Black Jaguar

... was the only obviously black thing last Friday.
Alas my gazing into the crystal ball was myopic, to say the least...
But my respect for Kathmandu Police, listed in last post(s), have only grown!
They managed to provide:
1, for HM the King dignified return to his Country, Capital and Palace and
2, they managed in friendly but firm manner the huge rally of about 15,000 angry, frustrated communists at the same physical area!
No one was hurt and, except for some scuffles between the royalists and the commies, there was peace and quiet. There came reports last night though that the Police have to go out to Kalanki to protect the HQ of CPN-UML from angry royalists who accuse them of TREASON. Right, they are at last getting mad and showing it! And the "reactionary puppy of the Palace" was good enough to protect them... Strange things, hey! but this is Kathmandu:

"And the wildest dreams of Kew are the facts of Kathmandu.."
-- Rudyard Kipling

So back to the Black Jaguar: this was the longest jag I've ever seen, with a flag pole on the roof flying King's colors and crests on both rear doors. The King and Queen very touchingly took their grandchildren for the ride to the Palace, a gesture I really appreciate, being a grandfather mysself...

Update: The street fighting/obstruction of the Royal Savari was more dramatic:

Crown Prince seeks explanation from top security officials


Crown Prince Paras on Saturday sought clarification from chief of Nepal Police and other high-ranking security officials on alleged security lapse on Friday when his cavalcade heading towards Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to receive Their Majesties King Gyanendra and Queen Komal reportedly came under attack.

According to reports, the Crown Prince arrived at the Police headquarters at around 10 a. m. on Saturday?a public holiday. Inspector General of Police Shyam Bhakta Thapa, chief of the Army Staff of the Royal Nepalese Army General Pyar Jung Thapa, chief of the Armed Police Force Sahabir Thapa and chief of the National Intelligence Department Devi Ram Sharma were present on the occasion.

Crown Prince left police headquarters within ten minutes.

Meanwhile, Kantipur daily reports that IGP Thapa has constituted a five-member committee to probe into Friday?s incident. The committee comprises deputy inspector generals of Nepal Police Him Gurung and Keshav Baral, senior superintendent of police Krishna Bahadur Thapa and superintendents of police Upendra Kanta Aryal and Rana Bahadur Chand. The committee has already started probe into the incident.

Earlier, reports said pro-UML supporters and a group of royalists clashed at Min Bhavan area immediately after the conclusion of a huge mass rally of the UML at New Baneswore on Friday. The cavalcade of Crown Prince Paras and other security chiefs passed through the area at the same time when the angry demonstrators were pelting stones at each other.

At least half a dozen security personnel including SP of traffic police were injured in the stone pelting, according to reports. nepalnews.com by Dec 04 05

Of course, MKN and his Merry Communists (as opposed to the Murdering ones) knew the King was coming back, this was known on the day HM left for Dhaka. So if you aspire to be state-building politician and interested in peace, would you plan a rally on the same spot and same time? Now would you? He did!