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By Rabi Raj Thapa

Recently, it was a pleasant surprise to listen to an interview taken by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Nepali Service, London, with a towering personality, a great revolutionary, novelist, political leader and the first democratically elected prime minister B. P. Koirala that came to fore only after forty years of its recording. For this great feat, sincere thanks go to Nepali legendary voice Mani Rana and senior journalist Dhruba Hari Adhikary, who preserved the recording and aired it at a time when his brain-child, the Nepali Congress, is embroiled in a self-inflicted oblivion.

Despite this towering personality’s political acumen, he suffered from his post as a prime minister, served a long prison sentence, was exiled and faced many upheavals. Despite all vicissitudes, he never deviated from his faith, love, conviction and commitment towards Nepal and Nepali people.

B P Koirala had an unwavering conviction that Nepal can survive only when there is a good synergy between the king and the democratically elected political leaders that holds fast even today. However, that never-ending love-hate relationship between the king and BP never spoiled his conviction of the indispensability of the monarchy and democratic forces as the only model suited to Nepal.  

His main worry was to save the institution of monarchy and democracy, which he saw as indispensable and interdependent. He saw that Nepal can only flourish when there is a good understanding and synergy between the monarchy and the people’s elected political power. BP, like today, was well aware of active forces who wanted to see rifts and bad relationships between the king and the democratic forces. His only aspiration in his life was a full democracy and overall economic development of Nepal. He strongly believed that Nepal could play a pivotal role in South Asia and always envisioned a democratic and stable ‘monarchical democracy’ in Nepal. Unlike today, he prioritized village development as opposed to urban concentration to flight from the country to live, work and earn money abroad.  

Regarding the rat-race to gambit to be the prime minister, he opined that prime minister may come and go; there have been so many prime ministers (he was the 22nd PM of Nepal), his main goal was just to bring progress and further advancement of Nepal – not in words, but in deeds.

This podcast has come at a time when Nepali people are aspiring to give some space to the king. Despite prosecution by the king, he still firmly believed and preferred a political system ‘closer to the people, not of the crown’. His conclusion was ‘a comfortable connection between the monarchy and democracy’.    

Now the problem is the federalist coalition party cocktail dictatorship dominated by all types of communist hegemony, which is gradually turning democratic forces subservient after successfully destroying the institution of the monarchy by their cosmetic proletariat communist propaganda machine.

That is why B P never wanted to associate with communist forces and preferred the people’s efforts with the king’s support and cooperation. As far as the monarchy was concerned, he believed in the gradual liberalisation process of the monarchy as an institution. “What role the king will play and what role the parliament will play will depend upon the interplay between the king and the political leadership”, opined the visionary B.P. Koirala.    

This interview has come at a very appropriate moment, where successive federal governments have fallen into a deep quagmire of corruption scandals. On the other hand, the popularity of the king and the need for the institution of monarchy are growing in an unprecedented manner. 

It would be wiser if the factional political parties invite and engage all parties, including parties which believe monarchy and the Sanatan Hindu Rastra. The recent address by the king is more of a message for reconciliation with all parties and people that can bind all Nepali heart and mind; who are residing in Nepal and abroad.