Late King Birendra had said, “My Life Is In Danger”
My meeting with King Tribhuwan
Except last King Gyanendra Shah, I had the opportunity to meet all the three (Tribhuwan, Mahendra and Birendra) Kings of Nepal during my lifetime, I met them all twice.
The first meeting with King Tribhuwan took place immediately after he returned from
My meeting with King Mahendra
Both the meetings took place at his invitation. First on Chaitra of 2014 B.S, I was invited by Mahendra to take note of the state of the Nepali Press. I was then an elected member of the Press Commission. Second time he saw me at a public program and we had a brief talk.
Meeting with King Birendra
I would like to concentrate more on my meetings with late King Birendra. 
The first meeting took place immediately after, I guess just four to five days after the King had declared Referendum in 2036 B.S.
The second time I met him in 2057 B.S just few months ahead of the Royal Palace Massacre that took place on Jestha 19, 2058. Both meets with King Birendra, the words he shared with me, his personality and his views gave me the opportunity to understand his inner views on the political situation prevailing then.
On 2036 B.S, first I was given a green signal that the King wanted to meet me. I then submitted a letter seeking audience from the monarch.
“How did you find my decision”, the King asked me. I said that the decision was an incomplete one. “How” asked the King.
I said, “Your majesty the choice is incomplete for the people to decide, the choice is in between Multiparty system or the Reformed Panchayati System, however, it is not clear what changes would be brought into the Panchayat System…what sort of multiparty system, whether it is West European type of Parliamentary System of Democracy or something else? Unless and until people know these nitty-gritty’s how will they vote”?
He replied immediately, “You are right…but I wanted to know the choice of the people, I will decide what is better for the country, yet my decision will not go against the people”.
“If they vote for reformed Panchayat, I will decide the modalities of change in Panchayat and if they vote for Multiparty party system, I will provide them with the Constitution that accepts the parliamentary system of democracy”, King Birendra added.
“Does this mean that the Panchayat should be mended or ended”, I asked the King. The King laughed, he said nothing.
My impression from the first meeting was that King Birendra was a King in effect, a feudal ruler not a peoples’ elected leader but unlike his ancestors, he was a liberal and a really enlightened person. I can not say that he was democratic but a liberal personality who was really concerned over the future of the country, a strong nationalist yet a feudal ruler.
My second meeting with King Birendra took place after the changes of 2046 B.S. when he was just the constitutional monarch of the country, it was just few months before the Royal Palace Massacre. This time I was invited through an unofficial channel. A school friend of mine-who was a declared royalist, had managed the meeting.
“What should I talk with you, I do not know what is our meeting-point”, said the King.
I interrupted him in between and said, “That is wrong Your Majesty, there is certainly the point where we can meet, we both serve same interests and we both have pure mission ahead of us”.
We the communists have different ideologies and our political vision is different but yet as regards preserving our nationalism, sovereignty, independence, resisting foreign interference is concerned, we have the same objective, I told the King.
“I see that Your Majesty has much higher stakes over these issues”, I added.
The King replied, “I thank you very much. However, I have invited you today to tell you something else”.
He said, they are pouring in money like any thing… they are flowing the money…they are flowing the money…he repeated the same sentence thrice then I asked him “who is doing this, Your Majesty?”
“Do not compel me to take their name(s), you can guess on your own”, this is how he replied to my inquisitive query.
“This is not good for the country…my life is in danger, you also take care of yourself”, the King cautioned.
“This is why I invited you here today”, the King said further in a some what feeble voice.
If he could invite me and tell all these things, just guess what he would have told to the rulers then. They must have ignored his comments and did not tighten up the security and thus the ghastly incident took place.
My both meetings with late King Birendra lasted less than half and hour. I hope that these two meetings gave us the opportunity to understand the prevailing situation of the country then.
(Courtesy: Nayapatrika Daily dated June 6, 2009; the author made a similar speech at a program held on May 2008 at the Nepal Bar Association)
Comments (14)
we will not get like this king in nepal we are proude to him &his family
Santosh, if his view does not matches your own belief doesnt mean you have the rights to crticize him as a person. He is not trying to nake a publicity stunt. He was nerely sharing his view and experience. He is my grand father and I do not agree with his political view. However, I respect him as he has knowldege and experince that I do not have. He played an important role in anti rana regime and has contrubeted alot in both political and literature of Nepal. So please try to give some respect to people and do not judge them if you do not know them.
