Nepal ex-king: Call me Mr Shah

Oct 10, 2010 - Shirish B. Pradhan |

Kathmandu

Nepal’s last monarch Gyanendra Shah has asked people to address him by his name, saying that he is very much a “commoner” like them.
“Call me Gyanendra Shah. It makes me happy that way as I am already a commoner,” he said on Friday after inaugurating an NGO named after his daughter-in-law and f

ormer Crown Princess Himani Shah. The former king said that he wants to meet people and serve them. He also expressed concern on the deteriorating situation in the country and the suffering of the people due to economic crisis.
Gyanendra vacated the royal palace after the 601-member Constituent Asse-mbly abolished monarchy in 2008. The Himani Trust has been established to work in five different areas: health, education, social development, employment generation and helping aged and children.
It will provide free health check-up facilities to deprived women, children and aged, scholarship to the poor and backward communities and work in areas like biodiversity, drinking water, hydro-electricity, Himani said. When asked about a career in politics, the former crown princess said that she has not thought about joining politics.
The trust has seven female members and all are from the former royal Nepalese family. It has started working in some villages in Dolakha district situated in the east of Kathmandu, she said. “We want to make model villages and serve the poor by constructing school buildings and health posts,” she added. —PTI

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