UPDATES ON DEATH OF KRISHNA PRASAD BHATTARAI

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 5 March: NC President Sushil Koirala and General Secretary Prakash Man Singh were one of the first persons to pay respect to Krishna Prasad Bhattarai at his government provided ashram at Badegaon, Lalitpur, Saturday morning.
The central committee of NC which Bhattarai quit after it adopted a republican agenda, is meeting Saturday in emergency session to condole the death of the only founding member of the party.
“I would like to me remembered as a person who was loyal to the country and king,” Bhattarai once said. “Politics should be for the people not personal gain.”
Kishunji never had malice even towards his captors or political opponents; he spend 14 years in jail—10 years at one stretch and prided himself for never signing a document like his colleagues to gain freedom.
Bhattarai was arrested with top leaders, including first elected Prime Minister BP Koirala, after King Mahendra dismissed the Koirala government and imposed partyless panchayat rule December 1960.
Bhattarai was a principled politician who never accepted panchayat and absolute royal rule fighting it not from exile in India like other party colleagues but from within the country.
He was defeated in the 1959 first parliamentary election from a constituency in Gorkha but was still elected speaker of the country’s first legislature where NC had a majority.
Through treachery in his own party, he lost parliamentary elections again in 1991 from Banweshwor constituency in the capital—defeated by UML general secretary Madan Bhandary,
Bhattarai hailed from a family of royal priests from Pakanajolin in the capital; his grandfather went into exile in Kashi with King Rajendra after the rise of Jung Bahadur Rana following the kot massacre.
King Birendra appointed Kishunji prime minister in 1990 after panchayat was toppled; along with the king, whose absolute powers were curtailed by the pro-democracy movement, Bhattarai led an interim government that promulgated a 1990 constitution and conducted parliamentary elections in one year.
Following the overthrow of the 238-year Shah dynasty and declaration of a republic by a self-appointed unelected parliament, a transition to institutionalize a republic even in three years has failed.
Bhattarai was a firm believer of multi-party democracy and constitutional monarchy.
Kishunji was born in India and graduated from Beneras Hindu University.
He participated in the Quit India against British colonists and entered politics as a student.
Bhattarai was a commander of the central front of Mukti Morcha of NC against Ranas in the central region; the movement toppled the a 104-yar Rana dynasty.
Kishunji was acting president and president of the NC.
He was appointed acting president 12 February 1976 and president after the death of BP Koirala. Following the death of BP, NC was run by a collective leadership of Bhattarai, Ganesh Man Singh and Girija Prasad Koirala.
Bhattarai died several hours Daimond Shumshere Rana died while undergoing treatment at the same after in Thataphali.
Kishunji was elected for the first time to parliament from a Birjunj constituency in 1999 and was elected prime minister for the second time; but Girija brought down the government within months.
In the 1999 election, NC went to the people with the promise Bhattarai would be the next prime minister.
The former prime minister supported the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction when the party split.
Bhattarai was admitted in hospital 16 February for treatment of bronchitis, conjunctive heart failure and chronic renal failure.
A funeral procession will start from Dashrath Rangashala at noon Sunday when cremation will take place at Pashupatinath Aryaghat.
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WORLD BANK ASSIST


Kathmandu, 5 March: World Bank will give Nepal an additional assistance of $75 million-- $33.74 million as grant—for the road sector development project.
The bank and the government inked an agreement Friday.
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