From Gopal Sharma
Kathmandu (Reuters) thousands of followers of the former king of Nepal gathered on Thursday in the capital Kathmandu and demanded the restoration of the constitutional monarchy, which was abigned 17 years ago, which was abolished with successive governments.
Protesters of flag wells marched from various directions into the city center and call: “Our king is more expensive than living. King comes back and saved the country” when the police stood by Riot Wache.
At a similar rally in March, two people were killed and several injured.
The 239-year-old monarchy was coordinated in 2008 after weeks of bloody street protests. The last king of the Himalaya nation, the 77-year-old Gyanendra, has lived as a citizen since his fall with his family in a private house in Kathmandu.
He did not comment on the demonstration on Thursday, but expressed grief about the violence that two people killed in March.
Demonstrators also call for the country of 30 million people who are trapped between China and India in order to become a Hindu state again, a status that lost it through the monarchy.
“The governments formed in the past 17 years have not achieved their promises of development, creating jobs and improving people's living conditions,” said 35-year-old street seller Rajendra Tamang.
“Thousands of young people are forced to leave the country in search of work because they see no hope here,” he said.
Millions of young nepalis work mainly in the construction sites in the Middle East, South Korea and Malaysia, and the money they send home is an important source of income for Nepal.
The government followed a separate but smaller rally nearby to support the Republican system that replaced the monarchy.
The three major political parties, which together control almost 200 of the 275 seats in parliament, say that the monarchy of history has been handed over and cannot be restored.
All three fought together against the monarchy and voted in 2008 and said their trust in the Republican system was steadfast.
The Rastriya Prajatantra party, which is committed to the monarchy, only holds 13 seats in parliament.
A two -thirds majority or 184 legislators is necessary to change the constitution adopted in 2015 and to transform Nepal into a democratic Federal Republic.
The royalists say their protests continue until the monarchy is restored.
(Reporting of Gopal Sharma; Editor of YP Rajesh and Giles Elgood)