Kathmandu, Nepal\u00a0\u2013<\/strong> On the eve of Valentine\u2019s Day last month, a former king in Nepal was on a helicopter, making his way to the capital, Kathmandu, from Jhapa, a district to the southeast where he has business interests.<\/p>\n Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah landed in Kathmandu to a red carpet welcome by thousands of supporters, with chants of \u201cRaja aau, desh bachau!\u201d (\u201cCome back, king, save the country!\u201d), a slogan popular among Nepal\u2019s royalists, ringing out.<\/p>\n Four days later, on the eve of Nepal\u2019s Democracy Day, the 78-year-old former monarch released a video message with English subtitles, speaking of his \u201cunwavering sense of duty and responsibility\u201d towards a nation he suggested was trapped in an \u201cunusual whirlwind of distress\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe country is in one of the most painful situations in its history,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn a democracy, it is appropriate for state systems and processes to operate in accordance with constitutional principles. While periodic elections are natural processes in a democratic system, prevailing sentiments suggest that elections should proceed only after national consensus to avoid post-election conflict or unrest.\u201d<\/p>\n Shah\u2019s explicit opposition to the parliamentary election \u2013 scheduled for Thursday \u2013 was aimed at Nepalis who have a lingering nostalgia for the monarchy, which was abolished in 2008 after seven years of Shah on the throne.<\/p>\n Since the 239-year-old monarchy was abolished in 2008, Nepal, an impoverished nation of 30 million people, has been plagued with political instability.<\/p>\n It has seen 14 governments and nine prime ministers since, with power rotating between the \u2060former Maoist rebels\u2019 party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified \u2060Marxist-Leninist), and the Nepali Congress.<\/p>\n However, a Gen Z-led uprising in September last year challenged the dominance of Nepal\u2019s established political parties and forced the formation of an interim government, which is overseeing the March 5 election.<\/p>\n The youth-led challenge to an ageing political class has reignited debates in Nepal about a possible return of monarchy, and whether the prospect has significant public support.<\/p>\n There is marginal political support, too.<\/p>\n The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which won 14 of the 275 seats in the 2022 parliamentary election, openly advocates for the restoration of a constitutional monarchy. Its leader, Rabindra Mishra, told Al Jazeera that Shah\u2019s call for consensus on the issue echoed his own thoughts.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe we need national consensus and a systemic overhaul of the system,\u201d Mishra said, while campaigning in his constituency in Kathmandu. \u201cI have been saying the election should be slightly postponed to forge consensus before announcing new dates. But we are not a formidable political force. The major parties are moving ahead with the election regardless.\u201d<\/p>\n A year ago, Shah had put up a similar show of support in Kathmandu, fuelling speculation about whether he was trying to test the waters to push for the restoration of the constitutional Hindu monarchy. The demonstration turned violent after Durga Prasai, the royalist businessman who had mobilised crowds for the rally, broke the police barricade with his car and entered the restricted zone, which was not designated for demonstrations. Two people were killed, more than 100 were injured, and more than 100 were arrested for clashing with police.<\/p>\n Critics see calculated political signalling behind Shah\u2019s public appearances.<\/p>\n Baburam Bhattarai, an ex-prime minister and former Maoist leader, said Shah\u2019s statements were concerning.<\/p>\n \u201cThese kinds of public statements during crucial times are not good,\u201d Bhattarai told Al Jazeera. \u201cThe Constituent Assembly lawfully abolished the monarchy and established a democratic republic. He should think about how to contribute responsibly as a citizen. Suggesting elections should not happen just before they take place sends the wrong message.\u201d<\/p>\n Political analyst CK Lal offered a more tempered view.<\/p>\n \u201cHe [Shah] has seen power, and that nostalgia does not fade easily,\u201d Lal told Al Jazeera. \u201cPerhaps he hopes that if circumstances change, keeping the idea alive may prove useful. But at present, he appears to be trying to remain relevant. It is difficult for anyone who once held absolute authority to accept irrelevance.\u201d<\/p>\n The RPP\u2019s election manifesto describes the monarchy as a \u201cguardian institution\u201d, necessary for a country in crisis.<\/p>\n \u201cTo move forward, both wheels must be strong,\u201d said party leader Mishra, using the metaphor of a royal chariot. \u201cWe are not proposing the monarchy will run the government. Political parties will govern. The monarchy would serve as a unifying symbol above partisan politics.\u201d<\/p>\n Mishra said Nepal faces internal security challenges and regional geopolitical pressures, and a ceremonial monarchy could provide stability.<\/p>\n But Bhattarai rejects this, saying the idea of a Hindu monarchy conflicts with Nepal\u2019s religious, ethnic and cultural fabric, and its secular constitution.<\/p>\n \u201cMonarchy is obsolete,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will not solve our crises. These are inherent challenges that can only be addressed through democratic processes. Nepal is an inclusive, secular state. We cannot reverse that.\u201d<\/p>\n Lal, however, argued that the monarchy retains a limited but symbolic resonance among some people.