Democracy

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29365, 18 November 1960, Page 25

Democracy

people what democracy was and why it was so ijnportant; in short, why they and not the king should rule the country. The result was ‘ that on July 26, 1959, King Mahendra opened the first session of Parliament ever held in Nepal. The country now boasts 2500 schools and many industrial and agricultural schemes are under way.

The pity of it is that in these days emergent nations cannot be left just to emerge. They are seen as pawns in the battle for ideological power being waged by East and West.

In April, 1959, Nepal, whose contribution to world press headlines had previously been through Mount Everest, the skill of its Sherpa guides and the courage of its Ghurka soldiers, was suddenly big political news. Chinese infiltration into Tibet, resulting in the flight of the Dalai Lama, put Nepal into the front line of the cold war and in grave danger of suffering a fate .similar to Tibet’s. King Mahendra sought urgent assurances from Mr Nehru about his country's territorial integrity. The position of a buffer State can be invidious, especially in the case of a country like NepaL The geography of the country makes accurate demarcation of the frontiers impossible and the mountain dwellers share a sort of common Central Asian citizenship. It is against this and a background of rule which did nothing to encourage any national feeling at all, that King Mahendra seeks to fashion a new nation. And with her small resources Nepal needs outside aid, but with no political strings. •

It looks an impossible task. But then, they said that trying to bring democracy to Nepal was impossible. (Express Feature Service.)