Chapter 1

Summary

Only a few years before the first meeting of the elected Constituent Assembly, the political scene in Nepal had been radically different. The most momentous event was that which occurred on 1 February 2005, triggering extensive changes across the Himalayan kingdom.

On that cold February morning, the day started with the usual rituals at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace, the centre of power in Nepal at that time. The palace staff were busy doing their chores. Over 1,800 of the best trained soldiers of the Royal Nepal Army, who were protecting the Palace and its regal residents, were preparing for their day after the reveille. Other staff were tending cows, and thorough bred horses of Arabian, English and Nepalese strains, in the animal shelters. One of the prized horses was a personal gift from Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain.

At ten, King Gyanendra entered a studio in the palace precincts. The palace staff kowtowed to His Majesty as he passed. A select group of journalists and photographers were eagerly waiting for him. Flash lights blazed and there was a rush towards His Majesty.

The King nodded a stern acknowledgement as he entered the room, appearing all set to make a live nationwide telecast. As King Gyanendra took his seat, the triangular national flag hung limply on his right side, and the square-shaped royal standard jutted obtrusively on his left. Both were crimson in colour, signifying military power—the strength of the Nepalese monarchy. Behind his chair was the coat of arms, the official seal of His Majesty's Government of Nepal.