Thank you.
In this situation we can't belive political parties becouse we see all this happen in nepal without monarch.so we need to monarch in nepal as soon as possible.
When are Nepalis going to realize that their real enemies are the Maoist communists and the leftists? The Maoists are not really interested in bettering the lives of the poor Nepalis, but all they want to do is to impose their fascist ideology on Nepal and make Nepal an obedient servant of China. They want to destroy our Hindu culture and religion. The leftists and commies in India are doing the same thing. Hence, the emphasis by the Nepali Maoists on creating friction between India and Nepal.
I feel this interview is to cover the page of news paper for PATRIKA MASALA, and has no contemporial value now. if this was told when the time was demanding you, it would have become very very justifiable. jourlalist and reporters should be like few individuals who had met President RB Yadav, and were told not to say to media the opinion and intention that he can define the interim Constitution 2063, he has his laywers and according to him he could do something on his own that he did as well, and thus country is in this situation now. Anay way, reporters and journalists should be like those Civil society's representatives who met President of Nepal, and said his intention to media. We expect that type of role of media, not the outdated MASALA and date expired medicine. thanks
Yes Sanjay, I saw somewhere hanging on the wall. Isn't it the absolute one which you are talking about?
Kingdom vanished and hijacked by thugs of politicians in Nepal but still it is remaining in nepalese heart.
Long live Nepal king and kingdom
We suppose Birendra was a good ruller but how Nepal and Nepalis became poor? Do you have a answer? If a ruller is good for the nation then how his nation is called the poorest nation? We are fighting with this grave situation only because of Shah dynasty. More or less all the kings are the same whether Birendra or Gyanendra.
Dear freind
since a long time u r keep quite but these days u give information in paper. what is the benid of this reason.
pop yadav
Mr.shrestha
DO EXPECT THE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT A MONARCH LIKE KING BIRENDRA TOLD A COMMUNIST JOURNALIST THAT HIS LIFE WAS IN DANGER.
WHAT KIND OF PUBLICITY STUNT ARE YOU COMMUNIST TRYING TO CREATE AND ACHIEVE.
WE NEPLESE COMPLETELY LIVE IN A LA LA LAND.
WE LET PEOPLE LIKE YOU MAKE US BELIEVE ALL KIND OF RUBBISH.IT WERE REPORTERS LIKE YOU AND THE POLITICANS WHO FOR THERE FOR MERE GREED MANAGE TO MAKE THE STUPID NEPLESE BELIEVE THAT THE ROYAL MACASSARE WAS DONE BY HIS MAJESTY GYANENDRA. THEN WE LET FOREIGNERS INTEFERE IN OUR LIFE AND LET THEM DETICATE HOW ARE COUNTRY SHOULD BE RUN.
WHEN ARE WE WAKING UP?
WELL, MR PROF IS TRYING TO MAKE POINT BUT WHO WAS POURING MONEY? BLASHPHEMY...
nepali kindom finished by international decision
Remembrance and prayer for the departed soul.You are the only one ever throned in the heart of people .Now situation have completely changed ,people have paved their ways.However, you shall be remembered forever.
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Nepal will not come to peace unless and until they do not stop killing animals in country, that's why Budha had come, that why mother Sita was born there, that why Pasupatinath is siting up there, all these low class politician will all be finished very soon if they do not reopen there History books. Instead writing the New History every day. Go back and see where you come from! who you worship,?Now you killing the same mother cow that your Fathers and grand fathers worshiped. this whole maoist culture is not taking you anywhere, how can feet go on top of the head ? you can not walk with your head, nor can your feet think for your head. feet have to be in there position and head on the heads position the command comes from the head and the feet are subordinate to the head! now its all going upside down ruled society. we have make our leader of our nation its in our hands, Look at all the faces of our nation now. they all are demoniac No good intention for the nation! Shri Radhey.