18 TH SAARC SUMMIT IN NEPAL

The two-day 18th South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation summit will deliberate on a range of crucial issues such as defence and security, improving transport connectivity among the member states and ensuring greater flow of goods and services to boost trade and commerce.

KING ADDRESSING 3RD SUMMIT

The theme of the summit is ‘Deeper Regional Integration for Peace and Prosperity’ and diplomats of a number of member countries said there have been expectations that the summit will have “breakthroughs” in some areas. The leaders are also expected to deliberate on enhancing cooperation in the fields of education, health care, energy security and poverty alleviation.

DIURING 11 TH SAARC SUMMIT HELD IN NEPAL 

Modi, after becoming Prime Minister, has been pushing for a stronger SAARC and there has been lot of enthusiasm among top diplomats of various countries about what he brings to the table to make the eight-nation grouping a regional powerhouse.While Modi’s official programme has no mention of his meeting with Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, he would be meeting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa among others.

India sees SAARC as a regional cooperative framework for promoting active collaboration in economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields so as to accelerate regional growth and development.Diplomats said there will be detailed discussion on removing hurdles for ensuring free flow of trade among the member countries.

POLITICAL IDEOLOGY "KING MAHENDRA "

King Mahendra (1920-1972) was the ninth Shah dynasty ruler of Nepal. The period of his rule (1955-1972) was marked by a wide variety of experiments in political systems and approaches to economic and social development.

coronation of King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev 

King Mahendra (Bir Bikram Shah Dev), the ninth Shah (Gorkha) dynasty ruler of Nepal, was born in Kathmandu on July 11, 1920, the eldest son of King Tribhuvan and Queen Kanti. Mahendra's first three decades were a period in Nepal's history when the Shah dynasty ruled in name only and political authority was held by the Rana family. Mahendra was not allowed to participate in the political or social life in Kathmandu except under strict Rana supervision, nor did he attend a "modern" educational institution in Nepal, India, or abroad as did many of the sons of elite families prior to 1950. This sense of exclusion and deprivation, intellectually and politically, strongly influenced his political views and values even after the overthrow of the Rana "system" in 1951.

Mahendra married Indra R. L. Rana in 1940. She bore him three sons and three daughters before her death in 1950. Mahendra then married Indra's sister, Ratna R. L. Rana, in December 1952—over opposition from political party leaders and, reportedly, from his father King Tribhuvan because she came from a powerful branch of the Rana family. This was one of the first occasions on which Mahendra demonstrated the determination to make his own decisions, a characteristic evident after he came to the throne.

King Tribhuvan died on March 14, 1955, and Mahendra succeeded him on the throne. The period from the overthrow of the Ranas in 1951 until 1955 had been a transitional phase in Nepal's politics with no constitution, no elected parliament, and no responsible cabinet system. The executive, nominally acting under the authority of the monarch, was composed of various political party leaders who were, in fact, responsible to no one but lacked much political clout. King Tribhuvan was reluctant to assert a forceful role for the monarchy, but gradually felt compelled to do so. The government of India, which had "supervised" the replacement of the Rana system in 1951, found it necessary to serve as the power behind the throne in the Nepalese government whenever decisions had to be made.

King Mahendra during  hunting session at Mahendranagar 

King Mahendra, in contrast to his father, was not prepared to see such a tenuous political system prolonged and introduced a series of experiments shortly after ascending the gaddi (throne). His first step (1956) was a purge of the bureaucracy with the objective of making it a more efficient body in the implementation of policies—for example, Nepal's first five-year plan. By 1959 he had, on his own initiative, introduced a parliamentary-type constitution that was largely modelled on India's democratic constitution, but with some protection for the institution of the monarchy. In the spring of 1959 Nepal's first free popular election based on universal franchise was held. The Nepali Congress Party swept two-thirds of the seats in the election, and the leader of the party, B. P. Koirala, was appointed prime minister. King Mahendra assumed the largely titular head of state position given the monarchy under the 1959 constitution, did not intervene with the governance of the country, and spent most of his time touring Nepal or travelling abroad.

King Mahendra's reign, 1955-1972, was notable for a wide variety of experiments in political systems, ranging from the classically Western democratic parliamentary system to more authoritarian political structures based, in theory at least, on traditional Hindu concepts and institutions. There was a similar openness to different approaches to economic and social development—for example, moderate but pragmatic land reform and legal code liberalization programs. At all times, however, King Mahendra maintained a special concern for the viability of the monarchial system.

