Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala
Encyclopedia
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (1914–1982) was the Prime Minister of Nepal from 1959 to 1960. He led the Nepali Congress
, a social democratic political party
.
Koirala was the first democratically
elected
Prime Minister in Nepal's history. He held the office just 18 months before being deposed and imprisoned by order of King Mahendra
, an assertive absolute monarch jealous of the powers he had delegated to Koirala's government. For the rest of his life, which was spent largely in prison or exile
and in steadily deteriorating health, "B. P." (as he was everywhere known) never ceased to call for the restoration of democratic freedoms in his country.
, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi
. When asked how he became interested in politics, B. P. Koirala said, "There was politics in the blood of my family. My father had to leave Nepal when I was three years old. Everyone in the family had a warrant of arrest against him; our entire property was confiscated. We were in exile in India for twelve years [1917-1929] so I had my schooling in India, and thereafter I joined my college there."
The British Raj charged him and his brother Matrika Prasad Koirala
for having contacts with terrorists in 1930. They were arrested and set free after three months. Due to this, his father wanted B.P. to study in Calcutta at Scottish Church College. Krishna Prasad Koirala also felt that his son would receive better opportunities in a big city. B.P. unwillingly joined the college because personally he felt that the city was too big and far away from home. Towards the end of 1930, he left the college and returned to Banaras. In 1932, he completed his intermediate level of studies. His father again insisted that his son join Scottish Church College in Calcutta. So for the second time, B.P. joined the college but left it soon after. In 1934, he completed his bachelor's degree in economics and politics from Banaras Hindu University
.
After earning his degree at the Banaras Hindu University
, he later took a degree in law at the University of Calcutta
in 1937 and practiced law for several years in Darjeeling. While still a student he became involved in the Indian nationalist movement, and in 1934 he joined the Indian National Congress
. During World War II
he was interned by the British in Dhanbad for two years (1942–1944).
.
Koirala led the armed revolution of 1951 which overthrew Nepal's 104-year old Rana regime
, a narrow family-based oligarchy
permitted by successive acquiescent kings to exercise all real power. The last Rana prime minister was dismissed in October 1951 when the Rana-Congress coalition cabinet (in which Koirala served for nine months as the Home minister) broke apart. Koirala then concentrated on the developing Nepali political structure: although not fully officially tolerated, political parties were increasing in importance, and the King was pushed by events to offer some concession to growing democratic aspirations. King Mahendra responded with a new constitution enabling free parliamentary elections to take place in 1959. Only a fragmented parliament was expected, but Koirala's Nepali Congress
scored a landslide, taking more than two-thirds of the seats in the lower house. After several weeks of significant hesitation, Mahendra asked Koirala to form a government, which took office in May 1959.
Viewed from abroad, Koirala's debut as prime minister was a great success. He led his country's delegation to the United Nations
and made carefully poised visits to China
and India
, then increasingly at odds over territorial disputes. Yet, he was in trouble at home almost from the beginning. His land reform measures, especially the revision of the tenancy laws so easily passed by parliament, deeply offended the landed aristocracy which had long dominated the army. His long-promised reform of the central bureaucracy outraged thousands of entrenched and powerful bureaucrats. And the King and court saw even their residual powers being eroded with amazing speed. The new government, the nation's first democratic experiment, thus managed to alienate all the traditional centers of power. King Mahendra acted quickly, brutally, and finally: on 15 December 1960, he suspended the constitution, dissolved parliament, dismissed the cabinet, imposed direct rule, and for good measure imprisoned Koirala and his closest government colleagues. Many of them were released after few months, but Koirala, though he was suffering from throat cancer
, was kept imprisoned without trial until 1968. In 1968 then the Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa
, who led the liberal group in the Rastriya Panchayat, played a significant role in releasing B.P.Koirala from prison. later in June Mr. Thapa had to resign due to pressure from the hardliner in releasing Mr. koirala from prison. Then he was finally left on a self exile to live in Banaras.
