Nepal, Aug. 21 -- Recent commentary on Hridayendra Shah's public appearances, including his highly publicised Jumla vlog, has, with a degree of intellectual convenience, reduced a complex social phenomenon to a single narrative: a calculated royalist plot to restore the monarchy.

While historical surveillance is crucial, this interpretation risks an acute oversimplification of the current moment in Nepal. It is time to push back against this singular, cynical lens and instead recognise the genuine and widespread frustration with the existing political class.

This is not merely a case of 'authoritarian nostalgia'-it is a frustrated public's search for new and honest leadership and a societal need to judge individuals on their own merits,...