President of the Nepali Congress and former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala succumbed to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on Saturday afternoon after falling unconscious for over 12 hours. He was 86. [break]
"Former prime minister Koirala died at 12:10 p.m. despite efforts to treat his asthma and lung ailment," said Dr Man Bahadur KC, who has been attending on Koirala for years, announcing the death of the octogenarian leader at his daughter´s residence at Mandikhatar in the capital where Koirala breathed his last.
Koirala´s close aide Krishna Prasad Sitaula told Republica that Koirala fell unconscious soon after he went to sleep at 11 p.m., Friday. The five-time prime minister did not regain consciousness.
He will be cremated at Aryaghat at Pashupatinath Temple complex on Sunday afternoon. Before that, his body will be kept at Dasharath Stadium to allow people to pay their last respects.
As Koirala´s condition deteriorated last Sunday, he was admitted to Sahid Gangalal Hospital and was discharged last Wednesday after there was an improvement in his health. But his health deteriorated again Thursday night, with a bout of diarrhea. On Friday evening, his doctors said Koirala was recuperating.
Rumors about the NC president started doing the rounds since early Saturday morning when reports about his falling unconscious leaked out. Thousands of people, many of them NC supporters, thronged Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala´s residence at Mandikhatar where her father had moved from his Maharajgunj home on March 12.
The visitors, who came over long distances, looked anxious to learn about Koirala´s condition as there was no official announcement of his death even two hours after he breathed his last. Doctors announced Koirala´s death at about 2 p.m. Before that, an emergency meeting of the Nepali Congress Central Working Committee was held at Mandikhatar.
Last November, when Koirala fell seriously ill, he was taken to Singapore by air ambulance. He received treatment at Gleneagles Hospital, a 380-bed private tertiary acute care facility there.
President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Vice-President Paramananda Jha and Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal visited Mandikhatar to offer their tributes to the late Koirala. Ministers, politicians, diplomats, intellectuals and people from different walks of life also reached there to offer their tributes.
With the ever increasing number of people showing no signs of leaving, the Koirala family placed the body at the premises at about 3.30 p.m. to allow people to offer their tributes. Long queues formed and paid their last respects with tearful eyes. [break]
State honors for Koirala
The government has decided to offer state honors to Koirala during his last rites.
An emergency cabinet meeting held at the official residence of the prime minister at Baluwatar also announced a national holiday on Sunday to mark Koirala´s demise.
Minister for Information and Communications Shankar Pokharel said the government decided to offer state honors to the late Koirala in his capacity as head of state during interim period after the success of the democratic movement in April, 2006. The state honors will be offered at Dasharath Stadium, where his body will be placed from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday for offering of tributes. His body will be draped in the national flag.
Pokharel said that the cabinet meeting also decided to lower the national flag to half mast for three days in Nepal and at various Nepali missions abroad to mark Koirala´s sad demise. The decision was taken bearing in mind his contribution to the democratic movement in April, 2006 and his life-long struggle for democracy.
The cabinet meeting also decided to keep condolence books in Kathmandu and at Nepali missions abroad for two days starting Sunday for those who wish to offer condolences.
Funeral procession on Sunday
The funeral procession of the late Koirala will begin from Dasharath Stadium, Tripureshwar at 2 p.m. The procession will pass through Ratnapark, Bagbazar, Maitidevi, Old Baneshwar and Gaushala before converging at Pashupati Aryaghat for the last rites.
NC offices to be shut for 7 days
Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to close all its offices including the party´s central office for seven days starting Saturday to mourn the death of party president Girija Prasad Koirala.
An emergency meeting of the NC Central Working Committee held at Sujata Koirala´s residence at Mandikhatar before official announcement of Koirala´s death also decided to lower the party´s flag at half mast in all offices at home and abroad for 13 days to mourn the death of the five-time prime minister.
All party´s offices in the country and abroad will keep condolence books for the next 13 days.
According to NC General Secretary Bimalendra Nidhi, the meeting decided not to organize any kind of formal programs of the party and party´s sister organizations for 13 days. The party decided to hold condolence meeting at Khulla Manch in the capital on the 13th day of Koirala´s death.
The meeting also decided to send Koirala´s mortal remains to all party offices in 75 districts on the 13th day.
Nidhi said meeting extended gratitude to all those involved in Koirala´s treatment and those praying for his good health. The meeting also thanked the government for bearing all expenses involved in his treatment.
India pays tribute
India paid tribute to former Nepal prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala after his death on Saturday, describing him as a wise leader who guided the Himalayan nation in the right direction.
"Koirala was a mass leader and a statesman, whose knowledge and wisdom guided the polity of Nepal in the right direction at critical junctures in the country´s history," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.
His death "marks the end of an era in Nepalese politics" Singh said in a statement in New Delhi.
Indian leaders to attend funeral
India´s External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will be attending the funeral of the late Girija Prasad Koirala to be held on Sunday, the Indian embassy said. He will fly to Kathmandu from New Delhi Sunday morning.
However, Indian news reports said a three-member high profile delegation of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Minister SM Krishna and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar will leave for Kathmandu Sunday to represent India at the funeral.
Likewise, Former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajnath Singh, will attend Koirala´s funeral.
According to BJP sources, party president Nitin Gadkari asked Singh to personally pay last respects of the party to Koirala and convey condolences of party members to Koirala’s family, ANI reported.
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