KATHMANDU, Feb 9: Nepali Congress President and former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala passed away at 12:50 am on Tuesday.
Family source said that he breathed his last at his residence in Maharajgunj.
Koirala’s private doctor Dr Kabirnath Yogi said that Koirala died of cardiac arrest after he developed pneumonia in bronchitis’ infection due to change in the weather.
Koirala had shown symptoms since three months and was using three types of antibiotics.
“Everything was normal till Monday evening, the amount of oxygen being administrated to him was increased,” Yogi said, “He had a normal meal yesterday evening. All of sudden, Koirala’s health deteriorated and he breathed his last at 12:50 am.”
Compilation of Sushil Koirala's foreign policy speeches in boo...
Photos : Ashok Dahal
Koirala had served as Nepal's 37th prime minister from February 10, 2014 to October 10, 2015.
Who was Koirala?
Former PM Sushil Koirala was born to father Bodh Prasad Koirala and mother Kumudini Devi Koirala at Dumja of Sindhuli on Saun 28, 1995 BS.
He begun his active political life through the NC in 2007 BS and had been dedicated to democratic movement in the country for the past 50 years. He took the party membership from the hands of Jananayak Bishweshwor Prasad Koirala in 2012 BS.
Koirala was a self- educated leader and didn’t hold any formal academic qualifications. He had seen life of NC founding leader Tarini Prasad Koirala who sacrificed his entire life against autocratic Rana regime from a close quarter.
Leader Koirala went on self-exile in India after the then King Mahendra dissolved the people´s elected government and parliament through a coup in 2017 BS and remained active on the movement against the Panchayat regime imposed by King Mahendra.
He had been the NC central committee member after 2034 BS and already served as the party general secretary and vice president.
Leader Koirala believed that honesty is ´the power of the politicians´ and was taken as the leader living a simple life in the current political circle.
He was of the activists to join the armed insurrection against the Panchayat system launched by party former President Girija Prasad Koirala. After the demise of the then party President GP Koirala, he was elected to the post through the party´s 12th general convention by defeating party influential leader Sher Bahadur Deuba.
He was arrested in 2030 BS while still in exile and was put inside the Delhi Prison. He was treated in a cruel manner in the prison so he underwent the harshest pain of his life during that time.
He was released after six years of incarceration and returned home to campaign in support of the system during the time of referendum in 2037 BS.
He had accompanied the then Nepali Congress president BP Koirala and party leader Girija Prasad Koirala in different parts of the country to drum up support in favour of multi-party system. He was assigned on party works in the European countries after the death of popular leader BP Koirala.
Leader Koirala was also appointed the vice-president of Socialist International later. He had returned home from Europe and dedicated himself in the movement against the autocratic Panchayat system.
His contribution to the People´s Movement I in 1990 was unparalleled. He was elected the Member of Parliament from Banke Constituency No. 2 in the parliamentary election of 2048 BS.
He had refused to accept ministerial posts when approached for the same that time, rather preferred to work for the party, holding the party work above the ministerial post.
Koirala was again elected to the Parliament from the same constituency in the general election of 2056 BS. He had played key role in the Peoples´ Movement II in 2062/63 BS. He lost the Constituent Assembly election held in 2064 BS.
He was elected from Banke and Chitwan constituencies in the Constituent Assembly (CA) election held on November 19, 2013.
Party journey
Leader Koirala who took the Nepali Congress party membership in 2012 BS went on to become the member of the party central committee in 2035 BS. He was famous as a dedicated, saintly and gentlemanly person within the party. He is an adept party organizer too. He was also known as the leader who puts his words into practice and a plain speaker.
He had worked as the party general secretary for long. He was elected the party president from the 12th general convention of the Nepali Congress. Before this, he also held the posts of party vice president and acting president.
Koirala as editor
Leader Koirala had also worked as a skilled journalist. He was the editor of Tarun, the party´s mouthpiece. He had written many articles advocating democratic socialism.
