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June 11, 2008
Nepal's
Last King Bows Out of Palace
By Sudeshna Sarkar
Kathmandu
Amidst jubilation from hundreds of people who lined up before the
Narayanhity royal palace to witness the final exit of deposed
monarch Gyanendra, the last king of Nepal bowed out of the palace,
handing it over to the state along with his crown, sceptre and
throne.
The 61-year-old, who entered the palace as king in 2001 following
the assassination of his brother Birendra, made his exit as a
commoner Wednesday night, using the west gate instead of the main
one in the south.
There was unprecedented chaos as the former king's black Mercedes
rolled out of the palace, bearing him and former queen Komal.
Photographers and journalists stampeded and blocked the way while
television crew tried to thrust their microphones at Gyanendra,
firing off queries.
The tight cordon of armed police force personnel had to push the
crowd to one side to enable the car to speed away to Nagarjuna
forest, northwest of Kathmandu, where the former king will move into
the smaller summer mansion of the dynasty.
While onlookers whistled and raised slogans in favour of a republic,
a small group of diehard royalists braved the wrath of the crowd and
expressed support for monarchy, saying the crown was essential to
save the country.
Before he left the palace forever, Gyanendra spiritedly defended
himself, calling an unprecedented press conference inside a palace
hall and saying he had no hand in his brother Birendra's
assassination.
Scores shoved and jostled one another to gain admission to the Kaski
Hall where, watched impassively by two huge mounted tigers and a
rhino head, the former king read out a statement, defending his
takeover of the government in 2005 and warning that the country was
in an “extremely critical state”.
The last king of the Shah dynasty, which had ruled Nepal for 239
years, said the crown had been a partner of the nation through good
days and bad days and would remain devoted to the cause of a
sovereign, democratic and peaceful Nepal in future.
While declaring that he had accepted the verdict of the April
election to abolish monarchy without fuss, the dethroned king said
he had seized power in 2005 in accordance with the constitution as
there was no other way to ensure peace and development of democracy.
“I had no other motive,” Gyanendra said.
Admitting that his attempt had failed due to “various reasons”, the
former king said that before his departure, he was speaking out with
god as his witness to defend himself against the slurs that had
haunted him since 2001, when he ascended the throne following the
assassination of his brother King Birendra.
“I was forced to wear the crown as an uncomprehending child,”
Gyanendra said, referring to the turmoil in 1950 when his
grandfather, the then King Tribhuvan, and father crown prince
Mahendra fled to India fearing for their lives under the
all-powerful prime minister Mihan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana.
Though the fugitives took away his elder brother Birendra with them
to safety, they left the three-year-old Gyanendra at the mercy of
Rana, who, however, spared the child's life and crowned him king.
“Neither did I desire nor wish for the crown nor had any role (in
the turn of events),” the ill-fated former king said.
Gyanendra said he became king a second time in 2001 when his brother
and his wife were killed and he had to once again assume the heavy
role without even "being given time to shed tears and lessen the
load on my heart”.
During his reign, he said he was relentlessly vilified by “various
quarters” who pursued a war strategy against him and accused him of
having engineered the palace massacre in which 10 royals died.
“My wife still bears shrapnel from the shooting,” he said.
Gyanendra also repudiated reports that he had stashed away money in
foreign countries.
“My entire property is in Nepal. I have no moveable or unmoveable
assets abroad.”
He said he had invested the property he had inherited through
institutions to protect them as per the law of the land. “I too have
the right to own property,” he said.
Rebutting reports that he had transferred the land and mansions of
his nieces in the name of his daughter, the former king said: “In
these seven years, I have not acquired any property nor usurped the
property of any other royal members. Neither I nor my family have
harmed any Nepali or trampled anyone's rights.”
He reiterated that he would stay on in his “own motherland” and
“work for greater welfare and peace”.
“I have handed over the crown, sceptre and throne to the
government,” Gyanendra said.
In a touch of grace, the former monarch expressed his gratitude to
all those who had supported him, ranging from constitutional bodies
and religious organisations to peasants and workers.
The crowd hooted him and later, when he tried to interact with
journalists, made a lunge towards him, causing agile palace
officials to quickly surround the former king and rush him to a safe
place.
There is speculation that the former king could float a political
party.
Prachanda, chief of the Maoist party that brought on the downfall of
the royal dynasty, has said that there would be no objection to the
former king contesting elections.
IANS
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June 11, 2008
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