King Birendra, educated in England
and the United States
, succeeded his father in 1972, and the political climate was believed to be gradually improving. Koirala, however, was arrested immediately upon his return from exile in 1976 and charged with the capital offense of attempting armed revolution. Finally, in March 1978he was finally cleared of all treason
and sedition
charges. 1981, then he was enabled to travel to the United States
for medical treatment. Then the Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa
convinced the king to allow Mr. B.P.Koirala to proceed to USA for treatment as per recommendation from the royal physican Dr. M.R. Pandey. Then the His majesty's Government of Nepal beared a portion of his medical treatment in USA, while the rest were arranged by his nephew Shail Updhaya, Dr. Shukdev Shah, family and friends.
After returning from a further medical visit to the United States
, he had a series of audiences with King Birendra, as he tried for a "national reconciliation." During the student demonstrations in 1979, he was under house arrest
. However, he welcomed King Birendra's call for national referendum
on the question of political system for Nepal. The referendum results were announced to be in favor of retaining the political system led by the king. B.P.Koirala was the first leader to welcome the result of the national referendum and accepted the people verdict and claimed that the referendum was fair and free. However, owing to differences in the electoral process to seek membership of class organization as mandatory, Koirala demanded a boycott of the 1981 elections. Despite obviously failing health and political strength, Koirala could still draw a great popular support. He addressed one of Nepal's largest public meetings in recent years in Kathmandu's Ratna Park in January 1982. He died on July 21, 1982 in Kathmandu. An estimated half a million people attended his funeral.
. He wrote short stories and novels, and some poems. Koirala began writing short stories in Hindi
. His first stories were published in Banaras in Hansa, a Hindi literary magazine edited by Prem Chand (IndiaÕs Tolstoy). His first Nepali short story "Chandrabadan" was published in Sharada (a Nepali literary magazine) in 1935. Koirala was very good at depicting the character and mind of women. Four other stories of Koirala were included in Katha Kusum (an anthology of Nepali stories) published in 1938 in Darjeeling. As a social realist, and a good psychoanalyst, Koirala had established himself as one of the most important Nepali short story writers by 1938. Doshi Chashma [Guilty Glasses], Koirala's anthology of sixteen short stories, was published in 1949.
Koirala was very busy in the 1950s as he was in the center of Nepal's national politics. He was, however, able to write an incomplete novel Hitlar ra Yahudi [Hitler and the Jews] in the form of travelogue. The 1960s were very productive for Koirala in terms of his literary output. He wrote many novels and short stories in jail during 1960-68. They include: Tin Ghumti [Three Turns],1968; Narendra Dai [Brother Narendra], 1969; Sumnima [A story of the first Kirata woman],1969; Modiain [The Grocer's Wife], 1980; Shweta Bhairavi [The White Goddess of Terror],1983; Babu Ama ra chora [Father, mother and sons], 1989 and an incomplete autobiography Mero Katha [My Story], 1983 and many more yet to be published.
Koirala also has dozens of political essays including the following: Rajatantra ra Lokatantra [Monarchy and Democracy], 1960; Thichieka Janata Jagisake [The Oppressed People Rise], 1969; Rastriyata Nepalko Sandarbhama [Nationalism in the Context of Nepal], 1970; Kranti: Ek Anivaryata [Revolution: An Absolute Necessity], 1970; Panchayati Vyavastha Prajatantrik Chaina [The Panchayat System is not Democratic], 1978; Prajatantra ra Samajvad [Democracy and Socialism], 1979; Rastriya Ekata ko Nimti Ahwan [A Call for National Reconciliation], 1980.
The problem in the study of the Koirala literature is that his writings (both political and literary) were banned until recently. Nepalese youths spent several years of imprisonment just on the charges of possessing Koirala's writings. Another problem is that his rare and important writings have been scattered all over. Old newspapers and magazines (including the underground publications) have to be researched. Libraries, museums, and archives in Kathmandu, Banaras, Calcutta, New Delhi
, London
, Paris
, Berkeley
, Stanford, and many other places have to be visited to collect the materials on Koirala. As a result, one can hope to produce volumes of his political writings and literary works.
