As the capital and urban areas of the Himalayan kingdom reel with shortage of essential commodities in the wake of the a crippling strike that has further fuelled anti-monarchy sentiments, King Gyanendra has indicated he is worried about the general situation and feels that that an amicable solution needs to be found.

As the first step towards opening communication channels with the world outside, he met Indian Ambassador Shiv Shankar Mukherjee on Sunday, a development perhaps welcome to India with New Delhi feeling the pressure of an instable and troubled neighbour. The two discussed issues relating to restoring peace and stability in the country and ways to move ahead to resolve the crisis, an Indian Embassy official said.

The King also held talks with the Chinese Ambassador Sun Heping and the US Ambassador James F Moriarty today, said diplomatic sources. Gyanendra’s meeting with Mukherjee comes when the pro-democracy movement has been growing in size.

The indefinite strike entered its 11th day on Sunday. After the SPA rejected the king’s invitation for dialogue on April 14, the only option he has seems to be to reinstate the dissolved parliament and let it elect an all-party government, a top leader of the SPA said. SPA today launched a ‘‘non-cooperation movement’’ and asked people not to pay taxes to the royal government, as police fired at protestors in various parts of the country, injuring at least 18.

The coordination committee of the SPA democracy appealed the donor community not to provide financial assistance to the autocratic government.

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