By Sudeshna Sarkar, IANS
Kathmandu : Three months after Nepal’s Crown Prince Paras suffered a massive heart attack, his wife, Crown Princess Himani, survived a health scare.
The India-born crown princess, who has presented a smiling and serene face in public throughout the tribulation of the royal family, was rushed to hospital Monday evening after she complained of headache and breathing trouble.
The mother of three had gone to one of Nepal’s grandest auditoriums, the Birendra International Convention Centre named after assassinated king Birendra, to attend the silver jubilee celebration of the school where her children are enrolled.
Although she smilingly sat through the programme, on the way home the crown princess complained of headache and breathing difficulties and was rushed to a private hospital.
Abani Bhushan Upadhyay, chief consultant cardiologist at the Medicare Heart Centre, told the media that the crown princess had an ECG and an X-ray done. Both were normal.
She was released about an hour later and advised to undergo a thorough check up.
In September, Crown Prince Paras had a massive heart attack and required emergency surgery for a blocked artery.
The crown princess’ illness comes at a time the royal family is under intense pressure with the Maoists fighting to abolish monarchy.
Though Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala initially resisted the demand, the government is now considering a compromise following a sustained campaign by the Maoists in parliament, where the second largest party in the ruling coalition now supports them.
The government is mulling amending the constitution to declare Nepal a republic though the actual implementation would be started after the twice-deferred constituent assembly election is held in mid-April.
The royal family, once regarded as above law, is also smarting under a government move to strip King Gyanendra of his inheritance by taking over the property of slain king Birendra and his family.
The property is to be put under a trust and used to run universities, hospitals and for the welfare of victims of the decade-old insurgency and backward communities.
While Himani was watching her children’s peers perform Monday, parliamentarians were flaying the government for failing to uncover the extent of slain king Birendra’s wealth.
Though said to be fabulously wealthy, the slain royals apparently had only about 35,000 pounds.
The most powerful parliamentary panel in Nepal, the State Organisation Committee, had summoned Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula Monday for an account of the late king’s riches.
Besides the king, queen Aishwarya and their two younger children, prince Nirajan and princess Shruti were also gunned down during the massacre in the palace that is blamed on the then crown prince Dipendra.
The heir to Nepal’s throne is reported to have turned the gun on himself after wiping out his entire family and other royal relatives.
The government has found that till 2001, there were 137,427 pounds (about $280,000) in an account in the Standard Chartered Bank held jointly by Aishwarya, Nirajan and Dipendra.
But that year, after Birendra was succeeded by his younger brother Gyanendra, the money was transferred to the royal treasury department.
In 2003, when King Gyanendra began to manipulate the government, 100,000 pounds were transferred to a British company, Ps Wells, to buy shares.
Besides the meagre bank account, the government could find about 825 ropanis in the king’s name in Kathmandu. A ropani is a Nepali land unit equalling approximately 508.72 sq m.
The government found that the dead king also has a little plot in his name in Chitwan in southern Nepal.
There is no account of the fabulous jewellery, luxury cars and shares in top companies reportedly to have been under the control of the palace.
There had been reports in Nepal’s media that the queen held billions in a Swiss bank.
The parliamentary panel, which includes members from the prime minister’s own party, scoffed at the findings and accused the government of not doing its job.
The government says it has taken over 16 palaces, including Nepal’s Buckingham, the Narayanhity royal palace.
However, the king and queen still live there and have free access to the other palaces as well.