10 Reason Why King Birendra is Loved by so many
Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev Shah was arguably the most beloved and admired King of Nepal. He ruled Nepal from 1972 until his tragic death in 2001. He shall be remembered as one who was loved by all and one who loved all of them back, as one who truly understood the needs of the country and the potential it had.
- King Birendra was very diplomatic and managed to impress an entire nation, scholars and foreign emissaries during his rule of the country.
- King Birendra was regarded as a lover of nature and a great supporter of nature conservation. The trend of nature conservation from the government started during his reign.
- King Birendra was truly a man of the people, having traveled all across Nepal, sometimes on foot, King Birendra was truly a man of the people, he understood the plight of his citizens and sympathized with them. Come any natural disaster or tragedy, king Birendra was an ever present figure at the site of the disaster overseeing the aid and rehabilitation of his people.
- He was a staunch advocate for social justice, human rights, and sustainable development.
- King Birendra introduced a new constitution in 1990, which replaced the authoritarian Panchayat system with a multi-party democracy. The new constitution established a constitutional monarchy, with King Birendra as the head of state but with limited powers.
- King Birendra implemented various economic reforms aimed at promoting development and reducing poverty. He introduced policies to encourage foreign investment and promote tourism, which helped to boost Nepal’s economy.
- King Birendra recommended that Nepal be proclaimed a ‘zone of peace’, taking into account Nepal’s historic peace status, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, and its historical policy of non-alignment with any foreign powers. This proposal was endorsed by 116 UN member countries except India.
- King Birendra is initially credited with designing the Melamchi water project plan for Kathmandu.
- During his tenure, Gorakhkali Tyre Industry, Udayapur Cement Industry, Nepal Metal Company, and Nepal Pharmaceuticals were all formed. Pashupati Area Development Trust was patronised by King Birendra.
- King Birendra divided Nepal into five development regions to create balanced development and visited each division once a year.
