Himani, Crown Princess of Nepal
Encyclopedia
Himani Shah, Crown Princess of Nepal (born October 1, 1976) is the wife of the former heir apparent to the throne of Nepal
, Crown Prince Paras
.
state in Rajasthan
. She is a Surya Vanshi - Shekhawat
Rajput.
Himani married Prince Paras of Nepal on 25 January 2000. Her husband was appointed Crown Prince of Nepal on October 26, 2001, meaning she became the Crown Princess amidst various royal protocols. They have three children.
King Gyanendra's second reign ended in 2008, when the monarchy
was dissolved without referendum by 601 officials and the interim Federal Republic of Nepal
formed in its place. In the interim, King Gyanendra became a private citizen and was stripped of his royal status. His decision to impose direct rule to restore law and order in the country caused the Maoist insurgency and the moderate democratic political parties to unite in opposition to his absolute rule, an alliance which under any other circumstances would have been extraordinarily unlikely.
Unable to withhold the election on time, the then Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba, kept on asking for continuances with the King for unlimited period of time. Seeing the failure of the Prime Minister to withhold the election, King Gyanendra sacked the cabinet and assumed power and formed new government.In February 2005, King Gyanendra took complete control of the government, dismissing the elected parliament. He assured that the country will remain to normalcy and prosperity in three years. King assumed full power to protect the sovereignty of Nepal; citizens tired of corruption welcomed this move, but the political parties claimed this action as loss of democracy. Following opposition to his direct rule
he was forced to return power to the parliament in April 2006, which in turn reduced the King's status to that of a ceremonial monarch. He continued as such until 28 May 2008 when the Constituent Assembly controlled by the Maoists decided to depose him and declared Nepal an interim republic until a republican constitution was promulgated. The constitution drafting deadline ended on May 28, 2010 and the CA failed to draft even the constitution. Legal analysts have ruled that the interim parliament had only two year term and since it failed to deliver the constitution, the constitution of 1990 which considers Nepal king as the sovereign, has already reactivated. There are, however, disputes and the expired CA still is ruling the nation. There have been some calls from parties loyal to the monarchy for a referendum to decide on the need for a monarchy after the constitutional crisis brought about the resignation of the Maoist-led government.
Since he vacated the palace, Nepal fell in a grip of absolute uncertainty and political chaos. Maoist Supreme Commander Prachanda
was elected as the Prime Minister and reigned until he was caught for inflating the number of PLAs, cheating the UN. The video leaked and he was forced to leave the office. The deposed monarch started visiting the local towns, especially Terai
, where his public support was immense. The country reflected as if he was the ruling monarch. In an event in September, 2010, he was invited to inaugurate the temple where he was openly cited and treated as the ruling monarch. It has also been widely debated whether Nepal can sustain without monarchy and most intellectuals have already felt the need of the vacuum created by him. Many Indian news media speculate his come back within few months. In Janakpur, he also stated that monarchy has not been abolished, it is rather suspended. A team of nationalists formed under the roof of United Nationalist Nepalese (UNN) to speak on behalf of the helpless, which indirectly has stated the return of monarchy is likely.
elections. The interview was published in Japan's leading newspaper, Daily Yomiuri. Speaking to a select group of Japanese correspondents at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace on 4 February, King Gyanendra said, "(The decision) doesn't reflect the majority view of the people. This isn't democracy." He, however, conceded that the people do have the right to choose the fate of the monarchy.
The King also said the law and order in the country was deteriorating, questioning the interim government's ability to govern the country even after he had accepted the roadmap of the seven-party alliance. Citing the recent survey which showed 49 percent of respondents favoured the continuation of the monarchy in some form, King Gyanendra claimed, "A majority of the people find great meaning in the institution of the monarchy. In all clouds, there is a silver lining. Let us hope."
Gyanendra had broken his closely guarded silence in an interview with a Nepali pro-monarchist weekly paper in which he said he remained silent to "let the peace process succeed."
The King said, "Nepalese people themselves should speak out on where the nation is heading, on the direction it is taking and on why it is becoming chaotic." He claimed that his attempt on 1 February 2005 was for a good purpose—restoring peace and stability in the country. He said that his attempt was not a success and so the countrymen are suffering at present.
In an interview taken with the King’s ‘advisor’, Bharat Keshar Singh, he claimed that the bill passed from the parliament was a bluff. Replying to the question raised regarding the King’s silence even after the bill was passed declaring the state a republic, he said that there was nothing for which the King had to respond. He claimed that the parliament which declared a republic was reinstated by the King himself and has no authority to dethrone the same King. He claimed that the King was examining the activities of the government and the parliament and was waiting for a suitable time for responding to them. He said that no people would accept the ‘bill’ unless decided by a referendum or elected members in the constituent assembly.
On 15 January 2007, the interim parliament was set up with CPN-M included, and on 1 April 2007, the interim government joined by CPN-M was formed. On 28 December 2007, the Nepali interim parliament approved a bill for the amendment to the constitution of 1990 promulgated on 15 January 2007, with a clause stating that Nepal will turn into a federal democratic republic, to be implemented by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly elections.