Koirala was the focus of Nepalese politics during the 1950s, 1960s, and the 1970s. Even today, long after his death, people of Nepal feel that the restoration of multi-party democracy is a tribute to him. Koirala was also one of the most important literary figures of Nepal. In politics Koirala was a social democrat; in literature he was an existentialist especially in his novel Tin Ghumti [Three Turns]. He said that he wrote his literary works to satisfy his anarchist impulses, impulses which revolted against the traditional order of things. But as a social democrat he was in search of a political order that was agreeable to every citizen of Nepal.
As a politician, Koirala struggled throughout his life for the establishment of a multi-party democracy in his country. Traditional forces, still strong to resist such effort, made it very hard for "B. P." to accomplish his political mission. As a social democrat, Koirala differed with communists; as he often said man cannot live by bread alone. He also differed with the capitalists as he thought that unbridled consumerism was immoral, and that the appalling exploitation of the world's resources was short-sighted and unrealistic. He believed that only socialism could guarantee political freedom and equal economic opportunities to the people. He said, "socialism is the wave of the future."
Koirala had studied economics
, logic
, literature
, and law
. He was a voracious reader of English
, German
, French
, Russian
, American
, Hindi
, Bengali
and Nepali
literature
. His educational background and artistic genius combined in his own works to present a view of life in an artistic, logical and compelling manner. He would thus shake the conscience of Nepali readers by questioning their unreflective acceptance of the traditional value systems.
Koirala's short stories were first published in the 1930s in Hindi and Nepali literary magazines. Koirala first came to notice in Nepali literature because often his characters seemed to have been treated with an understanding of Freudian psychoanalysis
. Even when a short story or novel of Koirala was not Freudian in its approach, it was still noteworthy to Nepali readers because he presented an unconventional approach to life.
Modiain (The Grocer's wife) is probably the smallest novel of Koirala. In Modiain Koirala looks at the Mahabharata war from the point of view of a young woman who loses her husband to the war. This woman was not alone. There were hundreds of thousands of young women who were widowed by the war. Thus, Koirala presents a passionate plea against the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita which assumes that the world is but an illusion and thus makes life and death a meaningless phenomena and that the observance of one's own duty is the ultimate priority. Koirala was against war, and by looking at the Vedanta philosophy and the issue of war from a war widow's point of view, he once again shakes the conscience of the Nepali readers who generally tend to accept the philosophy of Vedanta especially its idea of karma (fate). Characteristically, Koirala presents one more instance in which he analyzes the mind of a woman, as he did in most of his short stories and novels.
Nepali Congress
The Nepali Congress is a Nepalese political party. Nepali Congress led the 1950 Democratic Movement which successfully ended the Rana dynasty and allowed commoners to take part in the polity. It again led a democratic movement in 1990, in partnership with leftist forces, to end monarchy and...
, a social democratic political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
.
Koirala was the first democratically
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
elected
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
Prime Minister in Nepal's history. He held the office just 18 months before being deposed and imprisoned by order of King Mahendra
Mahendra of Nepal
Possibly no heir for the time period of 1911 through 1920. Previous Crown Prince: Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, from 1906 to 1911....
, an assertive absolute monarch jealous of the powers he had delegated to Koirala's government. For the rest of his life, which was spent largely in prison or exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
and in steadily deteriorating health, "B. P." (as he was everywhere known) never ceased to call for the restoration of democratic freedoms in his country.
Early life
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala was the son of Krishna Prasad KoiralaKrishna Prasad Koirala
The founder of the prominent Koirala family of Nepal.He was the father of the Former prime minister of Late .Girija Prasad Koirala. He had 5 sons and a daughter. The five sons are:Matrika Prasad Koirala, Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, Girija Prasad Koirala, Keshav Prasad Koirala and Tarini Prasad...
, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
. When asked how he became interested in politics, B. P. Koirala said, "There was politics in the blood of my family. My father had to leave Nepal when I was three years old. Everyone in the family had a warrant of arrest against him; our entire property was confiscated. We were in exile in India for twelve years [1917-1929] so I had my schooling in India, and thereafter I joined my college there."
