Crisis in Nepal's Partyless Panchayat System: The Case for More Democracy

XTEPAL IS A SMALL HINDU KINGDOM, situated between two giant I neighbouring countries, India and China. It borders India on the west, south and east, and on the north is adjacent to the Tibetan region of China. This location has placed it in a landlocked position. It is also dwarfed the two neighbouring countries in respect of both physical size and population. Nepal has a total geographical area of 141,111 square kilometers, and had an estimated, multiethnic, population of 16.6 million on the first day of its new year (April 13) in 1985.1 After Nepal emerged as a nation state in 1769 (previously it was divided into sixty principalities)2 it had to confront two major problems. The first, and most immediate, was the preservation of its national independence, which twice tempted it to declare war-once on Tibet in 1790, and once on the British East India Company in 1814. The second major problem was internal political disorder, which took the form mainly of palace politics. Nepal's relations with its neighbouring countries were managed in accordance with its strategic interests during that period. But the internal political disorder caused confusion, massacres and intrigues among socio-politically powerful groups in the palace led to the most unfortunate event in Nepal's history in 1846, when power was transferred from the Shah family to the Rana family. The latter ruled Nepal autocratically on a hereditary prime ministership basis by eclipsing royal authority,3 and enjoyed a veritable monopoly of political power for a period of 105 years from 1846 to 1951. It ruled Nepal tyrannically, and also put it into a shell of isolation from the rest