On 27 May 2008, the meeting decided to give the King fifteen days to vacate the palace, and decided that the first meeting would be held the next day at 11am (but was delayed due to the indecision among the leading parties on power-sharing and the nomination of 26 members of the Constituent Assembly).
On 28 May 2008, the monarchy was officially given no space in the amended constitution of 1990 and replaced with a republic by the Constituent Assembly instead of referendum. King Gyanendra accepted the decision in the following days. As he was required to leave Narayanhiti, he asked the government to make residential arrangements for him on 1 June, and on 4 June the government decided to give Nagarjuna Palace to Gyanendra.
King Gyanendra departed the Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu on 11 June 2008, moving into the Nagarjuna Palace. His new residence consists of ten buildings including the royal residence Hemanta Bas, three guest houses (Barsha Bas, Sharad Bas and Grishma Bas), one office secretariat and one staff quarters. Gyanendra and his family moved into the two-storey Hemanta Bas. Following his departure the Narayanhiti Palace was turned into a museum, while Gyanendra's diamond- and ruby-encrusted Crown and royal sceptre, along with all the other crown jewels and royal assets, became government property. The royal family's departure from the palace was reported as being a “major symbolic moment in the fall of the Shah dynasty
, which had unified Nepal in the 1760s. Subsequently, it has been reported that the ornaments and previous metals have been sold the politicians. ”
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Crown Prince Paras
Paras, Crown Prince of Nepal
Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev was the heir-apparent to the throne of Nepal from 2001 until the monarchy was abolished by the Interim Constituent Assembly in 2008 following Constituent Assembly elections.-Early life:...
.
Biography
Himani was born in Kathmandu the daughter of Raja Vikram Singh and Rani Bipula Singh and she is from the royal family of SikarSikar
Sikar is a city located in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan state in India. It is the administrative headquarter of Sikar District. Sikar is a historical city and contains many old Havelis which are a huge tourist attraction. The best way to reach the city is to use road transport from Jaipur...
state in Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. She is a Surya Vanshi - Shekhawat
Shekhawat
Shekhawat is a sub-clan of Kachwaha Rajputs found mainly in Rajasthan, India. The Shekhawat clan claims descent from the great rajput warrior Maharao Shekha Ji. The Shekhawats were the most prominent among all sub clans of Kachwahas of Jaipur. Shekhawats were the rulers of Shekhawati.-History:The...
Rajput.
Himani married Prince Paras of Nepal on 25 January 2000. Her husband was appointed Crown Prince of Nepal on October 26, 2001, meaning she became the Crown Princess amidst various royal protocols. They have three children.
- Purnika Shah (born December 11, 2000 in Kathmandu)
- Hridayendra Shah (born July 30, 2002 in Kathmandu)
- Kritika Shah (born October 16, 2003 in Kathmandu)
King Gyanendra's second reign ended in 2008, when the monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
was dissolved without referendum by 601 officials and the interim Federal Republic of Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
formed in its place. In the interim, King Gyanendra became a private citizen and was stripped of his royal status. His decision to impose direct rule to restore law and order in the country caused the Maoist insurgency and the moderate democratic political parties to unite in opposition to his absolute rule, an alliance which under any other circumstances would have been extraordinarily unlikely.
Unable to withhold the election on time, the then Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba, kept on asking for continuances with the King for unlimited period of time. Seeing the failure of the Prime Minister to withhold the election, King Gyanendra sacked the cabinet and assumed power and formed new government.In February 2005, King Gyanendra took complete control of the government, dismissing the elected parliament. He assured that the country will remain to normalcy and prosperity in three years. King assumed full power to protect the sovereignty of Nepal; citizens tired of corruption welcomed this move, but the political parties claimed this action as loss of democracy. Following opposition to his direct rule
2006 democracy movement in Nepal
The 2006 Democracy Movement is a name given to the political agitations against the direct and undemocratic rule of King Gyanendra of Nepal. The movement is also sometimes referred to as Jana Andolan-II , implying it being a continuation of the 1990 Jana Andolan.-Reinstitution of Parliament:In a...
he was forced to return power to the parliament in April 2006, which in turn reduced the King's status to that of a ceremonial monarch. He continued as such until 28 May 2008 when the Constituent Assembly controlled by the Maoists decided to depose him and declared Nepal an interim republic until a republican constitution was promulgated. The constitution drafting deadline ended on May 28, 2010 and the CA failed to draft even the constitution. Legal analysts have ruled that the interim parliament had only two year term and since it failed to deliver the constitution, the constitution of 1990 which considers Nepal king as the sovereign, has already reactivated. There are, however, disputes and the expired CA still is ruling the nation. There have been some calls from parties loyal to the monarchy for a referendum to decide on the need for a monarchy after the constitutional crisis brought about the resignation of the Maoist-led government.