The British Raj charged him and his brother Matrika Prasad Koirala
Matrika Prasad Koirala
Matrika Prasad Koirala was the Prime Minister of Nepal for two terms . He became the first President of Nepali Congress, when it was formed as a result of the merger of Nepali National Congress and Nepal Democratic Congress in April 1950....
for having contacts with terrorists in 1930. They were arrested and set free after three months. Due to this, his father wanted B.P. to study in Calcutta at Scottish Church College. Krishna Prasad Koirala also felt that his son would receive better opportunities in a big city. B.P. unwillingly joined the college because personally he felt that the city was too big and far away from home. Towards the end of 1930, he left the college and returned to Banaras. In 1932, he completed his intermediate level of studies. His father again insisted that his son join Scottish Church College in Calcutta. So for the second time, B.P. joined the college but left it soon after. In 1934, he completed his bachelor's degree in economics and politics from Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
.
After earning his degree at the Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University
Banaras Hindu University is a public university located in Varanasi, India and is one of the Central Universities of India. It is the largest residential university in Asia, with over 24,000 students in its campus. BHU was founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya under the Parliamentary...
, he later took a degree in law at the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
in 1937 and practiced law for several years in Darjeeling. While still a student he became involved in the Indian nationalist movement, and in 1934 he joined the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was interned by the British in Dhanbad for two years (1942–1944).
Political career
Following his release, with Indian independence imminent, he set about trying to bring change to Nepal. In 1947 he founded from India the solidly socialist Nepali National Congress, which in 1950 became the Nepali Congress Party. He was imprisoned in Nepal in 1947-1948 after returning to his home city in Biratnagar to lead a labor demonstration. A year later he was arrested again, but was soon released after a 27-day hunger strike, popular protests, and the intervention of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal NehruJawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
.
Koirala led the armed revolution of 1951 which overthrew Nepal's 104-year old Rana regime
Rana dynasty
The Rana dynasty ruled the Kingdom of Nepal from 1846 until 1953, reducing the Shah monarch to a figurehead and making Prime Minister and other government positions hereditary...
, a narrow family-based oligarchy
Oligarchy
Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy...
permitted by successive acquiescent kings to exercise all real power. The last Rana prime minister was dismissed in October 1951 when the Rana-Congress coalition cabinet (in which Koirala served for nine months as the Home minister) broke apart. Koirala then concentrated on the developing Nepali political structure: although not fully officially tolerated, political parties were increasing in importance, and the King was pushed by events to offer some concession to growing democratic aspirations. King Mahendra responded with a new constitution enabling free parliamentary elections to take place in 1959. Only a fragmented parliament was expected, but Koirala's Nepali Congress
Nepali Congress
The Nepali Congress is a Nepalese political party. Nepali Congress led the 1950 Democratic Movement which successfully ended the Rana dynasty and allowed commoners to take part in the polity. It again led a democratic movement in 1990, in partnership with leftist forces, to end monarchy and...
scored a landslide, taking more than two-thirds of the seats in the lower house. After several weeks of significant hesitation, Mahendra asked Koirala to form a government, which took office in May 1959.
Viewed from abroad, Koirala's debut as prime minister was a great success. He led his country's delegation to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and made carefully poised visits to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, then increasingly at odds over territorial disputes. Yet, he was in trouble at home almost from the beginning. His land reform measures, especially the revision of the tenancy laws so easily passed by parliament, deeply offended the landed aristocracy which had long dominated the army. His long-promised reform of the central bureaucracy outraged thousands of entrenched and powerful bureaucrats. And the King and court saw even their residual powers being eroded with amazing speed. The new government, the nation's first democratic experiment, thus managed to alienate all the traditional centers of power. King Mahendra acted quickly, brutally, and finally: on 15 December 1960, he suspended the constitution, dissolved parliament, dismissed the cabinet, imposed direct rule, and for good measure imprisoned Koirala and his closest government colleagues. Many of them were released after few months, but Koirala, though he was suffering from throat cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
, was kept imprisoned without trial until 1968. In 1968 then the Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa
Surya Bahadur Thapa
Surya Bahadur Thapa has been Prime Minister of Nepal five times, under three different kings, in a political career lasting nearly 50 years. His terms were 1963-64, 1965–69, 1979–83, 1997–98 and 2003-04....
