Nepal's 1979 Referendum: The King Who Took the People's Pulse
In 1979, King Birendra shocked Nepal by announcing a national referendum on the Panchayat system. This episode unpacks the political crisis that forced his hand: student protests in Kathmandu that turned deadly, the Janata victory in India that emboldened opposition, and the king's gamble to ask voters directly whether they wanted multi-party democracy or the existing partyless system. We walk through the campaign, the vote itself on May 2, 1980, and the narrow 54.8% victory for the Panchayat that many Nepalis still believe was rigged. Lucas and Luna also explore the aftermath — how the referendum bought the monarchy a decade before the 1990 People's Movement finally ended the Panchayat era. Along the way, they touch on Birendra's personal style, the role of the Nepali Congress, and the quiet legacy of B.P. Koirala, who returned from exile to campaign but died the same year. A pivotal moment when Nepal's king put his fate in the hands of his subjects.
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Fler avsnitt av The History of Nepal: Kingdoms in the Shadow of the Himalayas — Fexingo History
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