Kathmandu, Aug 16: Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Kumar Thapa cautioned that the legacy of leaders such as BP Koirala and Ganeshman Singh should not be ”privatized” or confined to their families, stressing that their political contributions belong to the wider democratic movement.
Addressing a programme organised to launch NC leader Dharma Gautam’s book – ‘BP ra Bidrohaka Ti Din’ (BP and Those Days of Revolt), here on Sunday, party president Thapa observed that BP Koirala’s ‘Melmilap ko Niti’ (policy of national reconciliation) remains highly relevant and continues to draw public discussion.
Thapa highlighted the importance of documenting historical events through credible sources rather than relying on personal recollections.
He argued that claims about what BP said in private conversations often lack official verification unless supported by books, documents or other historical records. Thapa, thus, emphasized publication of book by personalities having historic background as writer Dharma Gautan for authenticity.
Stating that the NC is a national force, the party president assured that identity of a national force cannot be taken away by anyone.
Regarding a recent gathering of the party’s establishment faction, Thapa urged the journalists to wait until coming Monday for an official press conference to be organized at the party’s central office. During the unveiling of the book, writer and NC leader Gautam mentioned that he wrote the book to show that the leaders of the past were not only worthy of criticism but also deserving of appreciation.
According to him, the book focuses on issues related to BP Koirala, country’s first democratically elected Prime Minister.
He further illuminated that the book discusses BP Koirala’s political philosophy, including his formula that adding democracy to communism results in socialism, while removing democracy from socialism results in communism.
It also examines the differences between BP Koirala’s ideas and Madan Bhandari’s concept of ‘People’s Multiparty Democracy’ as well as BP’s broader political thought and philosophy.
“We have agreed to add a contribution from the family to the proceeds from the book’s sales and use the funds to help equip the community health post in our village in Ilam district and Maheshwara Basic School there with modern facilities,” he informed.
He gushed that his family members had also supported his decisions towards this end.
Reviewing the book, senior journalist Harihar Birahi, called for documenting of political history by leaders like Dharma Gautam, to benefit the new generation.
“Such efforts,” he noted, “would benefit future generations while also helping uncover and preserve important facts about the country’s political history.”
