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1 Chapter 1 : Resident of United States, Politics of Nepal The New York City Post Introduction The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is a landlocked sovereign state situated in South Asia. The country is bordered by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of India. Print Kundan Kumar Jha Democracy prescribes to governing mechanism which promises development of any state on the basis of legitimate control from within the state institutions. Popular will determines the fate of any democratic system which in general focuses on participation, accountability, transparency and international solidarity. It aims to fulfil basic civil and political rights as major elements for survival within the system. It allows the state to recognise its strength and weaknesses and act accordingly to survive in international system which is best characterised by state of anarchy where one competes against others for survival. Democracy and diplomacy both aim to protect the state and maintain peace and security within the system. The history of independence laid the foundation for strong democratic practice within the territory. Nepal emerged as an independent sovereign state after recognition from Britain in as a result of formal treaty signed between the two countries. Bilateral relations between two countries were established since that period. This also marked the beginning of new era of diplomacy in Nepal prior to which Nepali diplomatic system was not formalised. However, the nature of democracy remained challenged amidst autocratic Rana regime. It did not only suppress the popular will but also contributed to isolation in foreign policy of Nepal. The end of autocratic Rana regime in resulted into restoration of democracy which was backed by the Indian government. The Delhi tripartite agreement between Ranas, King Tribhuvan and Nepali congress on February 12, not only established democracy with king at the helm of power but also initiated new diplomatic channel with India. The agreement opened the door for election of constituent assembly to draft new constitution which was not honoured later. This development allowed the formation of an interim coalition cabinet with 10 members including five members each from Nepali congress and Ranas. Interim Government Act of Nepal,, promulgated after the introduction of democracy, was the first written and implemented constitution in the country. In fact, it was the beginning of the constitutional process which exposed Nepal into international arena. Nepal adopted non-aligned foreign policy under the leadership of King Mahendra which helped Nepal to gain membership of the United Nations in year It widely opened the door for establishment of bilateral relations between Nepal and other powerful countries around the world. Nepal also went on to establish bilateral relationship with China in which opened the door for cooperation between two countries. The first ever general election in Nepal was held on February 18, for seats. This led to the formation of first ever elected government. Nepali Congress which won 74 seats in the election formed the government. However, this elected government did not last long and was finally dissolved on December 15, King Mahendra banned political parties invoking Article 55 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, and put himself at the helm of national affairs. This act was severely criticised by many within the state. Constitution of Nepal, was promulgated by King Mahendra on December 16, He once again took control of diplomatic issues of the country and started party-less Panchayat system in Nepal on January 6, Though this period is often characterised by dominance of King Mahendra in state affairs it can be termed as the golden era of Nepali diplomatic history. King Mahendra was distinctly innovative in his approach of dealing with foreign issues. During this period, Nepal reached a position where it was recognised by powerful nations around the world. King Mahendra played a crucial role in promoting national interest of Nepal not only in the Asian region but also all around the world. He maintained relationship with India and China in a way such that both countries were bound to think of Nepal as its most important strategic partner. This movement advocated against the undemocratic nature of the Panchayat system. People protested to secure their fundamental rights. This movement which was supported by India saw King Birendra declare the end of Panchayat system. After this mass movement democracy was restored in Nepal. Constitution of Kingdom of Nepal was formulated and absolute monarchy was changed into constitutional monarchy. Election of parliament was held and people got opportunity to choose their government by themselves. The next two decades in Nepali history is remembered for armed insurgency, royal massacre, and more importantly King Gyanendra seizing all power invoking Page 1