State visit to London 

By the time of King Mahendra's death on January 31, 1972, there were evident strains and deficiencies in the constitutional and political system he had constructed in the 1960s. In his final years Mahendra amended the 1962 constitution and made some efforts to bring talented and experienced officials into the key positions in the administrative process. But this had limited effect on the political system, which remained authoritarian, with the monarch as the fulcrum around which everything moved. It was quite evident by the time of his death that more basic political changes were required to meet the demands of an increasingly complex and developing society.

                  The most popular king of All time 

The most popular king of all time, His Majesty the King Late Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev(श्री ५ महाराजधिराज  स्वर्गीय  वीरेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह देव ) , the first son of His Majesty the King Late Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev(श्री ५ महाराजधिराज स्वर्गीय  महेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह देव) and Her Majesty the (then) Queen Ratna Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah (श्री ५ मुमा  बडामहारानी रत्न राज्यलक्ष्मी देवी शाह ), ruled Nepal over a long period of 30 years, from 1971 AD to 2001 AD. He is regarded by the Nepalese people and many world leaders as a peace loving and democracy supporting King. His long reign of 30 years saw various political events, including the downfall of Panchayat System, installed in Nepal by his father, and also the start of the People's War, started by the Maoists on 1994 AD. He was the leader who proposed Nepal as a non-aligned state, and gained a lot of popularity all over the world for it. He was later killed on 19th Jestha 2058 BS(1st June, 2001 AD) at Narayanhiti Royal Palace, while he was celebrating "Good Friday" with his relatives. This massacre was the most mysterious massacre in history and was dubbed "Durbar Hatyakanda"(Palace Massacre). No one was able to find the culprit of the massacre, which took various lives including Her Majesty the Queen Late Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah(श्री ५ बडामहारानी स्वर्गीय ऐश्वर्य राज्य लक्ष्मी देवी शाह ), His Highness the Crown Prince Late Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev(श्री ५ युवराजधिराज स्वर्गीय दीपेन्द्र वीर बिक्रम शाह देव ).However, the investigation commission which included the then Speaker of Parliament Taranath Ranabhat concluded that Crown Prince Dipendra had been the culprit of the Massacre.

Even though cars were made to be driven on ground, cars were carried by the people in Nepal more than 100 years ago. Cars were only accessible to the highest part of the society: the rulers and their relatives. Cars became widely used in the public only after the advent of democracy in 2007 BS (1951 A.D) . The cars were brought from India, during which it was carried by people to transport it safely to Kathmandu. Ironic, isn't it, people carrying the thing invented to carry them?

People carrying a car to cross a river.

A BLAST FROM PAST

 Love them or hate them, but you can't ignore them. The legacy of Rana rule remains everywhere: from the imposing fade of Singha Darbar, the presence of Ranas at the top echelons of modern Nepal's business, army and police, and the Rana family tree, which is interwoven with the present members of the Shah dynasty. All this makes for fascinating history that has been documented in research papers, academic treatises, a best-selling novel and recent Rana nostalgia in architecture

Rana power transitions were messy affairs, and watching all this from the background was the British regent at Lazimpat. We see how British India tried to influence events in Kathmandu, and this has familiar echoes today. When Bir Shumshere sidelined Jagat Jung and exiled him to India, the British refused for five months to recognise Bir as leader. And when Jagat Jung began preparations to overthrow Bir Shumshere from Indian soil, the British arrested him while he was planning to march into Nepal with his armed followers. Sound familiar? 

It was perhaps inevitable that when Jung died during a hunting trip in Chitwan in 1877, his brothers immediately started squabbling for power. Jung's brother, Dhir, installed Jung's brother Rana Udip Singh as successor, while he manoeuvred to take over. Suspecting a plot, he beheaded two dozen courtiers and managed to carve out a place for himself and his 17 sons in the succession. The clan was thus effectively split between the Jung Ranas and the Shumshere Ranas. By 1885, matters reached a head again and Dhir had his six sons kill their uncle, Rana Udip Singh and remove all the descendants of Jung Bahadur's other brothers from succession. 

Chandra was succeeded by Bhim Shumshere, Joodha Shumshere, Padma Shumshere and finally, Mohun Shumshere. But time was running out, the end of Empire was near. Although they tried to modernize  Nepal with industrialization, banking, railways, urban water supply, and even a liberal constitution, it was too little too late. Mohun Shumshere had to deal with newly-independent India and grapple with democracy-minded Nepalis whose demands sounded uncannily similar to today's discourse: set up a constituent assembly and form an interim government. 

A glimpse of   Gaddi baithak 

photographed 1985 BS 

Nepal is a beautiful country with many mysterious diversities. In this Blog, we will uncover the mystery of Nepalese History with shocking reveals, stories and rare pictures.