B. P. Koirala, son of a great patriot and rebellious father late Krishna Prasad Koirala, was born on September 8, 1914. BP’s father firmly believed “unless India achieved her freedom from the British colonial rule, it is well neigh impossible to liberate Nepal from the oligarchic rule of the Rana”. With this in mind father Koirala, an ardent follower of the non-violent Satyagraha movement of Mahatma Gandhi, took active part in India’s Independence Movement. Later on he died in the Ranas prison in Kathmandu in 1945. His son, BP, Picked up the thread and plunged with heart and soul into the struggle for independence in India.

BP, a graduate of Benares Hindu University obtained Law Degree from the Calcutta in 1936. BP, a born rebel was the first boy in his class to respond to the call of Mahatma Gandhi to boycott the classes of the government school. Young Koirala’s boldness brought him into notice and even Mahatma Gandhi was impressed by his fearlessness.

That is how BP was drawn to the freedom struggle in India. In the 30’s he was arrested in connection with the Motihari Conspiracy case while he was still a student of ninth class. He was again arrested for taking active part in the labor strike in Darbhanga.

BP was actively associated with the famous ‘Quit India’ Movement in 1942. He clandestinely worked amongst the British Gorkha Soldiers in Dehradoon instigating them to defy the orders to suppress the nationalist movement in India. Subsequently, he was arrested and deported to central jail, Hazaribagin, in 1942; where he spent about three years. He, for the first time suffered throat cancer in the prison which ultimately proved disastrous.

Koirala having foreseen that India’s freedom is at its door-step started organizing party to liberate Nepal from the century old Rana autocracy. He formed, Nepali National Congress and Democratic Congress merged to become Nepali Congress in 1949, in Calcutta.

In 1947, BP was arrested for leading first ever held Labor Strike at his home town, Biratnagar in Nepal. Subsequently, he was taken to Kathmandu on foot; the journey took 25 days. Again after a year and half while on a clandestine mission, he was arrested in Kathmandu and was confined to death call under in human conditions. Kept in solitary confinement, he was completely delinked with outside world and no one knew about his fate. He resorted fast unto death for 29 days demanding facilities to the prisoners in Jail. Later on he was released on the intervention of Mahatma Gandhi.

Koirala successfully led armed struggle against the Ranas in 1950. He became the first civilian Home Minister in the coalition arrangement with the Ranas in 1951. He resigned from the Home Minister ship and started organizing mass movement demanding general elections. After dilly-dallying for a long time he ruler was compelled to hold the elections in 1959. The party, Nepali Congress, under his dynamic leadership won the elections with thumping majority in the parliament. Koirala became the first ever elected Prime minister of Nepal.

BP, during his short tenure in the office, introduced several reforms programmes at home and successfully enlarged contacts with the outside world. He established diplomatic relations with many more countries of the world including Pakistan and Israel. It was BP who successfully formulated modern Nepal’s foreign policy of equal friendship with all the countries. He negotiated border settlement with its northern neighbor China on the one hand and Trade and Transit Treaty and other agreements with southern neighbor India amicably.

Prime Minister Koirala’s address to the 15 th. UN General Assembly session created quite an impact amongst the world leaders in general and the leaders of the third world countries in particular. He had wide rapport and contact with world leaders of eminence, particularly of Social Democratic Blocks. He was closely associated with the International Socialist Movement. He was a founder member of the Asian Socialist Conference and took leading part at its inaugural session in Rangoon in 1952, and its Bombay session in 1953. He got his party, Nepali Congress, affiliated to socialist International, Asia Socialist Conference and Asia Pacific Socialist Organization Congress. He had addressed several world forums, highlighting the problems of poverty and suffering of the third world countries with concrete and positive remedy. It was he who focused Nepal, hitherto a forbidden land, on the world map.

BP’s charismatic leadership and his immense popularity at home and wider contact outside; his commitment and dedication to democratic ideals; his respect for justice and Rule of Law proved to be an eye sore to the ruling cliques in Nepal. A short but successful experiment with parliamentary democracy was nipped in the bud in a royal Coup, on December 15, 1960. Prime Minister Koirala and his colleagues along with hundreds of political workers were taken into military prison for eight years without charges. Immediately after his release in 1968, once again, he was forced into exile in India: where he stayed for another eight years. Still unlettered BP, gave a call for revolution which triggered an armed movement in the country.

Koirala had a premonition of a dangerous situation being created around sub-continent and Nepal becoming a centre of hot bed for international conspiracy. He resolved to take bold decision to back home in the greater interest of the nation to meet the impending crisis united. On December 30, 1976, Koirala issued on appeal for ‘National Unity and Reconciliation’ on the eve of home coming after 8 years of exile in India. He was again taken to military prison straight from the air-port to face seven charges of treason and sedition under specially constituted one man tribunal. He was freed after about two years of trial.

For over four decades, BP dominated the political scene on Nepal. Though in opposition, he still continued to cast a long shadow on political events in Nepal. BP was alight of resurgent Nepal. He played a significant role to raise the status of the Nepali Subject to that of a dignified Citizen of free land.

Koirala fought his last battle for life with the same tenacity as he did for his belief and ideals and lived up to the title ‘Veer Bishweshwar’ (brave BP), a title heartily given by the people that echoed throughout the country up to the last. A deep gloom descended throughout the country as the news of his death sprang and spread in to the ear of the people. The love and affection was amply demonstrated by the people during his funeral procession in Kathmandu. A Sea of people from every walk and corner of life came to pay the last homage to their beloved leader, the founder of democracy in Nepal.

Koirala’s death, July 21, 1982, marks the end of a glorious era of struggle for freedom, democracy and nationalism. He was a strong advocate of democratic socialism, which he believed the only solution, for the salvation of mankind all over the world.

BP Koirala popularly known as ‘Sandazu’ in Nepal and as ‘BP’ elsewhere is survived by his wife Sushila Koirala, three sons and one daughter. His youngest brother G.P. Koirala is the General Secretary of the Nepali Congress and a popular labor of Nepal.

“B.P. Koirala: A Profile”, in Sushil Koirala (ed.), Democracy Indispensable for Development 163-167, (Varanasi: Sandaju Publications, 1982)