Nepal, which overthrew its monarchy in favor of a Federal Democratic Republic, is now witnessing a revolt against this system. Pro-monarchy protestors are demanding the return of the deposed king, frustrated by unceasing political instability, intensifying corruption, unemployment, and incessant brain drain.
The predecessors of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the father of unified or modern Nepal, and the Shah dynasty were not conspicuous leaders. Most of them heeded the advice of their detractors and were so spellbound by these so-called "benefactors" that they ended up executing or banishing many capable courtiers. This impulsiveness eventually paved the way for the rise of "Ranas," who then went on to establish a century-long aristocratic regime. In their hundred-year term of oppressive power, myriad Nepalis were deprived of basic facilities of health and education. Ranas even curtailed the powers of the Shah kings, reducing them to a mere titular head.
In the 1940s, Nepal's neighbor India also went through an insurrection, which inspired many Nepali youths to rebel against the tyrannical Rana regime. In 1951, the Nepali Congress successfully established a short-lived democracy through an armed rebellion. However, in 1960, King Mahendra established a three-decade-long party-less system of councils by dissolving the government, imposing bans on political parties, and incarcerating political leaders. The first people's movement in 1990 uprooted the party-less system of councils and paved the path for a multiparty democracy. Yet, the succeeding years were plagued with instabilities, corruption, internal conflicts, misgovernance, and poor economic development, which ultimately led to the onset of a decade-long Maoist insurgency.
In 2006, Nepal again experienced a second people's movement, opposing the rule of King Gyanendra, for whom pro-monarchy protests have been conducted in recent days. After he dismantled the government in 2005 and centralized his powers, the whole of Nepal united for a 19-day protest, which restored the House of Representatives and eventually abolished the monarchy.
Even after establishing a Federal Democratic Republic, sections of the population still favored the monarchy, though these pro-monarchists were not significantly vocal. In 2020, Keshar Bahadur Bista, leader of Rashtriya Shakti Nepal, led a rally in Kathmandu, calling for the restoration of the monarchy to "save the country." Likewise, in 2021, conflicts arose between riot police and hundreds of protesters, demanding the return of the monarchy. In 2023, thousands of protestors once more campaigned for the monarchial restoration. Then, in 2024, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party conducted a protest in Kathmandu to address its 40-point demand, which included the revival of monarchy and the establishment of a Hindu kingdom, alongside removing federalism. Most recently, pro-monarchists led a violent protest where two people died and over 100 individuals were injured. The protestors vandalized many private and public properties, including a herbal processing facility that was set on fire.
Since the establishment of the Federal Democratic Republic on May 28, 2008, Nepal has had 13 governments in a short span of 16 years, with politicians continuously failing to hold up to their ideologies. The government leaders' incompetence has fueled the pro-monarchy protests, as people's expectations have tumbled. Nepal does need a change: not the kind that will wound its citizens, but a reform within the leadership of the existing system, not for anyone, but for "Nepalese" citizens.
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