National 4 (Spotlight Weekly)

“I Am Ready To Take Up The Challenge”

— Dr. Shashank Koirala

Professor Dr. Shashank Koirala is the youngest son of legendary Nepali Congress leader late B.P. Koirala. Nephew of current NC president Girija Prasad Koirala, Dr. Shashank is the latest Koirala to join the active politics. A noted ophthalmologist, Dr. Koirala has decided to join the politics to give a new ‘vision and direction’ to the country. With the promise of delivering ‘a breath of fresh air’ to the Congress politics, Dr. Koirala is all set to give up his medical career in favor of what runs in the blood of his family. An active participant of the anti-regression agitation, Dr. Koirala spoke with KESHAB POUDEL and SANJAYA DHAKAL about the reasons why he decided to enter the often murky world of politics at this difficult time and what he aims to achieve by doing so. Excerpts:

Why did you decide to join the politics at such a crucial time in country’s history?

Well I have worked in the health sector for the last 17 sectors. Although working as a doctor was a very gratifying job, I thought, at this time, by joining politics I could be doing more service to the nation.

You have watched your uncle former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala very closely for the last many years when he was in the center of power politics in Nepal. How do you find the political development in the country?

You cannot evaluate a person just by looking at 12 years. You have to go back to history. G.P. Koirala has contributed immensely to the democratic development of the last 60 years. Since you are focused on the last 12 years when he became prime minister several times; in his initial period he brought about major changes in the political scenario. There was a sense of transparency in the government; there were many positive outcomes of his tenures – we have new hospitals, new universities and roads have been opened up in places where you could not have even imagined there would be road one day. There have been a lot of developments in education sector. However, that was a very short period of time and because of certain shortcomings, Nepali Congress and, particularly, G.P. Koirala could not achieve what he had envisaged in the beginning. He had a fiasco in the sense that there was a mid-term (election). Subsequently, things happened consecutively in such a manner that the political vision was put into haze; and the leaders became more interested in themselves and somehow went farther away from the people.

People say that you are taking up the mantle of the Koirala family, who have been in the forefront of democratic politics in the country. Is this the only reason you have decided to join the politics?

Well, it is true that the Koirala family has a legacy of so many decades. And I being a member of Koirala family; I am concerned about that legacy. I have decided to join the politics mainly for two basic reasons: one is to bring the Koirala family together to reinvigorate the thinking that we, Koirala, are here for the nation from the time of Krishna Prasad Koirala till now and that has been our legacy; and the second thing is that I feel I may be able to cement, to some extent, the Nepali Congress party, which is so divided at present, by bringing in a new phase in the Congress politics.

How difficult do you see your days ahead?

It is absolutely difficult. There is no doubt about it. But, then it is the difficulty that is the challenge one has to relish. If there was no challenge, I might as well have stayed in the hospital and did my job, which is so satisfying. I am ready to take up the challenge.

At present, there are so many members of Koirala family in the Congress party. And there are also leaders/workers from outside the family. How would you adjust with them?

is very unfortunate - they look up to me as B.P.’s son and expect so much, which is a big burden. At the moment, I cannot deliver them the absolute solution or guide them to the target right on. As far as the family is concerned, I believe that is going to be a bigger challenge. I have been telling my family members that my coming into politics would rather help them achieve their goals and preserve the legacy of Koirala family.

In late 70s your father late B.P. had returned to the country calling for national reconciliation. Today, also the country is in the throes of crisis, do you see the relevancy of similar policy of reconciliation?

I believe that the concept of reconciliation still has a meaning. However, the things then and now are not the same. There is a need also to think ahead. The answer is not that easy. National reconciliation still has a meaning provided all the political actors, the King and the leaders understand what this concept was for. Now, in a changed context when you have many other parameters, you need to have rather an open mind. I am saying this as a person who is not a polished politician as I am still trying to learn it, and it’s going to take me time.

Your father stood for his cause come what may and whether he was isolated or embraced by others. Are you also prepared to do that if the time comes?

Yes, basically, the commitment comes ones you have convinced yourself that it is the truth. Because like Mahatma Gandhi said, politics without principle is worthless. Once you are convinced, it becomes much more easier.

