The Indian subcontinent has once again become restless. After turmoil in Bangladesh, a large section of the people in India’s other friendly country Nepal is on the streets. Curfew has had to be imposed even in the capital Kathmandu.
In Nepal, which has been facing continuous unrest for the last three decades, a crowd of lakhs is demanding the return of Hindu monarchy. Their demand is that Nepal should be declared a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ again. After experimenting with democracy for about a decade and a half, Nepal is again standing at the same crossroads where it was in the 1980s.
Pakistan has taken advantage of this unrest in Nepal for the last three-four decades. The unrest has led to the strengthening of influence of China, America, Christian missionaries and Islamic fundamentalists in the country. Continuous efforts have been made to break Nepal by separating it from its Hindu origin. Some leaders of India are also responsible for pushing Nepal into this situation. The Hindu people of Nepal are now in such a situation that instead of democracy, they are demanding that it be made a monarchy and a Hindu nation again.
How Rajiv Gandhi sowed the seed to end monarchy of Nepal
Hindu monarchy ended in Nepal in 2008. King Gyanendra Shah had to abdicate his throne in 2008. Before this, the leftists had shed a lot of blood in Nepal for almost a decade. Thanks to that, the nearly two and a half centuries old monarchy of Nepal came to an end in 2008.
However, the story of the end of the monarchy in Nepal started being written almost 20 years before 2008. Even though the monarchy in Nepal was later ended by the movement of the leftists, its seeds were sown by Rajiv Gandhi when he was the Prime Minister of India. His one step distanced Nepal from India, the distance which has not been bridged till date.
Till the end of 1980s, relations between Nepal and India were strong. There was no major border dispute. Lakhs of Nepalis worked in India. Nepal was dependent on India for all its needs. India had almost monopoly in supplying products to Nepal.
This situation changed by the end of 1980s. Rajiv Gandhi stopped supply of everything to Nepal in the year 1989. India had closed 19 out of 21 routes going to Nepal. Blockade was imposed for everything from oil to ration for Nepal. After this, Nepal had a huge problem of oil and food.
Long queues formed even for a basic item like kerosene in Nepal. This step was taken by Rajiv Gandhi when Nepal had an earthquake of more than 7 magnitude on Richter scale a few days ago. Two reasons were given for this step of Rajiv Gandhi.
One reason given then was Nepal’s arms deal with China. Those on India’s side said that this was a threat to their security and they could not allow this to happen. The other reason given was the end of the agreements made with Nepal for transportation.
Due to all this, King Birendra Bikram Shah, who was ruling Nepal at that time, had a conflict with India. This blockade lasted for a year and during this time Nepal had to face a lot of problems. Another story behind this is the treatment of Nepal and King Mahendra.
It is said that in 1988, then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi went to Nepal with his wife Sonia Gandhi. While there, Rajiv Gandhi also visited Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, however, the priests here refused to allow his wife Sonia Gandhi to enter the temple.
It is said that Sonia Gandhi’s entry was opposed because she is not a Hindu, but a Christian. Only Hindus can enter the holy temple. After this, Rajiv Gandhi asked for help from King Mahendra in this matter. King Mahendra also refused to help and said that he cannot interfere in religious matters. It is said that Queen Aishwarya, wife of King Birendra was also against Sonia entering the temple.
When Rajiv Gandhi visited Nepal,Sonia Gandhi was not allowed into Pashupatinath Temple because she is Xtian. Even the King could not help. Rajiv imposed a blockade on Nepal to avenge this ‘slight’. This was the point when Nepal began to turn against India. @Swamy39 on @NewsX
— Tathagata Roy (@tathagata2) June 11, 2020
This story was told by Tathagata Roy quoting BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. It is said that Rajiv got angry due to Sonia not being allowed to enter the temple in Nepal and after returning to India, he took steps to overthrow the monarchy from Nepal. This blockade was a part of that.
Rajiv Gandhi also deployed ‘Research and Analysis Wing’ to gather parties against the King of Nepal. Amar Bhushan, who was the Special Director of R&AW, has told in his book ‘Inside Nepal’ that on the orders of Rajiv Gandhi, R&AW strengthened the movement going on in Nepal against the King.
Many spies were also recruited for this. At the time when Rajiv Gandhi imposed the blockade against Nepal, at the same time, a movement was going on in Nepal to reduce the powers of the King and remove the ban on running political parties. When the blockade happened, the public got more enraged.
The people and students of Nepal were not only angry against India, they also turned against King Birendra Shah. They were organized by R&AW during this period. R&AW strengthened the Nepali Congress Party and the Communists during this period. This movement also became violent and many people were killed in it. The king finally had to bow down in April 1990.
Due to this operation of R&AW, the king had to give permission to political parties in 1990. After this, Nepal was no longer a full-fledged monarchy. It became a constitutional monarchy. Due to this attitude of Rajiv Gandhi, Nepal also tilted towards China.
