261-year-old war re-opens in Nepal

KATHMANDU: Until last year, January 11 was celebrated as National Unity Day. It was the day when Prithvi Narayan Shah, founder of the ruling Shah dynasty, was born 283 years ago.

But, 10 years ago, when Maoist insurgents began an armed uprising with the aim of abolishing the monarchy and establishing a secular republic, the communist guerrillas launched an attack on the dead king, calling him an expansionist and an exploiter who rode roughshod over the conquered communities.

Ironically, faced with a threat to the institution he represents, Gyanendra has begun a guerrilla war on the one major party that still remains loyal to monarchy, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).

Shah, ruler of Gorkha in northwestern Nepal, began a series of attacks from 1745, annexing over 50 tiny principalities that Nepal was divided into at that time, finally conquering Kathmandu after 24 years of battle.

Friction between the palace and the party began after Pashupati Rana assumed party leadership. It seems like an eerie throwback to the past. Rana is the heir of Mohan Bahadur Rana, the last of the hereditary all-powerful prime ministers.

The feud between the Ranas and Shahs peaked when  King Tribhuvan, Gyanendra’s grandfather was forced to flee to India. Now the old feud has been revived with Gyanendra trying to weaken the RPP by splitting it. It already split once last year with royalist leader Surya Bahadur Thapa leaving to form the Rastriya Janashakti Party (RJP).

The 261-year-old war started by his ancestor has begun afresh, this time with the intelligentsia, civil society and professional siding against the palace.

Though only time will tell who will emerge victorious, a portent was offered on Wednesday by Nepal’s independent print media that ignored any reference to the National Unity Day.