2 Article of the Constitution of Kingdom of Nepal, This brought instability within the system and Nepal became more vulnerable to foreign interventions. This movement also ended the decade long armed conflict and finally on November 21, Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed between Maoists and the Government of Nepal. With the consent of Maoists and seven democratic parties, the Interim Constitution of Nepal was promulgated on January 15, as a document of political consensus. The election to the Constituent Assembly was held on April 10, which saw Maoists rise as the largest party after the polls. Nepal was declared a Republican state on May 28, The Constituent Assembly was dissolved on May 27, without completing its major task i. The four year long collaboration of political parties failed to deliver the much-awaited Constitution. An interim election council of ten ex-government officials formed under the chairmanship of the then Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi conducted the second elections of the Constituent Assembly. This led into serious political turmoil within the nation with Madhesi and other minorities agitating against the constitution. This was followed by disappointment expressed by the Indian government over promulgation of Constitution. India imposed economic blockade in Nepal. The situation where the nation stands today needs to be addressed in a way that Nepal could manage political stability and also revisit its foreign policy aspirations through diplomatic channels. It will require immense dedication to achieve this. It is high time that Nepal reorganised its democratic norms and values and at the same time maintained effective diplomatic relations best suited to promote our national interest. Page 2

3 Chapter 2 : Nepal in Transition: A Study on the State of Democracy International IDEA Nepal in Transition: A Study on the State of Democracy presents major findings of a survey conducted in April by the Nepal Chapter of the State of Democracy in South Asia and International IDEA. June 26, In: Dreams and anguish bring us together. Eugene Ionesco News about the Republican primary election covering main stream media along with prolonged heated debates between the candidates are unavoidable in the US as presidential election approaches in November Every 4 years, America is high with the political race for the big houseâ White House. As I focus on the possible outcome of the Republican Primary and the upcoming Presidential Election, I receive dozens of each week from my Nepalese colleagues living in New York requesting me to participate in one of their Nepali Political party meetings scheduled in our neighborhood. Who wants to think of being a part of an aimless group? American is heated once in 4 years, but my fellow Nepali friends living in the US seem to be heated every weekend organizing party events or meetings. Unlike other societies, Nepalese politics is unique. It does more harm than good. As we all know, Nepal is passing through a tough timeâ interim government is elected to write a constitution and establish peace in the country. More than a dozen National Parties in Nepal try to form the government in every 6 months without having the intention to achieve the goal of drafting the constitution. However, I am unable to understand the restlessness of the so-called Nepali politicians in America who are aiding and abetting hate and distrust among fellow Nepalese in the US in the name of politics. So-called Nepali politicians living in the US have formed about a dozen of party branches in the US acting as subsidiaries of their parent parties of Nepal. In most of the meetings of these most of the branches, all we see is a fight to be the president of the branch. In every gathering of such political organizations, all we do is talk about when and where the election should be and how many people are fighting for the vital positions. Just like in Nepal, these politicians are also not concerned about the democracy in Nepal but who comes out to the top. Sometime I wonder why a fellow Nepali would fight vigorously for the top position of the branch party in America where the branch would play no role whatsoever in contributing to the politics of Nepal. Given the corrupt nature of Nepali system, known to everyone, such positions could matter to those who are vying to get a connection to the most powerful politicians of Nepal which would yield personal benefits. If nothing else, such branch leaders would consider themselves as important figures in Nepal and among Nepalese in the US. Finally, if you know someone big in Nepal, impossible things can be possible with one phone call from these leaders. Who knows what could be the motives behind such political games? In short, it is unfortunate for Nepal and my fellow Nepalese for failing to learn and understand the norms and values of democracy after living so many years in a fine democracy. If we are genuinely committed to getting involved with our motherland, we should start from the personal and micro level where small contributions matterâ for the children, healthcare and education of deprived people in Nepal. These small things would certainly contribute to the growth of baby-democracy; it will also make you a true leader among us. Why not unite ourselves for the greater good of the community? Why not create businesses that will provide jobs to Nepalese here? Why not work together for a better future of our offspring than creating a dissent? True leadership is serving people; greater the number you serve, greater leader you are. How about that for a change? Page 3