In this way, Rajiv Gandhi pushed Nepal towards China due to personal resentment and also hollowed out the roots of its monarchy. While Rajiv Gandhi weakened the monarchy by nourishing the communists in Nepal, the communists of India played a big role in ending this monarchy.
Sitaram Yechury also went to meet the communist leaders in the year 2006. At that time, the monarchy and guerrilla forces were fighting in Nepal. It is said that he went there at the behest of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Sitaram Yechury is believed to have deep ties with the Nepalese leftists.
In 2006, he also brokered an agreement between the leftists and the rest of the parties in Nepal. This was called the Yechury formula. During his visit, Yechury had said that what was achieved in 1990 should now be taken forward.
Missionaries take advantage of instability in Nepal
Foreign powers have taken full advantage of this instability that has been prevailing in Nepal for the last three decades. Christian missionaries have been at the forefront of this. Many Christian missionaries have been active in the Hindu nation Nepal for a long time. A BBC report in 2023 said that the Christian population in Nepal has increased by 68% in a decade.
In 2011, 3.76 lakh Christians lived in Nepal. This number was only 1 lakh in 2001. Currently, more than 5.5 lakh Christians live in Nepal. This is the situation when there was not a single Christian in Nepal in 1951. The target of conversion are only the Hindus of remote areas of Nepal.
It is clear that whenever there has been instability in Nepal, conversions have taken place rapidly. This trend is still continuing. This game of Christian conversions has increased even more rapidly after Nepal’s status as a Hindu nation ended in 2008 and it became a ‘secular nation’.
According to a BBC report, Christian missionaries from South Korea have a major role in Christian conversions in Nepal. South Korea started sending Christian missionaries to Nepal about two decades ago. Since then, about 20,000 Korean missionaries have joined the campaign to convert Hindus to Christianity.
According to new figures, there are about 7758 churches in Nepal. 50 years ago, the number of Christians in Nepal was not even equal to the population of a village, today more than 7700 churches have been built there. Leftists have also played a major role in Christian conversions in Nepal.
Leftists started gaining influence in Nepal since 1995. The leftists were mostly settled in the hilly areas of the north. They taught the people of Nepal that religion is opium of the masses and the people will not get anything from religion. The leftists were against Hinduism in Nepal.
People moving away from religion and the prevalent poverty created a fertile ground for Christian missionaries. Already troubled people were lured with financial incentives, and sometimes in the name of education and health, and converted to Christianity.
It is not that no one in Nepal is worried about this conversion. While talking to BBC, former Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal Kamal Thapa had said about Christian missionaries are spreading in Nepal like wildfire. He had expressed concern that this will endanger the existence of the country’s culture.
Islamic fundamentalism is also spreading in Nepal
Along with Christian missionaries, Islamic fundamentalism is also spreading its roots in Nepal. In the year 2001, Nepal had a Muslim population of 9.54 lakhs. In 2021, it has increased to more than 14 lakhs. Not only has the population of Muslims increased in Nepal, but fundamentalism has also increased.
Mosques and madrasas have sprung up in Nepal in the areas bordering India. In a ground report done by OpIndia in 2022 on this matter, it was found that the economy in the border areas is also largely dominated by Muslims. In Nepal, which was a Hindu nation till 2008, Muslims even tried to change the name of a village to Islam Nagar.
In another incident, it was revealed that first kutcha huts were built for the Rohingya infiltrators and later there was a demand to build permanent houses at this place. There have been many such cases when the fundamentalists have come out on the streets and created a ruckus.
China and ISI took advantage of the chaos in Nepal
China and Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI have taken advantage of the instability in Nepal and the end of its status as a Hindu nation. ISI has used Nepal as a base to send fake notes to India. Many big Islamic terrorists who fled from India have also been caught in Nepal.
Pakistan has been using this area for its own benefit by inciting Islamic fundamentalists in Nepal and sending its spies. Due to the open border with India, Pakistanis have also used it as a route to escape from India. Wikileaks also revealed that Pakistan had even set up a terrorist organization in Kathmandu.
After pressure from India, Nepal arrested many Pakistani citizens in 2020. These citizens used to bring fake notes to India and expand the terrorist network. During the 1990s, Dawood Ibrahim gang made Nepal its base. After committing crimes in India, the criminals used to flee to Nepal.
While Pakistan has been using Nepal for its own purposes, China too wants to encircle Nepal due to its expansionist policy. Rajiv Gandhi’s action on Nepal had pushed it towards China.
China always wanted to increase its influence in Nepal. It wanted to encircle India with the help of Nepal. After the Communists came to power in 2008, China’s infiltration in Nepal has got a new support. The Communists increase trade and cooperation with China to put pressure on India.
