KATHMANDU, Sept 24: The chairman of the CPN (Maoist Center), Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has reportedly praised the late King Mahendra, calling him a “visionary king”. According to Rabindra Mishra, the senior vice-chairman of the pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Maoist Chairman Dahal especially praised the late king who founded the partyless Panchayat system, for taking initiatives for the development of industries in the nation, going so far as calling the late King a “visionary” leader.
In a facebook post on Tuesday, Mishra claimed that former Prime Minister Dahal expressed such a ‘surprising’ opinion during a meeting hosted by Dahal at his residence in Khumaltar earlier on the same day. Dahal, the leader of the armed Maoist insurgency, was a staunch opponent of the kings and the institution of monarchy and a proponent during the formation of the Republic of Nepal. Mishra has been a stern advocate for the restoration of monarchy.
Stating that he met Dahal after years a day earlier and was invited for a heart-to-heart meeting, Mishra posted a picture of the two leaders having tea together and mentioned the discussion with Dahal in seven points. According to the RPP leader, Dahal confessed that when he became the Prime Minister for the first time, he checked the details of the industrial development of the nation and found that former King Mahendra had done a great job during the Panchayat period from 1961 to 1990.
According to Mishra, Dahal said that he was not of the opinion to overthrow the monarchy during the Maoist movement. As per three of Mishra’s post, Dahal is quoted as saying, “ During the conflict, some of my friends were entirely negative about the monarchy. I was in favor of cooperating with the king if it benefited the country.” Dahal has also said that “the circumstances would be different today, had the former king taken a soft approach against the people’s movement in 2006.
Similarly, Mishra has also claimed that both the leaders have agreed that the nation is faltering under the present system. However, Dahal seems not to have agreed with Mishra when the RPP leader claimed that the country has reached such a point that if the monarchy is not restored, the country is headed for an 'explosion stage'. Dahal reportedly claimed that while he is not yet in the condition to agree with Mishra about the reinstatement of monarchy, he has been forced to reconsider his anti-monarchist stance at the end of the day. In addition, he reportedly told Mishra that foreign interference in the country has reached its peak.
Here is an English translation of Rabindra Mishra’s Facebook status:
The king who saved Nepal
Hart-to-Heart Conversations with Prachanda
Yesterday, I met him at a program. Today, after many years, I met him at his residence.
“The country has reached a point where, unless the monarchy is reinstated, it is heading towards a state of explosion. At that time, nothing of your "agragaman" (progress), name, and statues will be left.” That’s what I conveyed, in summary.
After that, some of his comments seemed meaningful:
1. I have also concluded that the country cannot continue in this situation. Nowadays, I am saying this in training sessions.
2. When I was Prime Minister last time, I requested and reviewed all details of Nepal's industries, and it seems that many good things happened during the Panchayat era. King Mahendra was indeed a visionary king.
3. During the conflict, some of my friends were entirely negative about the monarchy. I was in favor of cooperating with the king if it benefited the country.
4. If King Gyanendra had been a bit softer during the 2062/63 movement, the situation would have been different today.
5. It is true that foreign interference has reached an extreme level in the country.
6. I became the Prime Minister much later. During the war, it was uncertain if one would survive. It was all for nation-building. Even now, my feeling is that we must build the country. However, it cannot be done this way anymore.
7. I am not yet in a position to agree with your views. However, it is necessary to reflect on them when going to bed at night. "Disruption in continuity" has become essential.
After a long conversation in the balcony, when I came down, dozens of comrades from the Maoist party were waiting for Prachanda.
On the surface, they were waiting for their leader. But deep down, they were representatives of millions of Nepalis who are waiting for when this country will be built and when their children and families will find happiness. Their lives have passed in waiting/will pass in waiting but they were perhaps unaware of this reality.
I am convinced that even if "God himself descended from heaven to build the country," the current system will not work, and things will only deteriorate further.