4 Chapter 3 : Nepali Political History - We All Nepali Nepal is the only Asian country where the possibility of same-sex marriage has been proposed in the high court and in the legislature although same-sex marriage currently does not exist in Nepal (see also LGBT rights in Nepal and Same-sex marriage in Nepal). Tens of thousands of people took part in the third general strike to sweep the country since then. Activists fear that the move signals a return to a form of one-party rule similar to the Panchayat system imposed by the King of Nepal in Under Panchayat all opposition parties were banned and the Parliament was dissolved. The current constitutional crisis has focused attention on the mass campaign for democratic rights. What are the origins of this movement? This has been the case since the s. It was particularly the case in the s despite the repression after King Mahendra Bir Bikran Shah Deva dissolved the parliament and banned all political parties imposing the Panchayat system. Despite this setback, the mass organisations continued underground, especially at the local level. It was this which led to the overthrow the King and the establishment of limited democratic rights. In, the King was forced to grant some concessions after a massive day campaign. All the left parties, mass organisations, youth, trade unions and even some of the bourgeois politicians who were against the absolute monarchy came together to organise strikes and other mass actions. During this period, more than people were killed and over 50, arrested before the King finally agreed to dissolve the Panchayat system. National elections, widely believed to be rigged, resulted in a Congress Party government. Besides campaigns for basic democratic rights people have raised a range of economic demands. How has this helped shape the movements in Nepal today? The impact of the programs of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have been very severe for many countries. The campaigns against these international agencies in South Asia are very political. The resources harnessed by the dam were supposed to be shared equally between our two countries, but Koirala signed them all to India. The people have demanded that this agreement be retracted. And this is the issue that has led to the constitutional crisis and to the most recent mass campaigns? Following this, he resigned and asked for a mid-term poll. The King is supposed to ask the second biggest party â the Communist Party â to form the government. Since the collapse of the Panchayat system the King has been trying to control the new parliament. This is a very sensitive issue because it is exactly what happened in when the King first imposed the Panchayat system which lasted until All over the country people are coming onto the streets and saying that this is a conspiracy, another attempt by the King to regain power. The significant electoral gains made by the ANC in South Africa and the Workers Party in Brazil have spurred on debate about the parliamentary struggle. How has the Left approached this in Nepal? I think the basic question is still the class question. Class contradictions are still the main contradictions in society. While there are different classes in society there is no way to fundamentally change the social and economic structure of society. One CPN UML leader was giving a speech at a mass rally and he said that the struggle of the movements and the left not only depends on how the left operates, but also on how the reactionary forces respond. If they respond violently, then we have to defend ourselves. At the moment they have not chosen that as their principal path. Now, while we have the opportunity, we are emphasising the need for militant mass movements. In this context the parliamentary tactic is secondary. The primary struggle is the mass movement struggle. It is a very good example of how the left can work together despite having different perspectives on certain issues. If the left wants to be effective they have to unify. Today the party is very big with a strong mass base, particularly in the cities. The left split in the s over the differences between Russia and China. The debate centred around tactical rather than strategic points, about how to organise and achieve our strategy. In the past the two main trends to achieve revolutionary social change were, either through parliament or by armed struggle. Now the left is emphasising the militant mass movements and, at the same time, using different tactics. They are in the parliament and also in the street. This emphasis has been very successful and the left is now able to organise the majority of the people. Current issue Become a supporter. Page 4

5 Chapter 4 : NEPAL International IDEA The state of democracy in Nepal was also assessed in the region-wide State of Democracy in South Asia report. This is the only regional report to date that has been produced as a result of the cooperation of experts from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Ram Baran Yadav is the head of the state. Baburam Bhattarai is the Prime Minister and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the Prime Minister and his cabinet and the legislative power is in the hands of Constituent Assembly. Kirats Politically the first rulers of Nepal were the Kirats. Very little is known about this period in the history of Nepal. Nepal was ruled by about total of 28 kings during Kirat regime. The first Kirati king was Yalambar. One of the remarkable events of this era is the arrival of Gautam Buddha. During the regime of the seventh Kirati king Buddha spent his time in Patan. Where he granted blacksmith caste of