, who led the liberal group in the Rastriya Panchayat, played a significant role in releasing B.P.Koirala from prison. later in June Mr. Thapa had to resign due to pressure from the hardliner in releasing Mr. koirala from prison. Then he was finally left on a self exile to live in Banaras.
King Birendra, educated in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, succeeded his father in 1972, and the political climate was believed to be gradually improving. Koirala, however, was arrested immediately upon his return from exile in 1976 and charged with the capital offense of attempting armed revolution. Finally, in March 1978he was finally cleared of all treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
and sedition
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
charges. 1981, then he was enabled to travel to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for medical treatment. Then the Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa
Surya Bahadur Thapa
Surya Bahadur Thapa has been Prime Minister of Nepal five times, under three different kings, in a political career lasting nearly 50 years. His terms were 1963-64, 1965–69, 1979–83, 1997–98 and 2003-04....
convinced the king to allow Mr. B.P.Koirala to proceed to USA for treatment as per recommendation from the royal physican Dr. M.R. Pandey. Then the His majesty's Government of Nepal beared a portion of his medical treatment in USA, while the rest were arranged by his nephew Shail Updhaya, Dr. Shukdev Shah, family and friends.
After returning from a further medical visit to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he had a series of audiences with King Birendra, as he tried for a "national reconciliation." During the student demonstrations in 1979, he was under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
. However, he welcomed King Birendra's call for national referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on the question of political system for Nepal. The referendum results were announced to be in favor of retaining the political system led by the king. B.P.Koirala was the first leader to welcome the result of the national referendum and accepted the people verdict and claimed that the referendum was fair and free. However, owing to differences in the electoral process to seek membership of class organization as mandatory, Koirala demanded a boycott of the 1981 elections. Despite obviously failing health and political strength, Koirala could still draw a great popular support. He addressed one of Nepal's largest public meetings in recent years in Kathmandu's Ratna Park in January 1982. He died on July 21, 1982 in Kathmandu. An estimated half a million people attended his funeral.
Writings
While Koirala is considered one of the most charismatic political leader of Nepal, he was also one of the most well-read and thoughtful writers of Nepalese literatureNepalese literature
Nepalese literature refers to the literature of Nepal. This is different from Nepali literature which is the literature in Nepali language . The major literary languages of Nepal are:*Sanskrit...
. He wrote short stories and novels, and some poems. Koirala began writing short stories in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
. His first stories were published in Banaras in Hansa, a Hindi literary magazine edited by Prem Chand (IndiaÕs Tolstoy). His first Nepali short story "Chandrabadan" was published in Sharada (a Nepali literary magazine) in 1935. Koirala was very good at depicting the character and mind of women. Four other stories of Koirala were included in Katha Kusum (an anthology of Nepali stories) published in 1938 in Darjeeling. As a social realist, and a good psychoanalyst, Koirala had established himself as one of the most important Nepali short story writers by 1938. Doshi Chashma [Guilty Glasses], Koirala's anthology of sixteen short stories, was published in 1949.
Koirala was very busy in the 1950s as he was in the center of Nepal's national politics. He was, however, able to write an incomplete novel Hitlar ra Yahudi [Hitler and the Jews] in the form of travelogue. The 1960s were very productive for Koirala in terms of his literary output. He wrote many novels and short stories in jail during 1960-68. They include: Tin Ghumti [Three Turns],1968; Narendra Dai [Brother Narendra], 1969; Sumnima [A story of the first Kirata woman],1969; Modiain [The Grocer's Wife], 1980; Shweta Bhairavi [The White Goddess of Terror],1983; Babu Ama ra chora [Father, mother and sons], 1989 and an incomplete autobiography Mero Katha [My Story], 1983 and many more yet to be published.
