question_answer

Describe four main features of popular mass struggle for restoring democracy in Nepal.        [Foreign 2008]

Answer:

Nepal witnessed an extraordinary popular mass struggle in April 2006 for restoring democracy in Nepal. Main features:

- In the very first the mass struggle for democracy was launched by a Seven-Party Alliance i.e., SPA. Later the Maoists and other insurgent groups joined hands.

- The struggle/movement put forward three demands:

(i) Restoration of Parliament.

(ii) Transfer of power to an all-party government.

(iii) Constitution of a new Constituent Assembly.

- Then, there was a call for an indefinite strike by the SPA. The alliance had some members of the parliament and of some other big parties.

- The Monarchy of Nepal responded by adopting various repressive measures, but the movement could not be suppressed. Here SPA was not the only organisation supporting the mass upsurge-Nepalese Communist Party (Maoist) was also a part of it. It did not believe in parliamentary democracy. It had opposed the Nepali government and controlled large parts of Nepal.

Ultimately, the king was forced to concede all the demands and an interim government was immediately formed.