goldsmiths and renamed them Sakya. The great emperor of India, Ashoka, also visited Katmandu during this period. His daughter Charumati married a local prince and spread the religion. Lichhavis The second known rulers of Nepal are the Lichhavis. Lichhavi Dynasty ruled Nepal from to A. This period is the first documented period in the history of Nepal. When Lichhavies, lost their political fortune in India, came to Nepal. They attacked and defeated the last Kirati king, Gasti. Mandev is one of the Lichhavi king of Nepal. He was known for his development work. Thakuri Dynasty Thakuri Dynasty A. He was not a Lichhavi, but he married a daughter of the Lichhavi king, Shiva Dva. He was one of the true servants of people. He was a far-sighted king and a great diplomat. Bhrikuti sprayed Buddhism all over Tibet. The Malla Period is a golden era in the history of Nepal. The Mallas greatly developed trade and commerce, industry, religion and culture. They reached a high level of perfection in the fields of art and architecture. The early Malla monarchs held absolute power they were assumed to be incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The Mallas were Hindu and followed strict Brahmin rituals. But they were tolerant of Buddhism. Buddhism was widespread at that part of time. Some of the most popular kings of this period and their accomplishments are: He was a great reformer. He categorized Nepalese society in a strictly orthodox Hindu frame. He developed arts and literature, built temples and introduced the system of measuring land and houses. He was anspecialist in religion, music, and the art of war. He was a secular. He also reconstructed the Buddhist temple of Swayambunath. He was brave and confident but unlucky. He tried to save the Valley from a Gorham attack. He tried to unite the three states around Katmandu. But he could not succeed. Even his request for help from the East India Company was denied. Fighting within his family was to blame for his loss. He was a lover of rare and precious things. He Imported silver exporting it as coins to improve economic conditions in his Kingdom. Shah Dynasty to During the middle of the 18th Century, there were about small states in India and about 50 states in Nepal. The situation was completely chaotic because most of them were fighting each other to expand their territory. And then among them was Prithvi Narayan Shah from Gorkha. He wanted to save Nepal from the hands of British India. He started the process by unifying the small states. Prithvi Narayan died in His son Pratap singh Shah then ruled the country. By, the kingdom extended from Kashmir to Sikkim and was double than its present size. The kings of Nepal Date of birth: Pratapsingh Shah Date of birth: Rana Bahadur Shah Date of birth: Girwanyudha Bikram Shah Date of birth: Rajendra Bir Bikram Shah Date of birth: Surendra Bir Bikram Shah Date of birth: Prithivi Bir Bikram Shah Date of birth: Tribhuwan Bir Bikram Shah Date of birth: Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Date of birth: Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Date of birth: Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Date of birth: The rise of Junga Bahadur brought a new system of Nepal. After Kot Massacar took place, Nepal was controlled by a new system of Primeministership until for years. In more than 30 years of his rule Junga Bahadur has done many developmental works. He stopped many superstitious beliefs in Nepali culture like satiand boksi culture. He defeated the Chinese army and signed a treaty with them. He was the first one to held National census. After Junga Bahadur, his brothers became the prime minister of Nepal, that was they set as rule. First Democracy in Nepal King Tribhubhan was in house arrest when people of Nepal had started coming together against the Rana rule. Dharma Bhakta a physical fitness teacher of king Tribhubhan. When king Tirbhubhan was in India along with most of his family members, his grandson Gyanandra Bir Bikram was Page 5

6 declared king of nepal. Democracy was declared in the month of Phalgun The first election in Nepal The first election of Nepal was held in But one year later in, King Mahendra dismissed the cabinet, dissolved parliament, and put a ban on political parties. A constitution created a nonparty panchayat council system of government. In referendum approved a modified version of the panchayat system. Direct parliamentary elections were held in Democracy of Certain disputes with India led to economy sanction and border seal and sees from March to July This in return inflamed the demand for political reform. Months went by only when King Birendra dissolved parliament. In April the opposition formed an interim government. A new constitution was created with constitutional monarchy and bicameral legislature consisting of House of Representatives and a national council. The house of representative consisted of members elected directly by the people and the national council had 60 members. Out of 60 national council members 10 were nominated by King, 35 elected by the House of Representatives and remaining 15 elected by an electoral college made up of chairs of villages and towns. The constitution came into account from November 9 Multiparty legislative election was held in May This legislature of country had the tenure of 5 years. Nepali congress won the election. The communist party became the opposition. Election was held in the month of November same year. None of the party got majority. This lead to several years of unstable coalition governments. The lists of Prime minister during this period are elections: Maoist Insurgency February, a different party named Communist Party of Nepal Maoist started violent insurgency in more than 50 of 75 districts. Estimated about 13, police, civilians, and insurgents have been killed in the conflict. Page 6

