India, April 2 -- The political situation in Nepal is in flux. King Gyanendra, deposed in 2008, is rallying supporters to reclaim the throne, while Nepal's Left-led republicans fight to uphold the 2015 secular, democratic Constitution

I am in Tikapur, Kailali District, on the India-Nepal border, having been in Nepal since March 11, when I arrived in Kathmandu. I have travelled to Pokhara, Nepalganj, Salyan, Rolpa and Ghorai - virtually all of central and far Western Nepal, studying the Movement for the Restoration of Monarchy (MRM).

The battle between David and Goliath has begun. No one is quite sure who is David and who is Goliath, though one thing is clear: the contest will not end anytime soon.

King Gyanendra Shah sounded the clario...