Aashwasan Dahal
BP Koirala, a great politician and literary figure was born on Bhadra 24, 1971 BS to Krishna Prasad Koirala and Dibya Koirala as the second children of Koirala family. His birth was also of extra ordinary nature. He was born from C-Section Operation. It makes us understand that he was born with and also for struggle. The C-section Operation was named after the birth of Great dictator Julius Caesar, who became a great dictator of Italy and it is a coincident that BP Koirala became the first elected Prime Minister of Nepal. Every year Bhadra 24 is celebrated as “BP Jayanti.”
A follower of Gandhi, BP Koirala along with his family was against autocratic Rana Regime. Being fed up with work of government, his father Krishna Prasad Koirala sent a parcel with torn clothes to Prime Minister Chandra Shumsher JBR to make PM feel how the ordinary citizens were surviving at that time.
Chandra Shumsher was accustomed to get invaluable gifts from his henchmen. This time, however, he was receiving a torn and useless cloth which was giving unbearable stink. Felt humiliation, Chandra Shumsher seized all of his property and Chandra order his men to arrest Krishna Prasad Koirala. Then the entire family of Krishna Prasad Koirala had no choice but to flee from Nepal. So, they went to India for exile.
BP studied in Banaras along with his elder brother, Matrika Prasad Koirala and they were attracted towards the idea and ideology of non-violence propounded and practiced by Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi has started Charkha movement (using self-made product without depending on others). One day Gandhi visited Banaras and there was a huge gathering of people to listen to Gandhi. There, Gandhi delivered a speech. Gandhi’s speech attracted BP Koirala, and with Gandhi’s urge to boycott school established by British, BP Koirala at once decided to do so. With such a courageous gesture of a small school boy, Gandhi highly impressed with BP Koirala. Gandhi then invited BP Koirala to the stage. Jawaharlal Nehru, the future Prime Minister of India, was also present there sitting beside Gandhi. Nehru took the boy on his lap and asked “did you take permission from your Parents before making this decision?’
BP Koirala started to take part in agitation and movements against the British Raj and one un-fateful day he was arrested and jailed in India. Later he was set free after three months. In 1932 he completed his Intermediate studies from Scottish Church College, Calcutta and earned a Bachelor degree in Economics and political science as per his father’s wish. He also earned a Bachelor Degree in law from University of Calcutta and practiced as a lawyer in Darjeeling. He was active in India Nationalist Movement and was jailed by British for two years (1942-1944).
After his release, he founded the Nepali Congress in 1947. Three years later, the same party emerged as Nepali Congress to overthrow the autocratic Rana regime from Nepal. The great leaders of that period were Ganeshman Singh, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Girija Prasad Koirala, and others supported BP Koirala in his goal of bringing the dawn of Democracy in Nepal. Subarna Shumsher was another leader – no Nepali could forget him. Subarna Shumsher supported BP Koirala immensely.
BP Koirala was arrested and jailed by Rana regime. In jail he was bad-treated by the government. He then started hunger strike against such treatment to a political prisoner. Upon on request of Mahatma Gandhi, Ranas were in a position to do nothing but to release BP Koirala. Then BP Koirala broke his 27 days hunger strike.
BP Koirala then went India to plan for armed revolution in order to eradicate autocratic Rana rule. The deputy chairperson of Nepali Congress, Subarna Shumsher helped him with 50 lakhs and told his own nephew (Thirbam Malla) to work in the front line. The armed struggle started from Birgunj. The fighting between Rana Government and the Nepali Congress spread like a wildfire. The freedom-loving fighters of Nepali Congress captured the different headquarters of Nepal, like Biratnagar, Udaypur, Bhojpur etc. The first martyr during this movement was Thirbam Malla
Thus in 1951, Nepal was free from autocratic Rana. After the armed struggle, Rana Regime was overthrown, democracy was established in Nepal. People became free. Rana–Congress coalition government was formed and BP Koirala served as Home Minister for 9 months.
After the extended political upheavals, in 1959 (2016 BS), King Mahendra announced parliament election and there was majority of Nepali Congress winning 74 seats out of 109. After this election BP Koirala was elected as the first elected Prime Minister of Nepal.
On poush 1, 2017 BS King Mahendra collapsed the 2-3rd majority government of BP Koirala using article 55 of the 2016 BS constitution. He took the power issuing that the government of BP Koirala was corrupted. The government also raided Koirala’s house and seized the valuable properties like gold and thousands of money. (According to historians, it was King Mahendra who did false raid in order to make Koirala infamous. He himself with his other assistant put valuable material and raided his house). He was continuously in prison in Sundarijal for eight years in spite of deteriorating health condition. He was battling with throat cancer. King Mahendra arranged him to seat in a single room jail and he had to prepare food as well as do urine and stool from the same room. This was such a sad condition for ill BP Koirala.
When BP Koirala’s health condition became serious, King allowed him to go India for his further treatment. During his stay in India he was convicted with treason from government of Nepal in 1974.There was sudden change in the political situation of India and also the period of emergency was announced in India.
The then Prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi asked BP Koirala to support her, which will be the established norms of democracy. So, BP Koirala denied supporting Indira Gandhi. She said that India could interfere in Nepal political matters. Listening to her BP didn’t welcome her decision and also said, “Regarding the matter of nationality The King and my throat is same” so he came in Nepal on December 30, 1976. This day is also known as National Reconciliation Day in our country. He was welcomed by police officers in the airport and they took him into the same prison in Sundarijal. Due to the pressure from UN and other external factors King Birendra (who was in throne after the demise of his father in 1972) freed him from the treason and he proceed to American for further treatment as per the recommendation from the royal physician Dr. M.R. Pandey. In 2036 BS (1979) He had series of conversation with King Birendra regarding nationality and restoration of democracy. Later, a referendum was held, Panchayat won the battle. Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa misused the power to defeat the multi-party democracy. BP Koirala, however, accepted the result of national referendum stating that it was the choice of people.
Battling with cancer BP Koirala died on Shrawan 6, 2039 BS. He struggled for his entire life for democracy and development in Nepal. Salute to the Great son of Nepali soil.