KATHMANDU, July 29: Former General Kul Bahadur Khadka, who was appointed as chief of Nepal Army (NA) by then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, passed away while undergoing treatment at Norvic Hospital in Kathmandu on Tuesday evening.
According to sources close to his family, Khadka in his late 60s was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was battling with it since a few months ago. He is survived by his wife, and two children and grandchildren.
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Then Prime Minister Dahal in May 2009 had appointed him as new army chief, dismissing incumbent army chief Rookmangud Katawal. But as his decision was blocked by then President Ram Baran Yadav, Dahal was forced to step down from the post of prime minister.
This particular incident is considered an important one in the political history of Nepal as the plan of Maoists to integrate all Maoist combatants in the national army was successfully foiled. Then army chief Katawal had stood against integrating the Maoist combatants in the army on the terms and conditions made by the Maoists.
There were concerns both in Nepal and beyond that the dismissal of then army chief Katawal to pave way for integrating a huge number of Maoist combatants could undermine the professionalism of the national army and eventually pave way for the Maoists to capture the state.
