Former King Gyanendra praises youth role, criticises political instability in Nepal

KATHMANDU: Former King Gyanendra Shah has said the growing participation of young people in politics and governance is a positive development, as he delivered a New Year video message on the eve of New Year 2083.

In the message, Shah suggested that the entry of educated, tech-savvy and “enthusiastic” youth could help make the country more productive and forward-looking.

However, he also delivered a pointed critique of Nepal’s political trajectory, saying repeated changes in political systems had failed to deliver meaningful progress.

“We made many changes in political state arrangements and governance systems, but only superficial transformation occurred,” he said. “We ran through turmoil, yet the nation’s prosperity lagged behind.”

He argued that constant experimentation and a search for alternatives had turned the country into a “laboratory,” while stability, continuity and determination had been lost over time.

The former monarch further remarked that merely changing systems, leaders or procedures would not necessarily improve the overall situation, adding that past experiences should serve as lessons.

In the video, he was referred to with the royal honorific “His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah.”