The biggest example of this is Nepal’s inclusion in the Belt and Road project. Nepal has been saying no to this, but China has included it in it. China wants to trap Nepal in a debt trap like Sri Lanka and use it to encircle India in its own backyard.
Nepal has also recently built a new airport in Pokhara by taking a loan from China. This airport is like a patient who has died before reaching the hospital. Nepal had requested India for the first flight to this airport but it refused. After this, work started here with a flight from China.
This airport is lying vacant like Gwadar and Hambantota ports. There is a fear that China can take over this airport by putting pressure on Nepal to recover the loan given for this. China also interferes in the internal affairs of Nepal.
In 2020, news came out of the Chinese female ambassador honeytrapping even the then Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli. This spy was instigating Nepal against India. She was transferred from Nepal after this.
The conflict between Madheshis and Paharis worsened the situation
Apart from all these fights, the fight between Madheshis and Paharis in Nepal has worsened the situation. Madheshis refer to the people living in the Terai region of Nepal and most of the areas adjacent to India, while the Pahari population lives in the mountainous regions of the country.
With the end of monarchy in Nepal, the gap between the Madheshis and the Pahari people widened. Those who talk about Madheshi interests say that the Pahari people have always dominated the politics of Nepal and the Madheshis do not have the representation they deserve.
Apart from this, the Madheshis have also been angry about not being given autonomy to their region. Another end of this fight is also connected to the Maoist movement of Nepal. In fact, most of the leaders of the Maoist movement of Nepal came from the Pahari population.
Their cadre was also from here. During the movement, many Maoists looted the Terai region and carried out a series of kidnappings and murders. This also led to division among the two communities. Madheshis had also protested during the formation of the constitution in 2008 and 2015.
This movement turned violent in 2015. Many Madheshis were killed in it. After a lot of uproar, the Nepal government agreed to some of the demands of the Madheshis. This fight between the Madheshis and the hill people has given another problem to the already troubled Nepal and has made the life of the people here difficult.
The people of Nepal are fed up of all the instability
In the last 30 years, the people of Nepal and especially the Hindus have seen so much instability and wars that they now want to return to the old ways. They have seen everything in the last three decades – monarchy, constitutional monarchy and democracy. The worst situation they have experienced is due to the democracy in the country.
When the monarchy ended in Nepal in 2008, the democratic parties had made big promises to the Nepali people. They had completely excluded the then King Gyanendra from the entire process. Employment was promised to the Nepali youth who had suffered a period of violence for a decade, and prosperity to the Nepali people.
By 2025, most of these promises have not been fulfilled in Nepal. Nepal has become a victim of instability after the advent of democracy. In the 17 years between 2008 and 2025, the government has been formed and dissolved 13 times in Nepal. The Prime Minister has changed 13 times. Out of these, 11 times the government could not even last for 2 years.
The leftist parties that took up arms against the monarchy are today infighting among themselves. Nepal’s politics has been revolving around leaders like Sher Bahadur Deuba, KP Sharma Oli, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai for the last two decades.
After the advent of democracy, Nepal’s leaders have not been able to resolve their own disputes. Currently, the unemployment rate in Nepal is more than 12%, which is frightening. This rate is even above 20% among the youth. A large number of youth are fleeing from Nepal to India or Arab and European countries to work.
A report states that on an average 1700 people are leaving Nepal every day. Most of those leaving the country are the youth. About 10% of Nepal’s population has gone to other countries in search of work. Currently, about 23-24 lakh people have left Nepal and are working abroad.
Apart from unemployment, the second major issue is corruption that came after democracy in Nepal. During the monarchy, power was centralized and the general public did not have to face corruption in day to day life. But now corruption has taken deep roots in Nepal.
A report by The Kathmandu Post states that more than 28,000 cases of corruption were registered in Nepal in 2023. In many places, the work of government departments is stuck because many officers and employees are either suspended or serving jail on charges of corruption.
Due to all this, there is dissatisfaction among the general public. Apart from this, there is also a shortage of basic facilities. A report states that 73% of the people in Nepal do not get clean drinking water. Another report shows that about 35 lakh people of Nepal are still deprived of electricity. There is also a lack of roads in the hilly areas. Due to this, the people of Nepal are now fed up.
Demand for return of monarchy and Hindu nation
Nepal has been distanced from Hinduism and monarchy for the last 3 decades. Currently, Nepal is a secular nation. There is no monarchy here either. But even then the problems of the people have not been solved. They now feel that the monarchy which was removed due to the Maoist movement can fix their country again.
The history of monarchy in Nepal is about 250 years old. It was established by King Prithvi Narayan Shah. After that, his future generations ruled here till 2008. However, during this time, the monarchy also faced many problems.
The Rana family ruled Nepal from the middle of the 19th century to the latter half of the 20th century by keeping this family in control. However, in the 1950s, King Tribhuvan Shah took back power by coup. He died in 1955. After this, King Mahendra ruled till 1972.
