Nepal celebrates first day as republic
Nepal today celebrated its first day as a republic with thousands of people thronging the streets singing and dancing as the royal flag was removed from the main palace here, a day after the 240-year-old monarchy was abolished by lawmakers led by ...
By PTI |
KATHMANDU: Nepal today celebrated its first day as a republic with thousands of people thronging the streets singing and dancing as the royal flag was removed from the main palace here, a day after the 240-year-old monarchy was abolished by lawmakers led by former Maoist guerrillas.
The royal insignia placed in front of the centuries-old pink-coloured Narayanhiti palace was removed around 8.30 am local time with the hugely unpopular King Gyanendra being given 15 days to vacate his royal abode by the new Constituent Assembly which last night held its historic first session.
The government is expected to install the double-triangular shaped national flag having the symbols of sun and moon in the two-hectare palace complex, which will be converted into a museum.
Authorities declared a two-day national holiday from today in the new republic with thousands of people coming to streets to celebrate.
Hundreds of enthusiasts gathered outside the palace at Durbarmarg here to witness the removal of the royal flag. They chanted anti-King slogans, recited revolutionary poems and danced and sang in front of television cameras.
A group of people tried to install the national flag on top of the main gate of the palace, prompting police to resort to baton-charge to disperse them, witnesses said.
"We hope that the establishment of republic in Nepal will bring political stability and lasting peace in the country," Ang Tshering Sherpa, President of Nepal Mountaineering Association, told PTI.
Both peace and stability are pre-requisites of the development of tourism, the backbone of Nepalese economy, he pointed out.
The royal insignia placed in front of the centuries-old pink-coloured Narayanhiti palace was removed around 8.30 am local time with the hugely unpopular King Gyanendra being given 15 days to vacate his royal abode by the new Constituent Assembly which last night held its historic first session.
The government is expected to install the double-triangular shaped national flag having the symbols of sun and moon in the two-hectare palace complex, which will be converted into a museum.
Authorities declared a two-day national holiday from today in the new republic with thousands of people coming to streets to celebrate.
Hundreds of enthusiasts gathered outside the palace at Durbarmarg here to witness the removal of the royal flag. They chanted anti-King slogans, recited revolutionary poems and danced and sang in front of television cameras.
A group of people tried to install the national flag on top of the main gate of the palace, prompting police to resort to baton-charge to disperse them, witnesses said.
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"We hope that the establishment of republic in Nepal will bring political stability and lasting peace in the country," Ang Tshering Sherpa, President of Nepal Mountaineering Association, told PTI.
Both peace and stability are pre-requisites of the development of tourism, the backbone of Nepalese economy, he pointed out.
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