बीपी: मुर्ति, बौद्धिक व्यक्ति, आईडीयोलग, नेता

बीपी कोइराला सबभन्दा पहिला त मुर्ति हो। काँग्रेस जनले पुजा गर्ने। त्यो अधिकार छ। त्यो काँग्रेस को आतंरिक कुरा।

दोस्रो बीपी को बौद्धिकता, जसमा शंका गर्ने ठाउँ छैन। उच्च कोटि को प्रतिभा।

तर आईडीयोलग को रुपमा त बीपीले मधेसीलाई ठग्नु ठगेका हुन। मधेसमा प्रमुख धरातल भएको पार्टीले नै मधेसलाई  सकेसम्म ठग्ने --- त्यो बनाएकै बीपीले हो।

नेता को रुपमा पनि शंका छ। कांतिपुर मा हप्तों अगाडि एउटा लेख आएथ्यो, २०१७ को कु बारे। त्यो लेख मा वर्णन गरिएको घटनाक्रम सत्य हो भने त बीपी अचम्मै को मान्छे रहेछन्। कु भनेको त थाहा नै नपाउने गरी हुने कुरा हो। पहिरो जाने जस्तो। यो त महीनों, हप्तो, कैयन दिन को अग्रिम चेतावनी पाएका रहेछन् बीपीले। अनि के कुरेर बसेको? महेंद्र ले सेना र प्रहरी पनि हात पार्न गार्हो रहेछ। बीपी ले समाउन आएको मान्छे थुरु थुरु कामेको छ। बीपी ले झपारेको भए त्यही साम्ने मुत्ने जस्तो गरेर। यो त कु भन्न मिल्दैन। देशले मजाले ५० वर्ष गुमायो। बीपीले थाहा पाउना साथ दिल्ली हान्निनु पर्ने। नेहरू ले जे गर्नु गर्थे। अव्यवहारिक भन्ने कि ---- मेरो त बीपी को इमेज नै स्खलन भयो। यो बीपी कोइराला त बड़ा अचम्म को मान्छे रहेछ जस्तो लाग्यो। कि त त्यो लेख गलत हो। महेंद्र को मान्छे ले लेखेको हो, ढाटेको हो।

My Favorite Picture Of BP Koirala

This has got to be my favorite picture of BP Koirala. The body language here is so telling. You can tell these two are very comfortable with each other. There is mutual respect. Both understand democracy and socialism deeply. In that, both are intellectuals. But both also understand statecraft, which is an applied science. Both are Pandits. Both are Hindu, both are South Asian, sons of the Ganga.

BP Koirala is a what if story. What if the coup had not happened?

Mahendra's coup was the coup of a small minded person. There is a story. BP Koirala was Prime Minister. The PM and the king were on cordial terms, or so it seemed on the outside to BP. Maybe he was just naive about it. Mahendra noticed that BP was reading a novel by Albert Camus. Not to be left behind, Mahendra also ordered a copy bought for him, which he read but did not much understand, or so the story goes. There was an inferiority complex Mahendra had when he compared himself to BP. Add to that Mahendra's access to soldiers with guns, and you end up with BP Koirala in Sundarijal.

If BP had been allowed his years in power, he, like Nehru, might have given deep roots to democracy in the country, but, just like Nehru, might also have kept the country at the "Hindu rate of growth."

BP Koirala was such an accomplished writer, one wonders if he did not have a hidden desire to seek the solace that Sundarijal brought him. He did some major writing there.

BP Koirala (2)
BP Koirala