After 1972, Birendra Bikram Shah became the king. His tenure was full of interesting events. Be it facing the blockade from Rajiv Gandhi in 1989 or becoming the face of democracy in 1990. The leftist movement also started in Nepal during his rule. However, in 2001, King Birendra and the rest of the family were assassinated by his son Dipendra.
After this, his brother Gyanendra was made the king. Gyanendra’s tenure was the end of monarchy in Nepal. During Gyanendra’s tenure, there was a change of power in Nepal. Nepal used to be a Hindu nation till Gyanendra’s tenure.
After 17 years, Nepal is back where it started from. In these 17 years, democracy in Nepal has not been able to do what the people there want. In such a situation, for some time now, there has been a demand to bring back King Gyanendra. Hindus of Nepal feel that the return of monarchy and the status of a Hindu nation is the only way left for them.
This effort is not one-sided. Former King Gyanendra of Nepal recently released a video. During this, he talked about ‘taking responsibility in one’s own hands’. This was a big message. This was the first time after the end of monarchy in Nepal that the former king said such a thing.
The support for King Gyanendra did not decrease even during democracy. A large part of the public still has respect for the king. On March 9, 2025, King Gyanendra Shah of Nepal returned to the capital Kathmandu. He was earlier on a tour of temples across the country.
After his arrival in Kathmandu, he was welcomed by a crowd of lakhs outside the airport. This made everything clear about their support to him. His supporters also raised pro-monarchy slogans after his return. The supporters had placards in their hands saying ‘Bring back the monarchy’, ‘Give us back our king’ and ‘This Nepal is of Gyanendra’.
The biggest name among those raising voice for the return of monarchy in Nepal is the Rashtriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). This party wants the return of monarchy as well as Hindu Rashtra in Nepal. This party has also organized big demonstrations. After the return of King Gyanendra to Kathmandu, a big ceremony was also organized under the leadership of this party.
On March 28, 2025, the movement for monarchy in Nepal turned violent. RPP organized a huge demonstration in Kathmandu. During this movement, the protesters demanded the return of the monarchy. To suppress the movement, the police used lathi charge and also opened fire.
This resulted in the death of one protester. This made the movement more violent. During this demonstration in Tinkune area of Kathmandu, the supporters who got furious against the police action vandalized several buildings. One building was set on fire. This resulted in the death of a media person.
Curfew had to be imposed in Kathmandu due to this demonstration. The army had to be called in here as well. This movement showed how a large section of Nepal supports the monarchy. Swati Mishra, a member of the Central Committee of RPP, said that they want King Gyanendra back not as a king but as a guardian.
RPP says that they want to use Hinduism as a stabilizing force in Nepal. RPP’s statement also seems to carry weight. Religion has played a big role in the unification and stability of Nepal. People feel that the atmosphere of instability has come only after the country was made secular.
During the monarchy in Nepal, Hinduism was also a controlling force over the monarchy. The religious people of Nepal and the king’s attachment to religion protected it from becoming unstable. However, Nepal was made secular by amending the Constitution. This was an agenda of the leftist parties.
Due to this, not only did religion lose its status as a unifying force in Nepal, but Nepal also leaned towards China. Religion was the only thing that kept Nepal strongly connected to India. Leftist parties now run towards China instead of India. But the public is not able to connect with it. Because their cultural connection is with India.
The people of Nepal now feel that democracy has given them only corruption, instability, internal conflicts and promises, whereas during the era of monarchy they were more prosperous. That is why those who support monarchy include not only the common people but also the big businessmen of Nepal.
Durga Parsai, a big businessman of Nepal, is also a part of this movement. Along with the people of Nepal, its elite class has also been a supporter of monarchy. Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala had said in an interview that the constitution here has not fulfilled the aspirations of the people. Koirala comes from a powerful political family of Nepal.
She had said that the king of Nepal should have been given a place in the new constitution. She had described the current system of Nepal as a ‘mask of democracy’. She had said that even today 90% of the Nepali people support the monarchy in some way or the other. Manisha Koirala had said that monarchy cannot be removed from the minds of the people of Nepal.
Now whether it is Koirala or the common people of Nepal, everyone believes that monarchy can solve their problems. Nepal’s political parties believe that King Gyanendra is behind the movement for monarchy. They also accuse India of promoting monarchy.
This is nothing new, even a utensil falling on the ground in Kathmandu is said to be a conspiracy of India by the leftist parties. The parties do not want the return of the king in any way. India has not yet given any reaction to this movement and new political equations.
It remains to be seen whether the king’s rule returns to Nepal in the future or democracy regains its place. Whether Nepal will become a Hindu nation again or not, time will tell. Some middle path may also emerge where both the king and democracy are given a share.
