10 yrs old royal massacre

For 1 June, 2011


10 yrs old royal massacre

It's been 10 years since the Narayanhiti Royal Palace Massacre took place but the mystery over the midnight carnage that eliminated the entire family of the then king Birendra Shah remains still shrouded in mystery and the chilling massacre of June 1, 2001 is gradually being faded into memory. The misfortune accident that changed the whole history of Nepal and made many people suspicious about the mysterious massacre is now distant in memory.

The findings of the high-level committee that investigated the royal massacre had revealed that the then crown prince Dipendra gunned down his father king Birendra, mother Aishworya, brother Nirajan, sister Shruti, and five other royal relatives during a dinner party inside the palace before fatally shooting himself.
Dipendra gunned down his family members and the royal guests as he was not happy with his mother's decision to restrict him from marrying his long-time girlfriend Devyani, according to the official findings.
Many people find the official findings on the royal bloodbath not quite convincing, still hoping to know the truth behind it.

Many of the Nepalese people are still wary of the official report that said the enraged crown prince opened fire under the influence of drug and alcohol. Even after a decade, people want the truth of the royal massacre. They desire that the republican government should conduct a fair and thorough probe. Much of the details of the tragedy remain mere hearsay for lack of convincing truth for all these years. People want to know the whole truth. However, it seems no state authority is interested to conduct a thorough investigation into the royal bloodbath.
The former palace, which opened as a public museum nine months after the abolition of monarchy from February 2009 after the country turned into a republic. Even Indian nationals who come to visit the museum claim that the story of royal massacre is somewhat like a folk tale for them.

Birendra, who agreed to turn the absolute monarchy into constitutional monarchy in the wake of a popular uprising, is considered a liberal monarch. In his coronation speech, the former king Birendra had declared that he would begin a new era by creating a just and democratic Nepal.

Many people are convinced that his successor Gyanendra Shah’s ambition to become an absolute monarch ultimately turned the country into a republic.