Since he vacated the palace, Nepal fell in a grip of absolute uncertainty and political chaos. Maoist Supreme Commander Prachanda
Prachanda
Puspa Kamal Dahal ; born Chhabilal Dahal on 11 December 1954, also known as Prachanda ]]. Prachanda led CPN as it launched an insurgency on 13 February 1996. In 2008 the ensuing civil war culminated in the overthrow of the Shah dynasty in favor of a communist...
was elected as the Prime Minister and reigned until he was caught for inflating the number of PLAs, cheating the UN. The video leaked and he was forced to leave the office. The deposed monarch started visiting the local towns, especially Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
, where his public support was immense. The country reflected as if he was the ruling monarch. In an event in September, 2010, he was invited to inaugurate the temple where he was openly cited and treated as the ruling monarch. It has also been widely debated whether Nepal can sustain without monarchy and most intellectuals have already felt the need of the vacuum created by him. Many Indian news media speculate his come back within few months. In Janakpur, he also stated that monarchy has not been abolished, it is rather suspended. A team of nationalists formed under the roof of United Nationalist Nepalese (UNN) to speak on behalf of the helpless, which indirectly has stated the return of monarchy is likely.
Transition to interim republic
King Gyanendra, in an interview with foreign reporters, expressed dissatisfaction over the decision made by the interim parliament to abolish the monarchy after the 10 April Constituent AssemblyConstituent assembly
A constituent assembly is a body composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitution...
elections. The interview was published in Japan's leading newspaper, Daily Yomiuri. Speaking to a select group of Japanese correspondents at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace on 4 February, King Gyanendra said, "(The decision) doesn't reflect the majority view of the people. This isn't democracy." He, however, conceded that the people do have the right to choose the fate of the monarchy.
The King also said the law and order in the country was deteriorating, questioning the interim government's ability to govern the country even after he had accepted the roadmap of the seven-party alliance. Citing the recent survey which showed 49 percent of respondents favoured the continuation of the monarchy in some form, King Gyanendra claimed, "A majority of the people find great meaning in the institution of the monarchy. In all clouds, there is a silver lining. Let us hope."
Gyanendra had broken his closely guarded silence in an interview with a Nepali pro-monarchist weekly paper in which he said he remained silent to "let the peace process succeed."
The King said, "Nepalese people themselves should speak out on where the nation is heading, on the direction it is taking and on why it is becoming chaotic." He claimed that his attempt on 1 February 2005 was for a good purpose—restoring peace and stability in the country. He said that his attempt was not a success and so the countrymen are suffering at present.
In an interview taken with the King’s ‘advisor’, Bharat Keshar Singh, he claimed that the bill passed from the parliament was a bluff. Replying to the question raised regarding the King’s silence even after the bill was passed declaring the state a republic, he said that there was nothing for which the King had to respond. He claimed that the parliament which declared a republic was reinstated by the King himself and has no authority to dethrone the same King. He claimed that the King was examining the activities of the government and the parliament and was waiting for a suitable time for responding to them. He said that no people would accept the ‘bill’ unless decided by a referendum or elected members in the constituent assembly.
On 15 January 2007, the interim parliament was set up with CPN-M included, and on 1 April 2007, the interim government joined by CPN-M was formed. On 28 December 2007, the Nepali interim parliament approved a bill for the amendment to the constitution of 1990 promulgated on 15 January 2007, with a clause stating that Nepal will turn into a federal democratic republic, to be implemented by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly elections.
Interim Suspension of the monarchy
It was announced on 24 December 2007, that the monarchy would probably be suspended in 2008, following the approval, as part of a peace deal with Maoist rebels, of the Nepalese Parliament in favour of a bill that would see the constitution amended so as to make Nepal a republic.On 27 May 2008, the meeting decided to give the King fifteen days to vacate the palace, and decided that the first meeting would be held the next day at 11am (but was delayed due to the indecision among the leading parties on power-sharing and the nomination of 26 members of the Constituent Assembly).
On 28 May 2008, the monarchy was officially given no space in the amended constitution of 1990 and replaced with a republic by the Constituent Assembly instead of referendum. King Gyanendra accepted the decision in the following days. As he was required to leave Narayanhiti, he asked the government to make residential arrangements for him on 1 June, and on 4 June the government decided to give Nagarjuna Palace to Gyanendra.
King Gyanendra departed the Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu on 11 June 2008, moving into the Nagarjuna Palace. His new residence consists of ten buildings including the royal residence Hemanta Bas, three guest houses (Barsha Bas, Sharad Bas and Grishma Bas), one office secretariat and one staff quarters. Gyanendra and his family moved into the two-storey Hemanta Bas. Following his departure the Narayanhiti Palace was turned into a museum, while Gyanendra's diamond- and ruby-encrusted Crown and royal sceptre, along with all the other crown jewels and royal assets, became government property. The royal family's departure from the palace was reported as being a “major symbolic moment in the fall of the Shah dynasty
Shah dynasty
The Shah dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Nepal.-The Rajput Lineage :The former royal family of Nepal claims descent from the Parmar Rajput dynasty of the Narsinghgarh state in Malwa . The famous kings of the Malwa region were Raja Bhrathari, Samrat Vikramaditya, and Raja Bhoj....
, which had unified Nepal in the 1760s. Subsequently, it has been reported that the ornaments and previous metals have been sold the politicians. ”