Kathmandu, April 27: The Nepalese people want nothing short of a new Nepal based on a new constitution.

They made this amply clear at a victory rally today, turning up in hundreds of thousands at Shahid Manch in the city centre. “The government in Nepal should no longer be referred to as ‘His Majesty’s Government (Shri Paanch ko Sarkar)’ but as a peoples’ government. The Royal Nepal Army should become the National Army. The national anthem should be rewritten to glorify the brave Nepalese people instead of the monarchy,” declared Madhav Nepal of Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist).

Recalling the apocryphal story of a farmer who saved a wounded snake but died when the snake bit him later, in an obvious reference to King Gyanendra, he said: “We have to make sure that this snake does not bite us again.” The belligerent mood of the crowd and its lusty cheering made one imagine what Roman circuses must have sounded like. But slaves were not being thrown to lions here ? an old order was being consigned to the dustbin of history.

They sat on the roads leading to the public park, climbed atop trees to get a better glimpse of their leaders and stood on roofs of nearby shops and buildings. With the people keen to dictate both the fate of the king and the agenda of Prime Minister designate Girija Prasad Koirala, both seemed to be under intense pressure. An 84-year old Koirala could not attend the rally because of sudden illness. The crowd was not satisfied with the explanation. Despite Sushil Koriala of Nepali Congress declaring that his party would not go against people’s wishes, he was hooted.

What the people wanted was amply reflected in the victory speeches: nothing short of a Constituent Assembly, a complete restructuring of the state and an inclusive democracy leading to peace.