Then bandha bandha.
The statement is correct organizations who took their time to write it, are nationalists.
This website seems to be operated by Maoists.
wrong heading this time – not only royalists but majority want monarchy back now.
Yes People want Nepal to be a Hindu state, so whats wrong in it. many countries in world are christain or muslim.
People of Nepal are fed of moasit, Nepali congress, Communist parties and all other parties. Maosit though they had come into main stream, but still they lack the vision of democracy, they think they are here to diktat and others are to follow them.
So People of Nepal have lost hope in this parties, and now looking forward to someone who can guide them through this turmoil.
My believe is Nepal shouldnot have any form of Nonarchy , but its should be a Hindu country, for well being of all nepalis people
Bahuns & Co. wants HINDU KINGDOM so they can rule janjati just like before
The validity and democratic value of what the current so callled major parties and their leaders attempted to declare Nepal as federa;l republic and secular,has been left in widely questioned.
The unilateral declaration republic and secular state,was the act of most undemocratic,agianst the globally accepted and established norms of constitutionality because this was done prior to draft people’s mandated permanent constitution and it was never taken to people for their final approval before implementating the same.It might be very appropriate to remind all that those genuine and fundamental issues were not included in the questionaires which were prepared for people’s opinions about the new constitution,indeed,this was a conspiracy played by major current political actors who are notoriously known for power and position.So,the demand of referendum about the very fundamenatl issues like republic and secular state could not be in any case be termed as demand of only royalists and parties related to the same but it is the demand of all Democratic Nepali people and believers of democracy around the world and its a voice of justice and democracy.In the meantime,if the permanent constitution is not dratfed in stipulated time,the validity of current CA as well as interim constitution would no more be in effective but the law itself never accept any vaccum thereafter,so in this very situation no other alternate is left except to automatically reactive the constitution of 1990 which was alreday approved by people of Nepal.That’s why,it would be bettter to work on opening the door for reinstate 1990 constitution and making it as interim constitution and under which there should be another fresh election for CA to drafte new people’s mandated constitution.It should not be forgotten that there must be an interim government comprised of individuals who are known as neutral,non-political and experts .Jay Nepal !
our nepali peoples want a hindu country of nepal .who is the only on country in the world . we have a sign and known by the peoples from other country with a hindu country before, but corrupt party leaders for their benefits , they declacred the multi religious in nepal, this is not a faith for us nepali peoples, our king need to came in our party as a leader of nepal otherwise there is no chance to protect the peoples and national from international crisis countries who spoilt the innocent country.
There were more than enough referendums to meet the greed of the so called democratic leaders in 1979-80 and in 1990. Ever cared to look at the results?No, you did not.
You appear to be one of those determined fools who like to destroy everything that is good i.e. a maoist.
As for referendums – was there a referendum when your communist brothers murdered thousands for their greed? When they stole children?
Was there a referendum when your bosses rolled tanks on peaceful protesters in China? Was there a referendum when millions were killed in Russia, China, Eastern Europe – No.
Ironic that when your masters came to rule they did not implement democracy anywhere in the world, did they?
In Nepal, yes there was referendum and democracy. And just out of greed the political parties betrayed their own country and struck a deal with mass murders. They are now going to get their comeuppance aren’t they?
New Nepal was not only the highlighted promise of People’s Movement II in Nepal but also to restructure the country on the ground of equality, prosperity and peace. But the common agenda of political parties after Twelve point agreement, designed by the interventionist hands of India, was focused only to overthrow the monarchy. Now in the name of new Nepal and restructure the leaders now have been deconstructing the old values of our nationality. The guidelines of People’s movement II was not only to overthrow the deadlock in national politics but also to make a common Nepal to all Nepali.In the process of deconstructing Nepal and reconstructing new nepal the old centre has been replaced by many new political centers. This situation definitely encourages to political instability as we know is the situation of centerlessness (anarchy). So the dismantling process of our nationality can be linked to a question- whether the issue of New Nepal on the demolished foundation of our nationality(Old/Nepal) is the spontaneous reaction of all Nepalese people due to their increased reason or it is the designed framework of International power centers to dismantle our unity so that they can play their power politics in Nepal, once a peaceful heaven.
The relationship between Nepalese nationalism and Hinduism should not be linked to the sentiment of extremists. Nepal has never been a land of crusaders ; how can the unification of Nepal be compared with the imerialist projects of England. It will be a great injustice to our history if we make a hasty generalization on the ground of western discourse. The rights to claim refrendum should not be taken as a reverse of peace; it should rather be given a due space to discuss in democratic way. Their small voice should be as equal as the loud cry of revolutionists in a democratic space. In a nutshell, each and every Nepali has possessed a right to keep different view in a democratic system . Nepal as a “common garden” to all Nepalese has remained at the centre of our nationalism since the beginning of the unification of this Nepal. Referendum is the direct reresentation of people’s voice ; moreover it gives clear mandate, that is intrinsially bound up with a practice of democratic ethos.
I am an Indian, and I think it will be a backward step to go back to monarchy.
Most countries that are progressing are democracies, baring a few monarchies in middle east. Freedom and democracy are precious. It will take time for democracy to take deep rooted in Nepal, and the process is messy, but in the end people will benefit from it.