Protests Challenge Nepal’s Republican Future

The demonstrations are a wake-up call for the leaders of Nepal. It is impossible to ignore the mounting call for reform. The calls for stability, economic expansion, and an end to corruption must be met, whether or not the monarchy returns.

At this juncture, Nepal is a divided republic longing for unification, where the past and present clash in a battle for the soul of the country. Although the monarchy may not be the solution, its resurgence speaks to a more fundamental reality: the existing quo is untenable.

The protests by the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) are still ongoing. The royalist party organised a peaceful demonstration in Balkhu, Kathmandu, on 8 April, demanding for the restoration of a constitutional monarchy and the declaration of Nepal as a Hindu state.

The demonstration led by the RPP was organised under the slogan “Let’s change the system to change the situation,” and the party has also announced a proposal to develop a new political system in the country. The RPP further stated that further programmes will be announced based on how the situation unfolds.

(Brabim Karki is an author and businessman based in Nepal. He tweets @brabim7. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)