Koirala also has dozens of political essays including the following: Rajatantra ra Lokatantra [Monarchy and Democracy], 1960; Thichieka Janata Jagisake [The Oppressed People Rise], 1969; Rastriyata Nepalko Sandarbhama [Nationalism in the Context of Nepal], 1970; Kranti: Ek Anivaryata [Revolution: An Absolute Necessity], 1970; Panchayati Vyavastha Prajatantrik Chaina [The Panchayat System is not Democratic], 1978; Prajatantra ra Samajvad [Democracy and Socialism], 1979; Rastriya Ekata ko Nimti Ahwan [A Call for National Reconciliation], 1980.
The problem in the study of the Koirala literature is that his writings (both political and literary) were banned until recently. Nepalese youths spent several years of imprisonment just on the charges of possessing Koirala's writings. Another problem is that his rare and important writings have been scattered all over. Old newspapers and magazines (including the underground publications) have to be researched. Libraries, museums, and archives in Kathmandu, Banaras, Calcutta, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, Stanford, and many other places have to be visited to collect the materials on Koirala. As a result, one can hope to produce volumes of his political writings and literary works.
Koirala was the focus of Nepalese politics during the 1950s, 1960s, and the 1970s. Even today, long after his death, people of Nepal feel that the restoration of multi-party democracy is a tribute to him. Koirala was also one of the most important literary figures of Nepal. In politics Koirala was a social democrat; in literature he was an existentialist especially in his novel Tin Ghumti [Three Turns]. He said that he wrote his literary works to satisfy his anarchist impulses, impulses which revolted against the traditional order of things. But as a social democrat he was in search of a political order that was agreeable to every citizen of Nepal.
As a politician, Koirala struggled throughout his life for the establishment of a multi-party democracy in his country. Traditional forces, still strong to resist such effort, made it very hard for "B. P." to accomplish his political mission. As a social democrat, Koirala differed with communists; as he often said man cannot live by bread alone. He also differed with the capitalists as he thought that unbridled consumerism was immoral, and that the appalling exploitation of the world's resources was short-sighted and unrealistic. He believed that only socialism could guarantee political freedom and equal economic opportunities to the people. He said, "socialism is the wave of the future."
Koirala had studied economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, and law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. He was a voracious reader of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
and Nepali
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. His educational background and artistic genius combined in his own works to present a view of life in an artistic, logical and compelling manner. He would thus shake the conscience of Nepali readers by questioning their unreflective acceptance of the traditional value systems.
Koirala's short stories were first published in the 1930s in Hindi and Nepali literary magazines. Koirala first came to notice in Nepali literature because often his characters seemed to have been treated with an understanding of Freudian psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
. Even when a short story or novel of Koirala was not Freudian in its approach, it was still noteworthy to Nepali readers because he presented an unconventional approach to life.
Modiain (The Grocer's wife) is probably the smallest novel of Koirala. In Modiain Koirala looks at the Mahabharata war from the point of view of a young woman who loses her husband to the war. This woman was not alone. There were hundreds of thousands of young women who were widowed by the war. Thus, Koirala presents a passionate plea against the philosophy of the Bhagavad-gita which assumes that the world is but an illusion and thus makes life and death a meaningless phenomena and that the observance of one's own duty is the ultimate priority. Koirala was against war, and by looking at the Vedanta philosophy and the issue of war from a war widow's point of view, he once again shakes the conscience of the Nepali readers who generally tend to accept the philosophy of Vedanta especially its idea of karma (fate). Characteristically, Koirala presents one more instance in which he analyzes the mind of a woman, as he did in most of his short stories and novels.
See also
- Nepali literatureNepali literatureNepali Literature refers to the literature written in the Nepali language and should not be confused with Nepalese literature; a work that is classified as Nepali literature does not necessarily have to be written by a Nepalese/ written in Nepal. Much of today's Nepali literature is widely written...