Remembering Ideals
Congress is remembering B.P. Koirala when the party is struggling to maintain its identity as a centrist force
By KESHAB POUDEL
Never in the history of last five decades has Nepali Congress passed though such a critical phase struggling to retain its own identity as a centrist force like now.
At a time when Nepali Congress leadership is now commanded by B.P.'s own junior brother G. P. Koirala - who is at his last leg of political career - how B.P. will be remembered on July 21 (his birth anniversary) is anybody’s guess.
B.P's loyalists and opponents will garland their leaders not speaking any word on the ideals propounded by him including that of national reconciliation.
From his early days till his death, B.P. Koirala always projected Nepali Congress as a centrist party and it survived and thrived as a strong and popular mass based party.
B.P. Koirala- who had never compromised his ideals whatever the difficulties he had to face - pursued the idea that Nepali Congress is a party of heterogeneous interest of people including rightists and extremists. Aligning with one group may provoke another to such an extent that Nepali Congress
will itself lose its identity.
More than two decades after his death, Nepali Congress, the country's only liberal democratic party - is at the cross roads. Despite his closeness to ideals of his brother, G.P. Koirala - who is the last leader in the Nepali Congress to have strong faith and belief in B.P.'s national reconciliation - is taking the party towards the extreme end provoking other side to move to another extreme.
Provoked by non-responsive approach of the palace, G.P. Koirala - who is the only remaining leader in the Congress with experience and capability of political negotiations - seems to have been influenced by elements within him to go to the extreme end to pressure the King.
However, Koirala’s extreme stands are being reciprocated by the other side. There are cracks and disputes within his party. Koirala's threat of going for republican was responded with more active absolute monarchs encouraging followers of absolute monarchists to unite against liberals.
When G.P. proposed to work with one extreme even his family did not remain intact. G.P. Koirala's family - which carries the precious legacy of B.P. Koirala - is divided now. His nephew Prakash Koirala has already joined other extreme in the government and Shailaja Acharya, the claimant to the same legacy - declared herself as a centrist alternative.
'This is the beginning which may have very tragic snowball effect on Nepali Congress. If Nepali Congress goes on splitting, it would be a great tragedy not only to the liberal democracy but to the nation also," said an analyst. "It reminds one of moderate and centrist policies of B.P. Koirala."
For the past five decades, Nepali Congress, despite several splits and divisions, is the only democratic party surviving as a popular mass based party in the country. Till now, there is no other modern political party other than Nepali Congress representing the heterogeneous interest groups.
Thanks to B.P's policy, Nepali Congress party survived through the darkest period of Panchayat days and thrived during the liberalization period. B.P. Koirala led the party firmly placing it at the center and not siding with any extreme side. His policy of national reconciliation faced many staunch critics within his party and outside. Although he died more than two decades ago, his policy of national reconciliation is more valid today than anytime before for the country and his approach of centrist party is equally valid for Nepali
Congress. As G.P. Koirala is at the helm of the party, there is still space for optimism that Nepali Congress will return back to his old glorious legacy of national reconciliation placing itself as a centrist party.
