Nepal’s King Mahendra was a great nationalist. It was he who saved Nepal from an Indian takeover. The nefarious and unnecessary intervention by India put the sovereignty of Nepal in danger.
Prior to 1960, non-citizens were free to purchase land in Nepal. King Mahendra took action in 1961 to ban foreigners from purchasing Nepalese land. He took this action because the people of Nepal had to walk on Indian roads to move from one district of Nepal to another.
The action taken by King Mahendra in 1961 was to lay the foundation for the East-West Highway at Gailakot. By doing so, he freed his people from Indian hegemony. In addition, the Nepali language was set as the national language across the nation. Another step taken was on to make the use of Nepali currency compulsory. Prior to 1960, 90% of Indian currency notes were in use, and that was stopped. King Mahendra also asked the Indian force deployed for the security of Nepal to leave unconditionally.
Nepali pride was restored.
A Swiss geologist and scholar, Toni Hagen first came in 1950 as a member of the Swiss Mission for Development Aid. His first job was to conduct Nepal’s first geological survey. About the reality of the Nepalese politics and the intention of King Mahendra he said, “I call back December 1960 when King Mahendra staged the royal coup. I never agreed with King Mahendra this step. On the other hand, I would say looking back into the history that King Mahendra was a very great personality. It is mainly for his merit that Nepal survived as an independent country between two big neighbors. He was very clever and handled the dedicate issues.”
King Mahendra incorporated the phrase ‘Hindu Kingdom’ in the constitution upgrading the morale of India and Hindus all over the world. His work increased Nepal’s prestige. He introduced Nepal in the United Nations by adopting the ideology of foreign policy. He maintained a balanced friendship with Chinese powerful leader Mao Ze Dong and Indian powerful Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
King Mahendra introduced more than 50 industries and organizations that directly benefit the people, fulfilled the essential as education, health, transportation, roads construction, irrigation, electricity. In 17 August, 1963 the late King introduced the Muluki Ain (people’s code) and made attempt to break untouchables, caste discrimination and policy of gender-discrimination.
In 1955, he declared land reform act and abolished landlords, secured the right of farmers by ending Birta system. King Mahendra managed the way of active people’s participation in the development sectors from the grass root levels He divided Nepal into 14 administrative zones with 75 districts in it. However, the king had not divided the country based on ethnicity or the origin of people residing in the respective zones or districts which is not possible even today. There were more than 4000 villages every village was divided into nine wards and 35 municipalities whose wards were divided 9-35, vary as per the size of the town. That is why he is immortal.
Any wolf in sheep’s clothing wishes to rewrite history to his own liking and creating a false reality where he shall rule. The corrupt leaders and parties wish to ride over roughshod over the Nepali people and trampling their hopes, dreams and aspirations in the process. This is what we have witnessed for almost two decades now.
Democracy in a true sense is the greatest of liberators of society and humanity but instead in Nepal it has turned into a curse that has polluted the very essence and lifeblood of our glorious nation, a true Holy Land, a Hindu nation.
Mahendra’s decision to continue Hindu Kingdom in the constitution and King Birendra’s proposal to declare Nepal a zone of peace are the norms of the Nepal’s prestige and security opinion.
There is no alternative for Nepal than to move ahead in unison between King Mahendra’s nationalism and BP’s democratic socialism.
We must remember that the month of Pous reminds us of the leadership and creators in Nepal. Long live King Mahendra! Long live the nationalistic approaches of King Mahendra!
