UNDERCURRENT: When a Birthday Became a Barometer of Discontent in Nepal

Hundreds of Nepalis gathered outside the private residence of former King Gyanendra Shah in Kathmandu on July 8. The occasion was to mark his 74th birthday with garlands, gifts, and chants calling for the return of the monarchy. 

According to reporting by the local Nepalese media, the former monarch, who rarely makes public appearances, opened his gates to the public for as many as three hours. This was a symbolic gesture that resonated far beyond ritual.

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Supporters carried cards, traditional food offerings, and placards that read, “Bring back the king,” underscoring a growing undercurrent of royalist sentiment that has been visible in Nepal over the past year. 

These public displays are not new but their scale has grown in recent months: in May 2025, tens of thousands marched in the capital demanding a restoration of the monarchy. 

A rally in March turned deadly when two protesters were killed during clashes with riot police — another reminder of how volatile the country’s political frustrations have become.

Nepal’s monarchy was formally abolished in 2008, two years after mass protests forced Gyanendra to relinquish absolute power. 

Between 2005 and 2006, the king had assumed executive control of the government, dissolved parliament, declared a state of emergency, and used the army to enforce rule — actions widely criticized by human rights observers and civil society groups. 

The shift to a federal democratic republic, led by an elected president, was seen as a historic move away from hereditary rule and toward a participatory political framework.

But, the dissatisfaction fueling this royalist resurgence does not stem from nostalgia alone.

Many citizens have voiced anger over the current political system’s perceived failures. In interviews cited by news agency Associated Press, demonstrators blamed major political parties for corruption, ineffective governance, and economic stagnation. 

For some, the monarchy now represents order and cultural identity: a contrast to the instability and factionalism that have come to define Nepal’s democratic experiment.

Importantly, Gyanendra has made no public statement endorsing the idea of reinstatement. He has lived as a private citizen since leaving the royal palace in 2008 and has remained largely outside formal political discourse. 

The current movement, then, appears driven more by disillusionment with democratic governance than by a coordinated effort from the former royal family itself.

Constitutional and political experts noted by the Nepalese media suggested that the return of the monarchy remains unlikely under Nepal’s current democratic framework. 

Parliament, governed by multi-party coalitions, shows no institutional appetite for revisiting the republican structure. Any changes of such magnitude would require sweeping political consensus and legal reform, neither of which are currently on the horizon.

Nepal’s political leadership would do well to see this moment as a reflection of how democracy is being perceived — and where it is falling short.