Nepal: ‘Hindu’ Kingdom Says Goodbye To Monarchy…

At a time when Britain celebrates the reign of its longest serving monarch Queen Elizabeth II, Nepal has decided to bid adieu to its centuries old royal institution. “Nepal’s government has agreed to abolish the monarchy as part of a deal to persuade Maoist former rebels to rejoin the interim administration,” reports the BBC.

“Under the deal, Nepal will be declared a republic after a general election has been held next year and a new constituent assembly established. The Maoists pulled out of the government in September, demanding an immediate end to the monarchy. The latest deal was signed by Nepal’s main parties, including the Maoists.”

The New York Times reports: “The popularity of King Gyanendra plunged when he ousted the government and assumed absolute powers in 2005, only to yield control after weeks of protest last year. The monarch has traditionally been viewed in Nepal as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu.”

King Gyanendra of Nepal assumed the throne in dramatic circumstances in 2001 after his brother, King Birendra, was killed in a palace massacre. Read Gyanendra’s profile here…

Nepal acts as a buffer between China and India. “Nepal, officially known, according to its Interim Constitution, as the State of Nepal (previously known as Kingdom of Nepal) is a landlocked nation in South Asia, bordering the People’s Republic of China (Tibet) to the north and India to the south, east and west. Nepal previously had been the world’s only officially Hindu state (India, while having a Hindu majority is secular), with over eighty percent of the people following this faith. However, since 18 May 2006, Nepal has become a secular state.” More here…