Panchayat (Nepal)

Panchayat (Nepali: पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on 15 December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless Panchayat system on 5 January 1961 AD (22nd Poush 2017 BS). Under his direct rule King Mahendra introduced the four tiered structure—village, town, district and national Panchayat—on the basis of limited elected executive committee. Mahendra consolidated power by institutionalizing and invoking the three pillars of national identity—Hindu religion, Nepali language and Monarchy—as a foundation of everyday social and religious life. Moreover, the system propagated the idea of Ek Raja, Ek Bhesh, Ek Bhasa, Ek Desh (One King, One Dress, One Language, One Nation). rdf:langString