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Koirala: The ‘poorest Prime Minister’ rich in honesty and commitment

Kathmandu, February 9

Former Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala passed away in the early hours of Tuesday.

Koirala, whose strength lied in honest politics, lived a simple life compared to other political leaders of his stature. When he was Prime Minister, he was named by the foreign press as the ‘poorest Prime Minister’ because Koirala said the only things in his personal possession that were of some value were his three mobile phones.

In 1951, 11-year-old Sushil was already aware of what was going on in the country. He followed in the footsteps of his cousins BP and Girija.

Born to Bodh Prasad and Kumudini Koirala (BP Koirala’s aunt), Sushil could not stay away from politics, which, without any hyperbole, ran in the family. In 1951, 11-year-old Sushil was already aware of what was going on in the country. He followed in the footsteps of his cousins BP and Girija.

A life-long bachelor, Sushil became a member of Nepali Congress Central Committee in 1978.  Under the guidance of GP Koirala, Sushil became the party’s general secretary, and even the executive president. But it was only in 2010, after the demise of Girija, that he was elected party president by the 12th general convention.

EX-PM-Susil-koirala-cover

When then King Mahendra staged a coup overthrowing Prime Minister BP Koirala’s government, Sushil was 16. He aided Girija in organising an armed revolt against the king. These were the formative years of his political life.

Prison life in India

In 1974, Sushil’s cousin Girija orchestrated the hijacking of Nepal’s national flag carrier. The aircraft was forcefully flown to Forbesganj in Bihar, where after negotiations, the then government agreed to pay INR 3 million to the hijackers.

He was finally arrested in New Delhi, and had to spend three years in different prisons.

Following the incident, Sushil was on the run; he was making stops in Mumbai, Kalingpong, and other parts of India. He was finally arrested in New Delhi, and had to spend three years in different prisons. Koirala spoke of the torture he was meted out by Indian prison guards, and believed that those were the most difficult days of his life.

When BP Koirala passed away, before the restoration of democracy, Sushil was sent to Germany, Austria and the UK to lobby in favour of the democratic forces in Nepal.

After democracy was restored in 1990, Sushil never lost an election, and was never out of the loop in national politics.

After the restoration of democracy in 1990, Sushil never lost an election, and was never out of the loop of politics, especially because he was close to GP Koirala. He was offered the post of foreign minister by the Congress government formed after the restoration of multi-party democracy. But he refused. He kept on refusing any government office, until he himself was elected Prime Minister.

It was during his tenure that the Nepali people finally got a constitution, prepared and promulgated by a popularly-elected Constituent Assembly. But it was also during his time in Baluwatar that India, considered a friendly neighbour, imposed a crippling blockade against Nepal. But he did witness the end of the blockade in the final days of his life.

Koirala will be remembered for his honest brand of politics, and commitment to living a simple life.

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