Maoist Centre Chair Dahal remembers Girija Prasad Koirala as guardian figure

KATHMANDU, March 21: CPN (Maoist Center) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that late Girija Prasad Koirala is the guardian of all Nepalese.

Addressing a program organized to mark the fifth establishment day of Girija Prasad Memorial College in Kathmandu on Wednesday, he said, “Late Koirala is not the guardian of only the Nepali Congress but a guardian of all the Nepalis as a statesman.”

He also urged the program organizers to call him in every program concerning Girija Prasad Koirala.

“Any program organized by institutions, organizations and colleges established in the name of Girija Prasad will be incomplete if I am not invited. Call me to the programs organized in his name since an extraordinary relations was established with Girija while joining the peace process,” he said.

The former Prime Minister said that the relations between him and Girija Prasad remained exclusionary ideologically and physically before joining the peace process but had excellent relations after coming to the peace process.

Recalling that he used to have conversation with Girija Prasad for up to an hour daily from Rolpa, Rukum and Delhi, India for ushering in republicanism in the country, Dahal urged all to adopt peace, consensus and collaboration for fulfilling Girija Prasad Koirala’s dream.

He said taking the country towards economic prosperity through constitution implementation was the need of the hour and all the political parties should be united despite political contradictions to spread light at every house.

“The ruling and the opposition parties should work in unison to chart out a new journey of development and prosperity for the country in the same way the Congress and the Communists came together and became successful in abolishing the autocratic Panchayat system and monarchy,” he exhorted.

Stating that although the ruling and the opposition sides are politically separate entities, it is necessary for them to come together on national issues, he said, “The country cannot be build if the ruling side and the opposition side continued to harbor the traditional mindset; Girija’s dream would be fulfilled only if both the ruling and the opposition sides worked in tandem for nation building.”

Also, on the occasion, Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Bidya Sundar Shakya, said that the students should also work to beautify the city, adding that the KMC has started taking stern action against those littering the city.

Tribhuvan University vice-chancellor Prof Dr Tirtha Raj Khaniya said his priority was to promote community colleges. He also cautioned the Legislature-Parliament to take arbitrary political decision about the Tribhuvan University, alleging that the parliament has started making laws related to it without consulting the university.

Founding chairman of the College, Bhimsen Das Pradhan, said the college had been set up with the goal of fulfilling the late Koirala’s dream that all should have equal access to education. He said that all the parties should stress on consensus, collaboration and unity as pointed out to by the late Girija Prasad Koirala.

Campus Chief Khilanath Sapkota said the college has been providing education to the students from the economically poor and marginalised communities free of cost. The college has 1,300 students. RSS