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Protests Cripple Nepal Once More

The troubles of Nepal continued this week, as further protests crippled the ability of the nascent democratic government to effect change in the Himalayan nation. Protests earlier in the spring had forced King Gyanendra of Nepal to relenquish absolute power, which he had seized under the rubric of stemming the ability of Nepalese Maoist guerillas to carry out attacks. However, unlike the protests against the king earlier this year, no arrests were made.

"Police have been deployed at major intersections to control the crowd and the situation is under control," Nepalese police officials stated. That no arrests were made even as it was the case that protestors threw rocks and broke the windows of homes was a sign that Nepal`s troubles might be continuing, but the nation is on the road to change. The unrest followed the raising of prices for fuel by as much as 25 percent to stem losses of the state-owned Nepal Oil Corporation.

King Gyanendra gave up absolute rule in the country in April after weeks of protests organized by coalition parties from the opposition parties and the Maoist rebels who have been waging a decade-old insurgency against the monarchy. Even as protestors called for Gyanendra to give up absolute rule, the monarchy was established long and few were willing to contemplate a Nepal without even a "monarchy for show", or constitutional monarchy.