Jail Journal

Jail Diary of BP Koirala

• December 30, 1976 - Sundarijal

  "The seventh question was-will my coming not jeopardise Nepal? I told him that we have come and are placing ourselves at the King's hands to achieve political understanding in the interests of the nation. It is not the time to rake up the past and start accusing each other."



• December 31, 1976 - Sundarijal

  "Sushila has no money to last beyond 10 days. I don't know what she will do after that. If I could have arranged to leave money with her so that she wouldn't be in financial trouble for sometime, I would have been in peace of mind."

  I woke up sad and homesick.

  Jail life has started. I got up at 5AM. Got morning tea at 5:45. Breakfast of eggs and toast and milk at 8AM. Attempted reading. Lunch at 1PM with rice, dal, veg, and curd. Slept for sometime in the afternoon. Tea with some fruits at 4PM. I did some brisk walking in the compound. Dinner at 7PM. Rice, meat, dal, sag. Went to bed at 8PM.

  Soon heaters were supplied to us. My room is warm and comfortable. Only my mind is in turmoil remembering dear ones. In this psychological state, I can't do serious studies. Tried to read Santayana-couldn't concentrate. Today Sushila and others must have returned to Varanasi. She has no money to last beyond 10 days. I don't know what she will do after that. If I could have arranged to leave money with her so that she wouldn't be in financial trouble for sometime, I would have been in peace of mind.

  Last day of the year 1976-I look forward to 1977 with hope for both Nepal and our family. (Source: Nepali Times - 28 December 2001)



• March 22, 1977 - Sundarijal

  "The election results of India's General Election for the Parliament so far-according to the Gorkhapatra of today-have gone in favour of the Janata Party which has a large [number] of my friends and supporters of our cause. Its spiritual leader is JP [Jayaprakash Narayan]. Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay have been defeated. These results have demonstrated the strength of democratic ideal that has prevailed over moves to be supplanted with authoritarian ideals centering around Indira Gandhi who wanted to be equated with India itself."

  Dr Bhattarai came in the afternoon with a cardiogram machine-he monitored the occasional missing of my heart beat. He examined me very carefully, and said that this symptom may not be an indication of serious heart trouble. There are many extra causes that point to this symptom; and in my case tension and anxiety may be the cause. He also said people have however [managed] to live with this type of [affliction] for a very long time. I am greatly relieved. I did have this symptom for some time, which has only been aggravated by my present condition here. Dr Bhattarai said that I could take normal exercise and forget about this trouble altogether. A dental doctor also came for GM who got his teeth filling. I also needed this service, but since it was getting late I told them that I would send for him later.

  It has been a good day from other point of view also. The election results of India's General Election for the Parliament so far-according to the Gorkhapatra of today-have gone in favour of the Janata Party which has a large [number] of my friends and supporters of our cause. Its spiritual leader is JP [Jayaprakash Narayan]. Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay have been defeated. These results have demonstrated the strength of democratic ideal that has prevailed over moves to be supplanted with authoritarian ideals centering around Indira Gandhi who wanted to be equated with India itself. Her defeat is a very happy news for those who pine for democracy. Moreover, her politics was wholly diverted to the promotion of her son's status, ultimately to have him succeed her. Her whole edifice based on chicanery and falsehood has tumbled. I am happy for this reason also. I don't know whether the Janata Party will obtain enough seats in the parliament to be able to form the government, even if it does succeed with the support of other splinter groups, whether it can hold all of them together since it is a hurriedly composed party of divurgent elements-some kind of a League of Nations than a party. My anticipation is that Jagjivan Ram will again go back to the Congress Party to head it-his quarrel being wholly with Indira Gandhi her removal from the scene could induce him to rejoin his old party which is in need of a man of some stature to head it. My friend Barma has won, but he doesn't have sufficient support in the party to enable him to assume its leadership, although he is currently the president of the party.

  Today the security guards put up a very powerful searchlight at the gate and frenzied commotion has been going on outside in the last few days. What are they doing? My hunch is that a courtroom is being constructed where our trial will take place. GM doesn't accept this, and feels that this establishment being a military one, is enlarging and improving the grounds for routine work. But why this feverish construction work which can be done routinely? (Source: Nepali Times, 21 March 2003



• March 23, 1977 - Sundarijal

  "I am making an effort-a national total effort-to raise the country out from the political, economic and diplomatic morass that 17 years of the king's dictatorial rule has led her into. At my age, I have no other choice. That is why I am keen on meeting the king even just once to convince him that national efforts can't be mobilised by the total centralisation of political authority solely in his own hand."

  GM was in a less optimistic mood today-I will not say that he was in a mood of frustration. His optimism has been constant, even when I sometimes felt that the king could decide not to respond to our gesture and thereby nullify the objective of our return (ie, national unity) proving our decision to be wrong. He used to brush aside my doubts and was convinced that there was no way out for the king, in his own interest. GM always.advised me that I should start thinking of the time when we talk with the king rather than worry my mind with doubts.

  On the last occasion when we were prisoners under King Mahendra, GM once said he was not hopeful because the situation favoured the king, but now the situation didn't favour him and he is in a tight-corner. Hence GM is hopeful this time. He is even categorical that we shouldn't be put on trial and that the publicity given to our projected trial is free propaganda and allows the king to make up his mind and also propitiates hardliners in the palace, etc. Today, however, he was less optimistic. He said that Nepal's fate was not propitious, it would take both its sovereignty and the people's objective of democracy. When I told him that if the king saw light and an understanding was reached between him and us, then we could save both, but the obduracy of the king could bring about the gloomy prospect envisaged by GM. He said the situation had gone far beyond repair and nothing could save Nepal. I said we should make our last effort to save it. It may be a matter of touch and go, but we have no other choice but to make the effort. As far as I am concerned, knowing fully well that the situation is really desperate, I am making an effort-a national total effort-to raise the country out from the political, economic and diplomatic morass that 17 years of the king\'s dictatorial rule has led her into. At my age, I have no other choice. That is why I am keen on meeting the king even just once to convince him that national efforts can't be mobilised by the total centralisation of political authority solely in his own hand. If I could succeed in this then I will have personal satisfaction, and the sacrifices of so many men will be relevant and won't go in vain.

[BP Koirala was one of the outstanding leaders of South Asia. Sadly enough, he is yet to have a biographer of his match. As good luck would have it, his diaries and memoirs are in the safe custody of the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Museum & Library along with many reference material. My dear friend Shri Pradip Giri helped us locate and choose from these material. Shri Padam Bahadur Thapa, a senior Nepali Congress activist helped us immensely in the correction of names and contexts painstakingly. Think India is indeed indebted to these two comrades - Editor.]