History is an endless cycle. Countries suffer untold turmoil, and return to where they started to find that all the death and destruction was in vain. Look at Afghanistan. Thirty years after hounding out their king, dabbling in communism, being torn asunder by an ethnic fratricidal war, and now ruled by one of the most obscurantist regimes on earth, it may be King Zahir Shah who will have to rescue Afghan unity and nationalism. Moral of the story: you don't know what you have until you lose it.

Back at home, we are not quite sure what is driving the Maoists' anti-monarchy agenda. But suddenly, the comrades aren't that hot about a republic anymore. Their original desire to set up a Peoples' Republic of Nepal gave way to the demand for a "bourgeois republic" and then "an institutional development towards a republic". Fair enough. Every king, queen or sheikh is a tradeoff between the feudal hangover of hereditary rulers and with the need for a state icon that gives historical continuity to nationhood. Prevailing conditions at different times will determine public opinion about whether the trade-off is worth it.

Norway just went through one: the crown prince married a commoner who is an ex-drug addict and a single mother. The media said the monarchy had outlived its usefulness. The same week in Sweden, King Carl Gustaf had a strawberry tart thrown on his face by a teenager as he inaugurated a recreation centre. Danes are fonder of their royalty, but in Norway public support is down to below 60 percent. The monarchy vs republic debate will go on.

It will be the same here. The birth of our nation is inextricably linked to the ruling dynasty. Modern Nepal with its multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious tapestry has few other symbols to cement itself into a nation state. Our kingdom and kingship were bruised and dented by the royal massacre, but the public's regard for the monarchy has withstood this test. Many Nepalis still don't believe the official version of the events of 1 June 2001, but they have decided to move on for now. They cope by disassociating the persona of the monarch from their predisposition for a monarchy.

Let's learn from Thailand. As long as we keep politics out of this national symbol and as long as the monarchy keeps itself above politics, it should be fine.