Today is National Democracy Day in Nepal. On this day, Nepal welcomed democracy for the first time. This was the result of a revolution.
This was a political move against the tyrannical Rana regime that eventually resulted in the end of Rana’s 104-year rule of the country.
Let us celebrate this Democracy Day which marked the awakening of the democratic movements in Nepal by knowing some of the facts that revolved around it:
1. The exile of King Tribhuvan
It is an open secret that Kind Tribhuvan always had an anti-Rana attitude and wanted to overthrow the Ranas from power. Therefore, he also worked with the Nepal Praja Parishad, a political party formed under the leadership of Tanka Prasad Acharya to remove the Rana dictatorship.
In the same process, King Tribhuvan along with his family took shelter in the Indian embassy in Kathmandu in November 1950. Only Prince Gyanendra, a grandson of King Tribhuvan, stayed in the palace. At that time, Mohan Shamsher JBR was the Prime Minister of Nepal.
Then on November 10, 1950, King Tribhuvan accompanied by his family fled to new delhi on two Indian military planes from the Indian embassy.
2. Gyanendra’s first stint as king
Angered by King Tribhuvan’s move, Mohan Shamsher JBR called an emergency cabinet meeting on 7 November 1950 at Singha Durbar and declared the three-year-old Prince Gyanendra as the country’s new king. He was enthroned during a function at the Hanuman Dhoka Palace on the same day.
However, many countries, including India, the UK and the US, refused to recognize the new king of Nepal.
3. The Mukti Sena rebellion
On the very day that the boy prince Gyanendra was crowned as the new king, mass demonstrations and protests against this act began in all corners of the country, including the Kathmandu Valley.
In addition, the Mukti Sena, the military wing of the Nepal Congress Party, also known as the Nepal Congress Liberation Army, launched an armed revolt against the Rana regime. They succeeded in taking control of many places in the Terai.
4. The Delhi Agreement
King Tribhuvan was formally received in the Indian capital by Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and other high-ranking officials. After a few months in the third round of negotiations, a tripartite agreement was signed in New Delhi between the Ranas, nepalese congress and King Tribhuvan. Later, it became known as the Delhi Agreement.
In the deal, the three parties agreed to create a democratic constitution within two years by an elected constituent assembly, not to restrict any political organizations, release political prisoners, hand over all arms and ammunition to governments, and make an interim cabinet with 10 ministers, five from the Congress of Nepal and the remaining half of the Ranas under the prime ministership of Mohan Shamsher and supreme power rests with the monarch.
5. The return of King Tribhuvan
Following the agreement, on February 15, 1951, King Tribhuvan returned to Nepal as the head of state along with leading members of the Nepali Congress party.
They were greeted and cheered by a large crowd of supporters.
6. Proclamation and joint rule
On February 18, 1951, King Tribhuvan declared Nepal’s first steps towards democracy with a landmark proclamation. After that, this day is celebrated as Democracy Day.
In addition, a cabinet headed by Mohan Shamsher JBR was formed that includes members of the Rana family and the Nepali Congress Party.
7. Continuity of Mohan Shamsher’s Prime Ministership
Even after the end of the Rana regime, Mohan Shamsher JBR headed the cabinet as the Prime Minister of the country and was also able to promulgate the new constitution named as the Provisional Government of Nepal Act 1951 until 16 November 1951.
