I have serious reservation about the article 'King in Crisis' (From the Nepali Press, #319). It is true that the Nepali monarchy has been made almost useless by the ridiculous steps King Gyanendra took, but terming King Birendra as the only real king for the people is totally wrong. King Birendra had his own share of faults during his tenure as an absolute monarch and then as a so-called constitutional monarch. Had he stepped in timely and cautioned Girija and the others that he would not allow them to misuse their power, things would have been totally different.

I still remember how a minister during both the Panchayat and so-called democratic era used to fill many posts in government-owned corporations with people from his districts. Similarly, for top government appointments, one main criteria was that the person come from either Morang, Dang, Tanahu, Dadeldhura, Kalaiya or another district represented by the powerful ministers. This was responsible for creating even more divisions in our society. The main point is not pointing fingers at a particular institution or class for all wrongs and sufferings, but trying to find a longterm sustainable solution so that all the people can live in peace and harmony.

Even the government formed by such incredible people power is repeating old mistakes. So is it fair to make only the monarchy a scapegoat?

Abhi,
New Delhi