Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
had returned to the country in 1976, advocating reconciliation
with the king, also accepted the result.
For a time, it appeared that Nepalese politics were on the
right track. The constitution was amended for the third time
in 1980. Nepal was ruled by a kingﾭnominated government and
Rastriya Panchayat, a Parliament comprising 111 members.
Unfortunately, Bishweshor Prasad Koirala died in July 1982; it
was a great loss to the Nepalese democratic movement and to
the Nepali Congress.
Despite constant political turmoil, some progress occurred
in the economy during the panchayat era. Additionally, the
king had achieved recognition in international affairs. For
example, he earned widespread respect for his proposal to
make Nepal a “zone of peace” and a member of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation. Unfortunately, the panﾭ
chayat system received a great shock when India blocked all of
the linkages between itself and Nepal once the treaty affectﾭ
ing trade and transportation expired. The blockade disrupted
nearly every aspect of life within the country, and it served as a
cruel reminder to the Nepalese people of the disadvantages of
being landlocked.
The country suffered a critical shortage of imported
goods, including petroleum productsﾭfor which it depended
exclusively upon imports. During the blockade, Nepal's ecoﾭ
nomic growth plummeted from an annual rate of 9.7 percent
in 1987-1988 to 1.5 percent a year later. In 1990, the Nepali
Congress Party announced a new antiﾭpanchayat movement
for the restoration of multiparty democracy. Thus, the people's
movement was launched, forming an alliance with the United
Left Front parties under the supreme leadership of NC leader
Ganeshman Singh.
In response to the renewed call for democracy, a series of
spontaneous and turbulent mass demonstrations occurred in
major cities throughout the country. People took to the streets,
demanding restoration of the multiparty democracy, human