7 Chapter 5 : Infrastructures of Democracy State Building as Everyday Practice in Nepal's Agrarian Districts The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is a landlocked sovereign state situated in South Asia. The country is bordered by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of India. Kathmandu is capital of Nepal and also the largest metropolis of the country with a population of around five million. Koirala In the midth century, Prithvi Narayan Shah, a Gorkha king, set out to put together what would become present-day Nepal. He embarked on his mission by securing the neutrality of the bordering mountain kingdoms. After several bloody battles and sieges, notably the Battle of Kirtipur, he managed to conquer the Kathmandu Valley in A dispute with Tibet over the control of mountain passes and inner Tingri valleys of Tibet forced the Qing Emperor of China to start the Sino-Nepali War compelling the Nepali to retreat and pay heavy reparations to Peking. At first, the British underestimated the Nepali and were soundly defeated until committing more military resources than they had anticipated needing. They were greatly impressed by the valour[ citation needed ] and competence of their adversaries. Thus began the reputation of Gurkhas as fierce and ruthless soldiers. The war ended in the Sugauli Treaty, under which Nepal ceded recently captured lands as well as the right to recruit soldiers. Madhesis, having supported the East India Company during the war, had their lands gifted to Nepal. In, a plot was discovered revealing that the reigning queen had planned to overthrow Jung Bahadur Kunwar, a fast-rising military leader. This led to the Kot massacre ; armed clashes between military personnel and administrators loyal to the queen led to the execution of several hundred princes and chieftains around the country. The king was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary. The Ranas were staunchly pro-british and assisted them during the Indian Rebellion of and later in both World Wars. Some parts of the Terai region populated with non-nepali peoples were gifted to Nepal by the British as a friendly gesture because of her military help to sustain British control in India during the rebellion. In, the United Kingdom and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship that superseded the Sugauli Treaty of Rana rule was marked by tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious persecution. Meanwhile, with the invasion of Tibet by China in the s, India sought to counterbalance the perceived military threat from its northern neighbour by taking pre-emptive steps to assert more influence in Nepal. This led to the long Nepali Civil War and more than 12, deaths. On 1 June, there was a massacre in the royal palace. King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya and seven other members of the royal family were killed. The alleged perpetrator was Crown Prince Dipendra, who allegedly committed suicide he died three days later shortly thereafter. Nevertheless, there is speculation and doubts among Nepali citizens about who was responsible. On 1 February, King Gyanendra dismissed the entire government and assumed full executive powers to quash the violent Maoist movement, [47] but this initiative was unsuccessful because a stalemate had developed in which the Maoists were firmly entrenched in large expanses of countryside but could not yet dislodge the military from numerous towns and the largest cities. In September, the Maoists declared a three-month unilateral ceasefire to negotiate. In response to the democracy movement, King Gyanendra agreed to relinquish sovereign power to the people. On 24 April the dissolved House of Representatives was reinstated. Using its newly acquired sovereign authority, on 18 May the House of Representatives unanimously voted to curtail the power of the king and declared Nepal a secular state, ending its time-honoured official status as a Hindu Kingdom. Although acts of violence occurred during the pre-electoral period, election observers noted that the elections themselves were markedly peaceful and "well-carried out". Ram Baran Yadav, the first President of Nepal The newly elected Assembly met in Kathmandu on 28 May, and, after a polling of constituent Assembly members, voted to form a new government, [50] with the monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which had four members in the assembly, registering a dissenting note. At that point, it was declared that Nepal had become a secular and inclusive democratic republic, [52] [53] with the government announcing a three-day public holiday from 28â 30 May. The king was thereafter given 15 days to vacate Narayanhity Palace so it could reopen as a public museum. In May, the Maoist-led government was toppled and another coalition government with all major political parties barring the Maoists was formed. In opposition to the theory of separation of powers, then Chief Justice Page 7

