NATIONAL 2 (Spotlight Weekly)]

Forgotten Hero

Nepali Congress party celebrates 87th memorial day of late B.P. Koirala

By KESHAB POUDEL

Nepali Congress, the party which the late leader Bishweshwor Prasad Koirala led for decades, misses its charismatic leader more than ever today as it is reeling under the pressures of dissensions and is desperately groping for a leader who can give it a new thrust.

B.P. Koirala has been acknowledged by leaders cutting across party lines for his ideological bravery and continues to inspire the posterity. Unfortunately, Nepal today lacks leader whose views and behavior can inspire the countrymen. The very Nepali Congress party is passing through a difficult phase of crisis in leadership.

Koirala : Unsung Hero

B.P. symbolizes all those liberal and human values of democratic ideals. His judgements and opinions have never been more relevant. But the members of his own party today have failed to rescue the country out of the plight it is in.

B.P. Koirala's first and foremost priority was consolidating the nationhood and development of national identity. His another equally important objective was to promote democracy in all spheres of life of the nation. And his third priority was to accelerate economic development of the nation.

Nationalism, democracy and development are being popularized on this occasion by the rank and file of Nepali Congress party throughout the country.

When B.P. Koirala returned from his eight-year-long exile calling for reconciliation between different political forces no one was there to buy his idea. Despite the pulls and pressures in his own party, Koirala always firmly stood against any move to destabilize the country.

After his death, Congress party gradually changed its stand and the policy of reconciliation was replaced by confrontation. Even the change brought in 1990 continued to weaken the national institutions.

Democracy was restored and political parties contested the elections but still all of the states's institutions are unstable. Political parties, judiciary, legislature and executive are yet to firmly stand on their ground. Even traditional institutions like monarchy and Royal Nepalese Army also seem to be in a haze.

As Nepal is passing through a critical moment in its history, the importance of legendary Congress leader B.P. Koirala's ideas of national reconciliation, nationalism and democracy have assumed much more significance.

His followers and party colleagues, however, show total indifference towards the precarious situation faced by the country and talk about obsolete ideas and their own contribution to democracy. "BP's socialism has a great significance in the present context," declared former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. His own brother Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala does not seem much concerned about following the path shown by his elder brother except, of course, while making speeches.

"B.P. Koirala's nationalism, democracy, and reconciliation seems to have become obsolete in the party. The celebration of B.P.'s memorial day is just a ritual," said Sunil Bhandari, member of Nepali Congress Central Working Committee. "B.P. is a forgotten hero."

Congress party organizes memorial day of B.P. twice a year -- once to mark his birth anniversary and once to remember his arrival to the country calling for national reconciliation. During these two days, leaders of Congress party garland his statues and deliver long statements. But they are very much short on action.