THE SOLITITUDE OF A KING

: With the Maoists set to dominate the new Constituent Assembly, Nepal’s king may soon lose his crown. As the votes are tallied, speculations are rife about King Gyanendra's future in a land which his family has ruled for 240 years. Yubaraj Ghimire weighs the royal options

FOR almost two years now, King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev has been in isolation. He has become a ‘punching bag’ of sorts for Nepalese politicians and to some extent, the international community, a symbol for everything that ailed Nepal. And, of course, everybody holds him responsible for his fate. He is hardly spotted in public these days, and when he is, it is without the trapping of royalty. He remains mostly confined to the Narayanhiti Palace. Even this could be for a short while longer, for if the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (CPN-M) does what it has pledged to, Nepal will be a republic on the first day that the newly elected Constituent Assembly sits.

The emergence of the Maoists as the single-largest party in the forthcoming Assembly, and the likelihood of a Government under its leadership, has sent out the message that time and tide don’t wait for anyone. And in this tsunami of change, Nepal—which lost its status as an officially Hindu nation two years ago—looks set to lose the world’s only Hindu monarch whose forefather began the Shah dynasty 240 years ago.

Nepal is now speculating over the king’s future. Will he seek asylum in India? Will he counter the political tide? Or will he live on in Nepal as an ordinary citizen?

People who have interacted with him over a period of time say he is now reconciled to reality and will probably choose to become a commoner and live in his land of birth. “The king admits that the takeover of power by him in February 2005 was wrong,” says a former minister. “But political parties are after him because by holding him guilty alone, they will be absolved of their sins.” And since it is not prudent to be saying anthing favourable about royalty in Kathmandu these days, he hastily adds, “Please do not mention my name. I will be hanged tomorrow.”

The king, say many, has more reasons to fear than to hope. The only thing he is banking on is the procedural shortcomings in the Maoist determination to oust him at the first session of the new Assembly. “If...

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