8 Khil Raj Regmi was made the chairman of the caretaker government. Under Regmi, the nation saw peaceful elections for the constituent assembly. The major forces in the earlier constituent assembly namely CPN Maoists and Madhesi parties dropped to distant 3rd and even below. The constituent assembly was transformed into a legislative parliament by the then-chairman of that assembly. The new constitution of Nepal has changed Nepal practically into a federal democratic republic by making 7 unnamed states. In October, Bidhya Devi Bhandari was nominated as the first female president. Page 8

9 Chapter 6 : Challenges Democracy Nepal, Jun 15 Video blog.quintoapp.com Democracy In Nepal. The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is a landlocked sovereign state situated in South Asia. The country is bordered by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of India. The Treaty of Sugauli was signed in, ceding large parts of the Nepali territories of Terrai and Sikkim, nearly one third of the country, to the British, in exchange for Nepalese autonomy. As the territories were not restored to Nepal by the British when freedom was granted to the people of British India, these have become a part of the Republic of India, although the people of Sikkim decided in a public referendum in to merge the kingdom in India and become a state in the Republic of India. After losing the land, the East India Company decided to give some of territories back to Nepal. Rana dynasty rule[ edit ] Main article: Rana dynasty Rani Queen of Nepal surrounded by her Ladies-in-Waiting, Factionalism among the royal family led to a period of instability after the war. In, Queen Rajendralakshmi plotted to overthrow Jang Bahadur, a fast-rising military leader of Indian Rajput ancestry who was presenting a threat to her power. The plot was uncovered and the queen had several hundred princes and chieftains executed after an armed clash between military personnel and administrators loyal to the queen. This came to be known as the Kot Massacre. However, Bahadur emerged victorious eventually and founded the Rana dynasty ; the monarch was made a titular figure, and the post of Prime Minister was made powerful and hereditary, held by a Ranas. Third Nepalese Tibet War[ edit ] Main article: His forces succeeded on defeating Tibetan forces on two sides. The Tibetan team arrived on January to sign treaty. After a month, Treaty of Thapathali was signed which was more favourable to Nepal. At the same time, although Chinese claims, the British supported Nepalese independence at the beginning of the twentieth century. Slavery was abolished in Nepal in Democracy movement in Nepal Popular dissatisfaction against the family rule of the Ranas had started emerging from among the few educated people, who had studied in various Indian schools and colleges, and also from within the Ranas, many of whom were marginalised within the ruling Rana hierarchy. Many of these Nepalese in exile had actively taken part in the Indian Independence struggle and wanted to liberate Nepal as well from the internal autocratic Rana occupation. The political parties such as The Prajaparishad and Nepali Congress were already formed in exile by leaders such as B. This turmoil culminated in King Tribhuvan, a direct descendant of Prithvi Narayan Shah, fleeing from his "palace prison" in, to newly independent India, touching off an armed revolt against the Rana administration. This eventually ended in the return of the Shah family to power and the appointment of a non-rana as prime minister. A period of quasi-constitutional rule followed, during which the monarch, assisted by the leaders of fledgling political parties, governed the country. During the s, efforts were made to frame a constitution for Nepal that would establish a representative form of government, based on a British model. The Nepali Congress Party, a moderate socialist group, gained a substantial victory in the election. Its leader, Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, formed a government and served as prime minister. After years of power wrangling between the kings Tribhuvan and Mahendra and the government, Mahendra dissolved the democratic experiment in Panchayat Nepal Declaring the contemporary parliament a failure, King Mahendra in dismissed the Koirala government, declared that a "partyless" panchayat system would govern Nepal, and promulgated another new constitution on 16 December Subsequently, the Prime Minister, Members of Parliament and hundreds of democratic activists were arrested. In fact, this trend of arrest of political activists and democratic supporters continued for the entire year period of partyless Panchayati System under King Mahendra and then his son, King Birendra. The new constitution established a "partyless" system of panchayats councils which King Mahendra considered to be a democratic form of government, closer to Nepalese traditions. As a pyramidal structure, progressing from village assemblies to a Rastriya Panchayat National Parliament, the panchayat system constitutionalised the absolute power of the monarchy and kept the King as head of state with sole authority over all governmental institutions, including the Cabinet Council of Ministers and the Parliament. King Mahendra was succeeded by his year-old son, King Birendra, in The referendum was held in May, and the panchayat system won a narrow victory. The king carried out the promised reforms, including selection of the prime minister by the Rastriya Panchayat. End of Panchayat Page 9

