“I know you very well,” Gyanendra told me after the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation programme was over at Hotel Soaltee.
King Gyanendra impressed me very much when I met him at a public programme for the first time. I had met him in many programmes of the royals including in some programmes at the Narayanhity Royal Palace, Nirmal Niwas during Paras’s marriage, his sisters’ place at Kamaladi specially during Tihar festival and Nepalese army headquarters. I had greeted him so many occasions and had seen his smile – a different type of smile, a cunning and forceful glow in his face.
Not like that of Birendra- who was like a guardian figure. And once I was scared when I saw Gyanendra and General Chitra Bahadur Gurung sitting on the ground and discussing just outside the army dinner party programme. I had come across them when I was looking for a toilet. It was a scary matter in those days.But this meeting I am talking was different than other previous programmes. I had gone for news reporting of King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation chaired by then HRH Gyanendra. I was the only person in casual dress present at the programme attended by over 400 national and international who is who in nature conservation. Gyanendra , who was the chair of the programme, gave a deep positive impression to the dignitaries.
Gyanendra was silver- tongued, lucid, coherent and logical in his speech. He showed that he had deep understanding of the conservation issues in Nepal, south Asia and the globe as a whole. It was well appreciated. Even some participants I met after the programme, had very positive words to the chair. It was a good piece of news for me. So I quickly wrote a few paragraphs and faxed from Hotel Soaltee just before 7 PM news of Radio Nepal.
Now I was free. My job was done. When I was preparing to leave, Editor of Himal Magazine Kanak Dixit told me that he would drop me in my office just in front of the Singhdurbar as the drivers in our office were not available for official work because they had to be busy for the family members and relatives of so-called bosses- a terrible anomaly of Nepal. I agreed. But I was not interested to attend the cocktail reception and dinner party held after the programme. I had to wait Dixitji. So I was standing in the corner with a glass of juice in my hand. I was feeling shy because I was the only man in informal dress. So I was avoiding the meeting with Gyanendra, who was meeting each and every person attending the dinner.
All of a sudden, Gyanendra was just in front of me. I greeted him. Some people were greeting him bowing down themselves. But mine was normal. This was due to the courage of being a journalist. Someone, who was with me (I forgot the person) said I was from RSS.Then Gyanendra said: “ I know him very well.” It was an exaggeration. This was the first time that I was talking with him but he said he knows me well. I knew, he was also practising to be like leaders, who pretend as if they have known you. And he started to say: “You were sitting in that side and writing all the time. Why are you interested in conservation.” He pointed to the place where I was sitting during the nearly four hour programme. He had really seen me.
I said as a journalist, my responsibility was to jot down the subject matters being discussed in the programme. It was a very important programme in the conservation so had to be busy in writing. I said: I had worked in Rural Energy Development Programme of the UNDP so I had some ideas of conservation. And this is the most important programme as environment and conservation were the issue of priority all over the world including in Nepal. And so and so.He agreed. He was very much impressive. And left a lasting impression on me.
His well, coherent, simple, logical and thought through presentation impressed me well. Before that, I had a very negative thought of him as people used to say about his involvement in all the dark sides of the palace. In all the cloudy issues surrounding the royal palace, Gyanendra and Dhirendra used to be there. There were rumours about his involvement in all the negative subjects. Even Panchayat time Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa has said so many times that the state was under “dual reign” and “underground posse.” People used to say that it was a direct reference to Gyanendra.Though the bad image of Gyanendra could not be washed completely, I had the feeling that this is a very clever man.
At least he is very clear in what he is saying. Reasonable and convincing. Logical, clear and simple. I had attended so many programmes, met, interviewed, discussed and travelled together with party leaders, but they do not recognise me, but how quickly Gyanendra recognised me. He must be different than these inefficient political party leaders. I thought so. But I had known that what Gyanendra said about me was an exaggeration.
It was like Girija Prasad Koirala’s statement. He connects his involvement in every profession, sector or region. “I am not a journalist but I used to sell newspaper. My intimate friend was from Gulmi so I have an attachment to this place.” Koirala can connect things like this. And it is quite natural for political party leaders.
Time passed. Gyanendra became the King of Nepal. Now, there were many occasions to see him if interested to meet him. And he had started to meet journalists. I was also asked if I was interested to meet him. Once I wanted to meet him but wondered whether he would take my suggestion positively because my suggestion would not be interesting for him. Journalists, who were meeting him were advising him to take over. He had not met any journalists who would tell him the reality of Nepal.
I would certainly not say “take over, crush Maoists.” Other issues would not interest him. And one journalist friend of a weekly newspaper told me that Gyanendra had granted him an audience at the palace. He had spent nearly two hours discussing with Gyanendra. I asked him what did you discuss? “Nepal’s politics,” he said.
The journalist had nothing in his mind except the hatred and bitterness against the political parties and India. He had toxin in the tips of his pen against India. The very word “I” (for India) and “P” for Political party leaders were the detested words for him. He had no any logic, rational and consistency in his writing. Spreading venom against India and party leaders was his only interest. And you will certainly know that newspaper, which always carries out such stories.
Then I thought there is no any point of meeting King Gyanendra. I knew he wanted to take over. He was against democracy. He wanted to rule the country as an absolute ruler and that he had started to rehearse.
Efforts were being made to convince the foreign diplomats that the country would go for directive democracy. One of the diplomats asked me just a few weeks before Gyanendra sacked the government in October 2002. “What happens if Gyanendra takes over”? I said that will be the end of monarchy.
My first impression about Gyanendra was gone down when the diplomat said: “Your country is moving to that direction.” I said that would be catastrophic for the country.
“Monarchy cannot rule now.” “Is there any possibility of army rolling in this road,” he asked as we were having lunch at Hotel Annapurna in Durbar Marg. I said: “No, impossible.”
But I was quick to add being very clever not to disappoint the diplomat. “ It can happen. Anti democratic forces can incite him to take over but that will not last long.”
He was not convinced. He wanted me to say that Gyanendra was still popular. At least more popular than the political parties and capable of crushing the Maoists.
My buoyant impression about Gyanendra further started to fade out when he appointed some of the persons with discreditable character in the first cabinet. And he appointed ambassadors, it further degraded him.
I wanted to interview one of his ambassadors and made a call. The ambassador appointed for the most important country was worthless. I could not get a single worthy sentence to quote him. There were big names of no use. How will he rule like this? I thought. Like all, I also realised that he is gambling the institute of monarchy.
And the naked dance started to take place everywhere. Those who were completely of no use, incompetent and rubbish were in the helm of state affairs. The very words “democracy and freedom” were scary to the regime.
The country took a speedy way to regression- following the path of North Korea and Burma. When Gyanendra took over on February 1, 2005, I realised that he is under the control of regressive elements and certain to drown. But it was a moment of great change for Nepal.
When all sources of information were closed inside Nepal, I called the BBC Nepali Service in London. My first question to the friends at the Nepali service was how long Gyanendra will rule the country? Some could not hear me saying so. But time proved that Gyanendra was wrong.
And after three years, I received an email from the diplomat, who discussed with me about the take over, now stationed in African continent saying that “you are right.” He was also the source of information for me during Gyanendra’s rule. Now the impression of all meet together. The positive impression about Gyanendra has melted down like the snow flowing in the sweltering sun.
By Chiranjibi Paudyal
