Jana Andolan 1990 Revisited– V

April 11, 2006
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A Japanese journalist, Kiyoko Ogura has beautifully chronicled the People’s Movement of 1990 that ushered in the multi-party democracy in Nepal. Nepalnews brings to you selected chapters from the book “Kathmandu Spring: The People’s Movement of 1990″ by Ms. Ogura published by Himal Books in 2001 and reprinted in 2004.

Leaders-King hold dialogue

By Kiyoko Ogura

 

(Nepali Congress leaders) Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Girija Prasad Koirala had agreed to the conditions in the draft presented by the government and had also agreed to meet the king. But (supreme leader of the movement and the seniormost leader of Nepali Congress) Ganesh Man Singh had not changed his stance that the king should first publicly declare the restoration of a multiparty system, and only after that would it be right to talk to the government.

In the mean time, Ganesh Man began reminiscing about the old times with the two ministers. He told them what had happened to Mohan Shumsher, (Pashupati Shumsher) Rana’s grandfather, in 1950. Seeing that nothing more substantial was possible with him, Rana and (Achyut Raj) Regmi took their leave.

The three leaders of the Nepali Congress were assembled in the room of Ganesh Man once again to begin their second meeting of the day. Ganesh Man had been resolute in his stance and did not change it even when Prime Minister (Lokendra Bahadur) Chand had called on him at around 2 pm. “After so many people have become victims of the movement, how can we compromise now? Our demands are quite clear. Unless all of them were realized, there is no point in talking to the king. We have been betrayed by the palace many times. How can you say that it won’t happen again? As I have told you many times, unless the king declares the restoration of multiparty system, I will neither accept any talks nor see the king.”

Supreme leader of the movement and the seniormost leader of Nepali Congress, Ganesh Man Singh
(File Photo)
In a sense, Ganesh Man was only one among the Nepali Congress leaders who knew how the people felt. As he had looked closely at the demonstration of April 6, he had felt that the movement was not only for people belonging to various parties but for the Nepali people as a whole, and what they had been demanding was far more than what was being offered.

(Then premier Lokendra Bahadur) Chand had also told him that the king wanted to meet him for a talk that day, but Ganesh Man stood firm. He, however, told the party’s acting president (K. P. Bhattarai), following which Chand and Regmi had left for Bhattarai’s place. After a while, they all came back to the hospital. It was around half past five when Ganesh Man, who had been stubbornly resisting the government offer, was finally persuaded to give his approval to a meeting with the king. Even so, Ganesh Man himself would not go; instead, Bhattarai and Koirala would represent the Nepali Congress. Ganesh Man still did not fully trust the palace. He thought he should remain uninvolved, so that he would be the last trump card in case the talks with the king did not go well.

It was then that the four leaders of the United Left Front arrived at Bir Hospital. The prime minister and Koirala had both left and only Regmi and Bhattarai remained. RK immediately lashed out at the Nepali Congress. “The conditions presented by the government don’t include the abolition of Panchayat institutions. We can’t accept the incomplete conditions. Moreover, why did you decide to see the king by yourselves without consulting us?”

Bhattarai answered, “If we have all the things today, we won’t have to do them tomorrow, or will we? As they say they will be introducing the multiparty system, we accept for that today, and we can keep one or two things to be done in future.”

The leaders of the United Left Front persisted in demanding the abolition of Panchayat institutions. Ganesh Man listened their conversation without saying a word, and only in the end he said, “Certainly they are right. At least you should demand that the king abolish the Rastriya Panchayat.”

K. P. Bhattarai

K. P. Bhattarai (File Photo)
Bhattarai could do nothing but accede to the words of the Supreme Leader.

A light rain late in the evening had left behind black patches here and there on the asphalt road. It was the night of 8 April and it had been two days since Kathmandu had been under curfew. After eight o’clock, the opposition leaders left Bir Hospital for the Narayanhiti Royal Palace and their meeting with the king. They were riding in the cars of ministers Rana and Regmi. But instead of turning in at the palace gates, they went straight to the official residence of the prime minister at Baluwatar. Regmi then left for the palace, leaving the four with Rana and Prime Minster Chand.

When the tea was brought in, with characteristic light-heartedness, Bhattarai said, “Today we should congratulate each other not with tea but with champagne, what do you say?”

Chand had been Bhattarai’s neighbour for nearly two years when he had lived in Kupandol. Because of this, he was aware of Bhattarai’s tendency to crack jokes at all times. So Chand cautioned him, “Please behave yourself with His Majesty.”

After some time they all left for the palace. By the time they reached its western gate, it was already nine o’clock. First the prime minister was called in to talk with the king alone for several minutes. Then all of them were shown in.

Narayanhiti Royal Palace: Leaders meet King Birendra and agree to end the People’s Movement on April 8 1990.

Narayanhiti Royal Palace: Leaders meet King Birendra and agree to end the People’s Movement on April 8 1990. (File Photo)
King Birendra was sitting on a chair, wearing a dhaka topi and a jacket over his daura suruwal. A tiger skin was spread on the floor under the table in front of him. Four chairs each had been placed on both sides of the king. Chand guided the four leaders to the chairs on the right side of the king, and they sat down: Bhattarai, Sahana, Koirala and RK. On the other side sat Chand, Regmi, Rana and Swanr.

Bending forward on his chair, King Birendra addressed them. “Have you come to an agreement amongst yourselves?”

Bhattarai spoke first, “It seems we have given Your Majesty some trouble.”

The words can be taken as a joke, and the king smiled.

At five past eleven, the songs were cut off all of a sudden (on the state-run Nepal Television), and the proclamation from the royal palace was read out by Durga Nath Sharma, a TV announcer, “As it was known to all, His Majesty the King has from time to time initiated political reforms in accordance with democratic norms and in consonance with the popular will. The Constitution Reform Commission will present its report to His Majesty the King reflecting the different political views existing in Nepali society, with the ‘partyless’ provision deleted from the constitution of Nepal as desired by the people of Nepal, in the international environment which exists today, and with the uppermost need for the unity of all Nepalis. His Majesty had lifted the existing ban on political parties.”

After this, images of the four leaders taking their seats in front of the king were shown. Following that brief shot, came the interviews with the four leaders. Bhattarai answered, “Of course, I declare it, so that all the people listening can understand clearly. His Majesty has proclaimed the deletion of the word ‘partyless’ from the constitution and lifted the ban on political parties, meaning that all political parties can now function freely. It means that multiparty democracy has been realized. Since the main objective of the movement has been achieved, I declare that the movement has ended.”

Bhattarai continued in lower voice, “However, we have some problems concerning the abolition of the Rastriya Panchayat, but we have demanded His Majesty to realize this as soon as possible.”