In 2008, the Communists overthrew Nepal’s Hindu monarchy. It was quite a violent movement, in which over 16,000 people were killed. The claim was that the removal of the Hindu monarchy would help Nepal take the great leap forward. The idea of a secular constitutional republic was packaged as an antidote for all of Nepal’s problems. How has that plan played out?

Nepal, since the fall of the monarchy, has known nothing but chaos and political instability. Consider this: since the abolition of the monarchy, Nepal has seen 13 governments – all in a matter of 17 years. Today, the people of Nepal are disillusioned and longing for a time when their country had an identity and a stable leader at the helm of affairs.

Pro-monarchy sentiment has been on the rise in the Himalayan kingdom for years now. The Communists of Nepal believe violence and arson is a one-way street. This is to say that any violence undertaken under the guise of a “revolution" and at the behest of China is normal, but if pro-monarchy demonstrators resort to the same tactics, that qualifies as nothing less than “terrorism."

This cleave in the mindset of Nepal’s ruling class and common public is now fuelling unrest not seen in the country since the fall of the monarchy. To top it all, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is learnt to have blamed India for the unrest, saying he would expose New Delhi’s designs in parliament. What good would that do, other than further alienating Nepal’s population from its ruling class?

After all, when lakhs of people take to the streets chanting slogans like Raja Aau Desh Bachau (Come back and save the country, O King),........

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