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would be presumptuous to say it is not a force,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it is not a considerable force. It appeals mainly to religiously minded elders and cultural conservatives. The younger generation has no lived experience of monarchy. To them, it appears antiquated.\u201d<\/p>\n Nepal\u2019s monarchy under the Shah dynasty ended in 2006, when Maoist-led mass protests forced Shah, who had seized power and imposed emergency rule, to reinstate parliament. In 2008, a constituent assembly formally abolished the monarchy and declared Nepal a secular federal democratic republic.<\/p>\n Now, the RPP advocates for reinstating Nepal as a Hindu state. Nepal was the world\u2019s only officially Hindu kingdom until 2008.<\/p>\n Mishra frames the proposal as cultural preservation rather than religious majoritarianism. \u201cNepal is a centre of both Hinduism and Buddhism,\u201d he said. \u201cWe do not oppose any religion.\u201d<\/p>\n However, he insisted: \u201cTo protect Nepal\u2019s identity and maintain social cohesion, we need a Hindu king as the head of state.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 80 percent of Nepal\u2019s population is Hindu.<\/p>\n Bhattarai dismissed the idea as \u201cromanticism\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cReligion is a personal faith,\u201d he said. \u201cA nation state does not have a religion \u2013 people do. Enforcing one religious identity on a diverse society is anti-democratic.\u201d<\/p>\n Lal pointed out that calls to restore the monarchy and a Hindu state are closely intertwined. \u201cFrom a monarchist perspective, a Hindu state is a first step,\u201d he said. \u201cFor Hindu nationalist forces, it may be an end goal. There appears to be a convergence of interests.\u201d<\/p>\n Since 2008, Shah has not formally entered politics, though he maintains a visible public presence. He appears at restaurants, night clubs, and other public places on his birthday and during festivals, casually posing for photographs with people. His occasional private visits abroad, including to India, have drawn political scrutiny, though he holds no official diplomatic role.<\/p>\n India\u2019s governing Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi also holds the ideology that India ought to be a Hindu state.<\/p>\n At a pro-monarchy rally in 2025, a prominent poster showed Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu nationalist politician who is the chief minister of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Nepal. Adityanath is also the chief priest at Gorakhnath Temple, which the Shah dynasty considers sacred, and has been publicly sympathetic to the idea of Nepal as a Hindu state.<\/p>\n But Lal downplayed speculation about Shah being backed by India, home to the world\u2019s largest Hindu population.<\/p>\n \u201cForeign governments support winners, not losers. Their [India\u2019s] interests lie with whoever holds power,\u201d he said. \u201cDespite a close relationship between the monarchy and the [Hindu nationalist] lobby in India, which is the ruling class now, they know that the monarchy has almost no relevance in Nepal.\u201d<\/p>\n Monarchists mainly draw their support for the institution from an 18th-century treatise called Dibya Upadesh (Divine Counsel). Attributed to the \u201cPrithvipath\u201d philosophy of Nepal\u2019s unifier, King Prithvi Narayan Shah. The idea describes Nepal as \u201ca yam between two boulders\u201d, referring to its precarious position between India and China, and urges its leaders to pursue cautious diplomacy, economic self-reliance and internal unity.<\/p>\n The RPP\u2019s Mishra argues that these principles remain relevant.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat Prithvi Narayan Shah formulated more than 240 years ago is still applicable today, in foreign policy, diplomacy, economic protection and national stability,\u201d he told Al Jazeera. \u201cWe already had our organic values in Dibya Upadesh, but we went looking elsewhere for ideological models.\u201d<\/p>\n But analyst Lal dismissed the idea that an 18th-century doctrine could guide a 21st-century republic.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is largely nostalgia. Invoking Prithvipath does not address contemporary geopolitical and economic realities. Nepal today operates in a completely different global context,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see much chance for the monarchy to be restored.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Kathmandu, Nepal\u00a0\u2013 On the eve of Valentine\u2019s Day last month, a former king in Nepal was on a helicopter, making his way to the capital, Kathmandu, from Jhapa, a district to the southeast where he has business interests. Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah landed in Kathmandu to a red carpet welcome by thousands of supporters, with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13808\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26044348517856-1772576820.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80\")
Why Shah is hopeful<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26044348519618-1772576861.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80\")
\u2018Trying to remain relevant\u2019<\/h2>\n
![\"Supporters](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26044348853919-1772576942.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80\")
\u2018Unifying symbol\u2019<\/h2>\n
![\"Supporters](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP25188292895296-1772576983.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80\")
Calls to restore Hindu state<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"