Democracy in Nepal
For 400 years Nepal was a Hindu kingdom, ruled by successive monarchs. However in 2006 there was a massive uprising, millions of people took to the streets calling for democracy and freedom. Tasi Lama and the head of the People’s Liberation Army Commander Anant give accounts of the uprising and talks about their vision for the transformation of Nepal, currently one of the poorest nations on earth.
KING BIRENDRA’S CORONATION
Although he succeeded his father, King Mahendra, when he passed away in 1972, King Birendra's official coronation was in 1975. His reign saw enormous changes take place in Nepal.
In 1990 the the 'Jana Andolan' or 'People's Movement', a historic and courageous uprising of ordinary Nepalis, led by a multi-party political alliance, brought about the end of absolute monarchy, forcing King Birendra to become a constitutional monarch and catalysing constitutional democracy in Nepal. The Jana Andolan was remarkable because of the co-operation between political parties with very different idealogies, such as the Nepali Congress party and a range of Communist parties which banded together as the United left Front.
11 years later he, King Birendra's wife Queen Aiswarya, and other members of their family were killed by Crown Prince Dipendra in the Royal Massacre of 2001 (see the next Era in the Timeline).
The importance of the Jana Andolan cannot be underestimated. When the Nepali people took to the streets in their thousands in 2006 to bring to an end the autocratic rule of King Gyanendra, the movement was dubbed the 'Loktantra Andolan' (which roughly translated means the 'Democracy Movement'), but it was also widely known as the SecondJana
KING BIRENDRA’S CORONATION
Although he succeeded his father, King Mahendra, when he passed away in 1972, King Birendra's official coronation was in 1975. His reign saw enormous changes take place in Nepal.
In 1990 the the 'Jana Andolan' or 'People's Movement', a historic and courageous uprising of ordinary Nepalis, led by a multi-party political alliance, brought about the end of absolute monarchy, forcing King Birendra to become a constitutional monarch and catalysing constitutional democracy in Nepal. The Jana Andolan was remarkable because of the co-operation between political parties with very different idealogies, such as the Nepali Congress party and a range of Communist parties which banded together as the United left Front.
11 years later he, King Birendra's wife Queen Aiswarya, and other members of their family were killed by Crown Prince Dipendra in the Royal Massacre of 2001 (see the next Era in the Timeline).
The importance of the Jana Andolan cannot be underestimated. When the Nepali people took to the streets in their thousands in 2006 to bring to an end the autocratic rule of King Gyanendra, the movement was dubbed the 'Loktantra Andolan' (which roughly translated means the 'Democracy Movement'), but it was also widely known as the SecondJana