NATIONAL RECONCILIATION DAY
A Day To Remember
Three decades have already passed since the return of B.P. Koirala, the greatest figure in Nepalese politics, from his seven-years-long exile in India. Caught in conflict and facing challenges for its survival from within and outside, national reconciliation propounded by him was not only relevant for yesterday’s Nepal but is equally, if not more, applicable today and will also be pertinent tomorrow
By KESHAB POUDEL
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G.P. Koirala : Reconciliation in his mind |
“In the history of every nations there comes such moment when its people have to risk their lives to safeguard the national identity. We think, such a moment has come in Nepal today. Our well-wishers had advised us not to return Nepal seeing the dangers involved in it. We would like to tell them that we have to take this historical decision because the likely danger to our lives is nothing compared to the danger to nation.” said B.P. Koirala in the statement he gave on return from exile on December 30, 1976. (See box)
When B.P. Koirala, one of the popular political leaders, returned home on December 30, 1976, there were virtually no hopes for open and liberal democracy as the political process was completely under the grip of hardliners and South Asian regional situation was alarmingly hostile because of cold war and the future of Nepal was also in crisis.
With his full determination and dedication to his cause, B.P. Koirala – who had never compromised his faith and ideal of patriotism and liberal democracy - returned to Nepal ignoring even the capital punishment on him. Koirala saw national crisis and identity of Nepal was more important than his own personal safety. There are only a few leaders now like B.P. who can show such courage and guts.
When B.P. Koirala returned from his exile, Dr. Tulsi Giri was prime minister and through the second amendment in then constitution, political system had been virtually turned akin to one party communist system. Twenty-nine years later, the country is again in a severe national crisis but what is lacking now is a political leader with a high stature of B.P. Koirala to defend the nation and comprehend the situation.
His own brother and Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala – who is the last leader in his party with inner understanding of the spirit of national reconciliation - frankly admits that he cannot be like his elder and legendary brother B.P.
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Mass in public meeting : Listening to leaders |
“A leader is made by certain circumstances. B.P. was a leader made for a particular situation. I cannot claim to be a leader like B.P. But, I have been following the path shown by him,” said Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala.
As years pass, many familiar names in Nepalese politics are going out of the memory of the people. Many of them had gone through great suffering and made sacrifices for the cause of democracy and the national independence but the name of B.P. Koirala is still instilling noble ideals and commitments.
B.P. Koirala was the real leader of the change of 1951 - which ushered a multi-party democracy in Nepal - but he got hardly 18 months to lead the first elected parliament and run the government.
Changing reality of the geo-politics of that time created the situation which abruptly brought to an end the parliamentary democracy and put B.P. Koirala under almost eight years of continuous detention. History is yet to be read in true perspective to understand why the King who had high respect for Koirala’s dedication to the nation – which then King Mahendra had confided to different persons like G.P. Koirala, Bishwobandhu Thapa, Shailendra Kumar Upadhyaya and many others who are still living witnesses – took the decision to detain him.
After long political exercises behind the curtain, B.P. Koirala was released from the prison. Though he was publicly exploring the possibility of creating an environment of reconciliation between democratic forces and the monarch, the unperceived situation pushed him away from the country into mysterious trap. Koirala was instigated to raise the arms against the regime but he was not permitted to launch full-fledged actions for that.
“B.P. felt that he was used as a bargaining chip in which the greatest loser would be the people of Nepal. After a serious consideration of the regional politics, he took a drastic decision to return back to the country ignoring even the safety of his life. The situation in the region, like the formation of Bangladesh and annexation of Sikkim by a big neighboring country prompted Koirala to return with the policy of national reconciliation,” said a political analyst, who was very close to B.P. Koirala. “The horrifying Vietnam war had just concluded. As a political analyst, he visualized a new area of confrontation or conflict between two warring camps of the cold war. He reached to a conclusion that the next area of conflict between the forces of cold war would be South Asia. In such situation, he made a very lucid and epoch-making statement while coming back to Nepal. He gave a call of national reconciliation and did not wait for response from the King of that time. The appeal was to the nation involving all including the King and the people in general.”
In his statement B.P. Koirala said, “In this hour of national crisis, all of us should get united by forgetting and ending the past unhealthy debates, experiences and differences. Our program should be directed by the feeling that we will no more exist in the absence of our nation. I don’t know what fate awaits me after I return to the country.”
Along with that statement he came back to the country unrepentant and without any bitterness of animosity. Many see his statement was balanced, dignified and farsighted in outlook. Whenever there is crisis, all these things come to the mind of the people who look up to see similar kind of upright and bold leadership. The people in Nepal, at present, sincerely feel that sometimes leaders are the product of the situations and sometimes situations are the results of the leadership.
B.P. Koirala is remembered as a person who molded the situations of his time for almost four decades though he was in power for less than 18 months – his statement recorded in the parliament shows how superb his period was when even opposition leader of that time Bharat Sumsher Rana did not mind to support the government.
