{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.023274806043282973, 'fraction_numerical': 0.006941608819926501, 'mean_word_length': 5.109725685785536, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
The royal massacre: Is the monarchy still relevant?

Apart from deep sorrow and disbelief that gripped the Kingdom of Nepal, the recent massacre on June 1, 2001, of the entire family of King Birendra has posed serious questions regarding the future of Nepal's fledgling democracy and the relevance of its monarchy. Nepal's transformation from a Panchayat government to a multi-party democracy was achieved under the late King Birendra's regime in 1990. The movement for democracy and multi-party system in Nepal in the 1980s had threatened the monarchy and its significance in the evolving political culture of Nepal. The monarchy was initially reluctant to respond to the demands for political change, but finally succumbed to the popular desire, and supervised the transformation of the polity towards democracy. The transformation of an absolute monarch into a functioning constitutional one in 1990 was smooth. Initially, the Palace and the political parties had appeared to be apprehensive about the extent to which both parties could threaten each other's interests. However, the political transformation and pragmatic approach of the king to respect 'popular will', placed King Birendra in high esteem. He became the symbol of Nepali aspirations. Acknowledging and complimenting King Birendra's role in the political transition, the then interim Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai said, "I could do things only with the cooperation of the king...There were aberrations sometimes, but they were spotted and eradicated because of the goodwill on both sides, more so on the side of the king, to be fair." The king in Nepal holds a unique position in Nepalese society, and is a symbol of nationalism and unity. For the people, he is a divine king and the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The symbolic significance of such gestures has sanctified the king's position in Nepali society. The people's respect for the monarchy increased due to the manner in which King Birendra handled the transformation of a party-less Panchayat system into a democratic political order. However, Nepal's transformation to democracy did not diminish the king's role in the evolving political culture. Rather, the political parties and the people have looked towards the monarchy with great expectations whenever Nepal has gone through a political.flux. Thus, the monarchy remains relevant in the nascent democracy of Nepal, which has witnessed frequent instability,