10 system[ edit ] There was resentment against the authoritarian regime and the curbs on the freedom of the political parties. There was widespread feeling of the Palace being non-representative of the masses, especially when the Marich Man Singh government faced political scandals on charges of misappropriation of funds allotted for the victims of the earthquake in August or when it reshuffled the Cabinet instead of investigating the deaths of the people in a stampede in the national sports complex in a hailstorm. Also the souring of the India-Nepal trade relations affected the popularity of the Singh government. This led to the souring of relations which were already strained over the purchase of Chinese arms by Nepal in India refused to renew two separate Treaties of Trade and Transit and insisted on a single treaty dealing with the two issues, which was not acceptable to Nepal. A deadlock ensued and the Treaties of Trade and Transit expired on 23 March The brunt of the closure of the trade and transit points was mainly faced by the lower classes in Nepal due to the restricted supply of consumer goods and petroleum products such as petrol, aviation fuel and kerosene. The industries suffered because of their dependence on India for resources, trade and transit. Taking advantage of the uneasiness amongst some people against the government and the strained India-Nepal relations, the Nepali Congress NC and the left-wing parties blamed the government for perpetuating the crisis and not taking any serious measures to solve it. In December, the NC tried to utilize B. On 18â 19 January, the NC held a conference in which leaders from various countries and members of the foreign Press were invited. Inspired by the international support and the democratic movements occurring throughout the world after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in, the NC and the ULF launched a mass movement on 18 February to end the Panchayat regime, and the installation of an interim government represented by various parties and people. However, the agitating mob was not satisfied with the change of government as they were not against the Singh government per se but against the party-less system. On 16 April the Chand government was also dismissed and a Royal Proclamation was issued the next day which dissolved the National Panchayat, the Panchayat policy and the evaluation committee and the class organizations. Instead, the proclamation declared "functioning of the political parties" and maintained that "all political parties will always keep the national interest uppermost in organizing themselves according to their political ideology. One of those martyrs is Ram Chandra Hamal, member of the Nepali Congress and killed during his imprisonment. The Nepali Congress with support of "Alliance of leftist parties" decided to launch a decisive agitational movement, Jana Andolan, which forced the monarchy to accept constitutional reforms and to establish a multiparty parliament. In May, Nepal held its first parliamentary elections in nearly 50 years. The Nepali Congress won of the seats and formed the first elected government in 32 years. Civil strife[ edit ] In, in a situation of economic crisis and chaos, with spiralling prices as a result of implementation of changes in policy of the new Congress government, the radical left stepped up their political agitation. Violent incidents began to occur on the evening before of the strike. At dawn on 6 April, clashes between strike activists and police, outside a police station in Pulchok Patan, left two activists dead. Later in the day, a mass rally of the Agitation Committee at Tundikhel in the capital Kathmandu was attacked by police forces. As a result, riots broke out and the Nepal Telecommunications building was set on fire; police opened fire at the crowd, killing several persons. The Human Rights Organisation of Nepal estimated that 14 persons, including several onlookers, had been killed in police firing. However, this movement was repressed by the Nepali government, in Operation Romeo and Operation Kilo Sera II, which took the lives of many of the leading activists of the struggle. As a result, many witnesses to this repression became radicalised. Nepalese Civil War[ edit ] Main article: Baburam Bhattarai and Pushpa Kamal Dahal better known as "Prachanda", the insurgency began in five districts in Nepal: Rolpa, Rukum, Jajarkot, Gorkha, and Sindhuli. Chapter 7 : Military and Democracy in Nepal: 1st Edition (Hardback) - Routledge Nepal, due to civil war between the government and the Maoist, has turned into a terrible democracy that one would almost call as non-functioning. If you look at history, Nepal has a history of political turmoil and lack of a stable government. Page 10

11 Chapter 8 : Kingdom of Nepal - Wikipedia Democracy failed in Nepal because it lacked a participant political culture. If our way of thinking does not change, even the best polity will betray us. If the state cannot channelise public. Chapter 9 : Democracy and diplomacy in Nepal: Historical assessment Democracy and diplomacy both aim to protect the state and maintain peace and security within the system. Nepal's history which is best characterised by the Unification Campaign led by great King Prithvi Narayan Shah turned Nepali state into a force to be reckoned with. Page 11