Birth
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (1914–1982) was Born to father Krishna Prasad koirala. He became the Prime Minister of Nepal from 1959 to 1960. He led the Nepali Congress, a socialist 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. The rest of his life was spent largely in prison or exile and in steadily deteriorating health.
"B.P. Koirala: A Profile", in Sushil Koirala (ed.), Democracy Indispensable for Development 163-167, (Varanasi: Sandaju Publications, 1982)
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... read more