Your father and your uncle were both self-made politicians. How do you see yourself? Are you going to follow their footsteps or are you going to make your own way?

You are right that my father and my uncle were self-made people. They experienced politics throughout their life. We have not experienced it ourselves, but we have read books and we have seen how they lived. It gives us an added edge. We may not be able to do exactly what they did. For example, I don’t have reflexes of a politician right now. I need to develop that reflex of a politician. I believe that it would probably be easier for me to do so as I have seen them operate from a close range. It is going to take a lot of effort on my part.

Your uncle G.P. Koirala has been staying at your residence even though his own daughter has her residence in Kathmandu. Why is that so?

The reason why he is staying at my residence is because my mother is here. And we have been a family for a long, long time. It’s the joint family. I think as long as Aama is there, he will live here. As far as me joining politics and creating problems for him and him shifting out; well that something the future will decide.

How are you going to adjust your medical career, then?

First of all, politics is not a profession but a social work. Medicine is also a social work to an extent, but it is more of a profession. Once you have decided that you are going into politics, I think, you will not do justice to you still continued doing medicine. However, my well-wishers have always expressed that perhaps I should give a few hours in a day to my medical practice. But so far, I have decided that I will take up politics and keep medical profession at bay.

Politics is also said to be a dirty game. There are good things and there are bad things. Coming from a clean background of working as a reputed ophthalmologist, how do you plan to adjust your new life in new surrounding?

This was a question, which senior lawyer Ganesh Raj Sharmaji had also put to me. He had said how low I could stoop and where I would compromise with my conscience. Probably, that is an advantage that I have. I can never compromise with my conscience. Being a doctor I never did. Being a politician I don’t think I will ever do that. I will do politics in my own terms and in the manner I see fit. Politics has been tainted over a period of time, especially in South Asia, where power-based politics has gripped the region. However, I believe in politics for change and politics for people. It is not very important for me to go into power. Once you only think about power, then you will have to make a lot of compromises and questions of finances will also crop up. If I do that, then I will feel miserable.

Does it mean that you are joining the politics for social work and not power?

That is very true. Although you may not go to power, you can – if you are a person whom people believe in - you can bring about a change like a catalyst – changing others without you being changed yourself. It is that kind of politics that I believe in. People often talk about being a successful politician. I believe that successful means you are happy at the end of the day about what you have done rather than whether you have become the prime minister or the president of the party. That is not my goal. My goal is to bring about change in Nepal. And if I can bring about even a minimum change, then I have done my part.

Being a doctor you had to meet with a lot of people. And now being a politician also you will have to meet a lot of people. How do you plan to adjust your time and give some of it for reading, which you would obviously need to brush up with your political knowledge?

One thing very good about medicine is that initially I used to be very tired of meeting so many patients everyday. Later on, I discovered there was a charm in meeting different people. When you take a look at their life – they come to you with a pain and when you help them overcome the pain it is so gratifying. Because of it, I enjoy meeting people. What you said about the need of reading, I absolutely feel it. Right now, I am a zero to be very frank. As far as political aspects are concerned, I have done a minimal reading. And whatever I read about it was probably in schools or maybe sometime in between. I need to do a serious reading towards this end. There is a problem with me here. I don’t believe in a regimental life where you get up in the morning and you do this and that. My life has been haphazard throughout. However, because the need of the hour is that I need to make my life more routine, I need to divide my time accordingly for meeting with people and doing some serious reading.

Have you read the political history of Nepal?

I have. In fact, I am reading one book by Dr. Harka Gurung. I have also read the history of this region and the world. But, I would need to brush again and read much extensively. Unless and until you are well versed with what is going on and what happened in the past, you will not be able to steer the future.

Have you read the books written by your father?

Yes. In fact, I am reading his autobiography “Atmabrittanta” for the second time. First time, I read it like a storybook. Now I am reading it between the lines. It is so inspiring. It gives you the feel and the understanding of the realities then and how difficult it was. It will also play a very important role in my politics. It will always keep me in check and in the framework of B.P’s thoughts.