Kathmandu, June 3: The late King Birendra was sincerely interested in Nepal’s development, as displayed by his attempts at reforming the education sector, and the social system. The late king’s division of the country into five development regions, a major development initiative, was designed specifically to improve the lives of the people of neglected west Nepal.

King Birendra ascended the throne on 31 January 1972 but was only crowned on 28 February 1975. In 1980, five years after the late king inherited the partyless Panchayat system from his father King Mahendra, he put it to test in a referendum, in which people voted in favour of continuing the panchayat system with reforms. He enjoyed absolute power until 1990 when a popular movement toppled the system and restricted the power of the monarch.

In an interview with this correspondent on the eve of the promulgation of the constitution on November 9, 1990 the king had admitted: “I am moving into uncharted territory.” In the last 11 years the king earned a lot of respect at home and abroad, and was commended by political parties for supporting democracy.

One of King Birendra’s biggest achievements was his role in forming the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC). He is credited by many with taking the initiative in creating South Asia’s biggest co-operation alignment. However his foreign policy initiative to declare Nepal a Zone of Peace was abandoned without explanation by successive governments after the restoration of multi-party democracy despite the support of 116 countries, excluding India. The king pushed for friendly ties with immediate neighbours China and India.

King Birendra’s love for his country and people was openly displayed in his numerous visits to different parts of the kingdom. The king, a paratrooper and an experienced helicopter pilot, had flown or travelled by foot to many parts of the country. During the Panchayat era he paid annual regional visits setting up camp at the five regional district headquarters to get a first hand knowledge of local problems and issues; the practice was discontinued after 1990.

The king was a widely travelled man and established personal rapport with world leaders who have mourned his death. Local and many international newspapers Sunday gave banner coverage to the death of the king, queen and other members of the royal family. There is even news that a man in Narayanghat committed suicide after receiving news of the royal family killings.