For 240 years Nepal has been under the rule of the Shah Dynasty, revered as incarnations of the Hindu God Vishnu. In 2001, the then deranged Crown Prince killed most of the Royal Family in a shooting, including his father (King Birendra), and then himself. This incident shook the peaceful land by its foundation and culminated in the historic elections on April 10 this year.
Over the past 7 years, Nepal has been under the shoddy reign of surviving brother, Gyanendra, which incited one too many violent uprisings by Prachanda’s Maoists. Though the King did express his support for the elections, the Maoists were still jittery and belligerent.
But, the hope for a democratic Nepal without further armed struggle seems brighter now as the Maoists inch towards a win. Though there has been much violence from the Maoist front in the past, over the past couple of years they have been on a peace pact, in and out of interim coalition government and the Nepali people are optimistic they’ll act responsibly once they have the power. They have spoken of the possibility of putting into place a new constitution and stable government.
The final results will be out within a week, and it looks like it’s about time Nepal was in the news for no more than being the home of a pristine natural wonder of the world.
Via: Timesnow