As a person of strong commitment and belief, he firmly stood on his own ideology despite the difficulties he had to face individually. “The question that is uppermost in my mind is whether the coup of 1960 has permanently and definitely and irreconcilably alienated the democratic forces and monarchy from each other. I hope and pray that in spite of everything, it is not so, and the breach is not final. My endeavor will be towards the national reconciliation of these two elements in our national life. If they are not irreconcilable, statesmanship, as distinguished from political chicanery, personal aggrandizement and advancement of petty temporary gains, calls for a large hearted approach to the problem of reconciliation. The democrats will see, I hope, that there are other dangers to democracy more serious than monarchy. I also hope that the King will also see that there are dangers to monarchy more serious than democracy.” (See B.P. Koirala’s Jail Journal Page 262-263)
“It is not only the power which makes a person as a leader. In real sense, B.P. was the leader of the nation. The response from late King Birendra to him was, in the words of B.P. Koirala himself, “heartbreakingly slow” but late King Birendra fulfilled all his commitments, which was made to Koirala in their first one-to-one meeting. “Sacrifices of politicians are much eulogized. Unfortunately, monarch like late King Birendra who sacrificed even his life for his adherence to liberal democracy and national independence remain in oblivion,” said an analyst based on his personal contacts with the King and Koirala.
This is the occasion of the day to remember and renew support to national reconciliation. The appeal issued by B.P. Koirala upon his arrival is more relevant this time than any time before. As Nepali Congress is celebrating 30 th national reconciliation day, the time has come for its leaders to show courage to correct their mistakes.
Nationalism and Democracy
The statement B.P. Koirala gave on return from foreign exile on December 30,1976:
After a pretty long period of exile, we are returning to our country. On this occasion, I would like to say a few words to the countrymen.
Today, our country is in a national crisis. All have realized that this crisis is getting heightened since the last few years. As a result, the very national identity has been endangered. Others have also admitted this. All including the King have from time to time referred to the danger posed to national identity. We are returning to home after realizing this grave reality. We think that the lack of national unity is a major factor for such a national crisis as a result of which foreign elements have started to become successful in playing their dirty games and making Nepal a center of international conspiracy. National unity can be achieved only through a collective campaign and efforts of all Nepali people. Such a collective campaign does also lay the grounds for the institutional base for the emotional unity of the Nepali people. If the sloganeering alone could do this, the national unity would not have suffered so much nor our country would have landed in such a miserable condition in the last sixteen years. Today, there is selfishness, communalism, individualistic practices and the tendency to have external-tilt is rampant in the country. In such circumstances nationalism becomes the first casualty.
Till yesterday, our struggle was confined to the attainment of the people’s democratic rights. That’s why, we emphasized more on the democratic side. Today, there is a new dimension added to it. A dual responsibility has befallen the Nepali Congress. This second responsibility is, safeguarding the national identity. We have visualized two fold faces of today’s Nepal: Nationalism and Democracy.
It means the Nepali people should take the responsibility of restoring democracy as well as safeguarding the nation. If we talk of only one responsibility we will be following the wrong track by being one-sided. And, if we emphasized only on the restoration of democracy, we will not be contributing to addressing this national crisis. Moreover, we may even fall into the trap of the foreigners by such one-sided action. Similarly, if we talk of the nationalism only, we will be repeating the same 16-years-old hollow slogans of nationalism, and will be siding with the authoritarianism. Such a hollow slogan of nationalism cannot generate an internal willpower in the countrymen to safeguard the nation. Therefore, we need now to understand that the national unity can be built on the foundation of democracy only. And the foundation of the democracy can be cemented by the economic development and the just economic system. Therefore we feel that nationalism, democracy and economic development are interdependent on each other.
It is well known that the Nepali Congress has taken historical and serious decisions from time to time in the national interest. The decision to wage the 1951 revolution and its executions are some examples. After finding that there was conspiracy to put off the elections forever, it took the leadership of national campaign for the holding of the elections. We received the cooperation from various parties in that campaign. Nepali Congress launched the resistance movement for democracy after the cruel and the fatal blow dealt to democracy in 1960. And today, we have taken this historical decision seeing the crisis the nation is facing. This is in accordance with the tradition of the Nepali Congress.
In the history of every nation there comes such moment when its people have to risk their lives to safeguard the national identity. We think, such a moment has come in Nepal today. Our well-wishers had advised us not to return Nepal seeing the dangers involved in it. We would like to tell them that we have taken this historical decision because the likely danger to our lives is nothing as compared to the danger to the nation. The workers of Nepali Congress have also shown the example of unprecedented courage and love towards nation by returning to the motherland following the party directives.
In this hour of national crisis, all of us should get united by forgetting and ending the past unhealthy debates, experiences and differences. Our program should be directed by the feeling that we will no more exist in the absence of our nation. I do not know what fate awaits me after I return to the country. Through this statement, as the Chairman of Nepali Congress, I would like to appeal to the entire countrymen that let us all unanimously unite in the pious task of defending the nation, its progress, happiness and prosperity of the people. If I get an opportunity, I will put forth my feelings before His Majesty also. The responsibility to save the nation is the common responsibility of all.
Jai Nepal!
Bishweswor Prasad Koirala
Dec.30, 1976
(This excerpt has been reproduced in order to re-emphasize the importance of national reconciliation)
