Soldiers’ wives turn against King

On Saturday, hundreds of women wearing black headbands marched in the heart of Simra, the industrial town in southern Nepal, rejecting the King’s offer to the seven-party coalition to form a government. Among them were at least half a dozen women whose husbands work in the RNA.

‘‘My husband is doing his duty and I am doing mine. This is a mass movement, how can I stay indoors when everybody is on the road?’’ said an unfazed Chitra Gurung, as others cheered her on. Her husband is a junior officer posted in Kathmandu. Standing beside her was Chamin Kharel, whose husband is a jawan. ‘‘I love my country and I am here to save it,’’ she said.

Initially, the army wives only lent outside support to the agitation. But as the movement spread to teachers, intellectuals, students, they realised that ‘‘everyone except them was marching on the roads’’, said Hari Thaparia, a Nepali Congress party leader.

‘‘We hope that the army

will revolt now. They are already waving hands in our support,’’ says Ramesh Kharel, a Communist Party leader.

One of the slogans raised during these marches is ‘‘Senahoo saath deu, rajalai maar deu (Army support us in getting the King out)’’.

‘‘It is nothing short of a complete revolution,’’ says journalist Chandeshwar Jha, who is also part of the movement. ‘‘Government servants too have started contributing from their salaries.’’

Despite the King’s offer to hand over power to the alliance parties, the protesters are in no mood to relent, demanding abolition of monarchy and restoration of complete democracy.

Immediately after Gyanendra finished his address to

the nation last evening—‘‘clearing the way for democracy’’—people were out in large numbers on the streets of Birgunj, Nepal’s financial capital.

They organised a ‘‘blackout’’, putting off their lights and burning tyres.