Born in June, 1920 in Kathmandu, Manmohan Adhikary joined the Quit India movement in 1942 and was imprisoned for one and a half year. He participated in the labor strike movement in Biratnagar in 1947 BS. Jailed for three years after his arrest. He actively took part in students and workers movement from 1942-1946.
He was elected as general secretary by the first convention of Nepal Communist Party in 1953. He was imprisoned for nine years after the first-ever popularly elected government was sacked in 1961 Adhikary headed Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist) during Panchayat regime. Actively participated in People’s Movement of 1990 as one of the constituents of United Left Front. His party merged with CPN-ML to form CPN (UML) in 1991. Elected Chairman of the unified party the same year.
He was elected to the House of Representatives from Sunsari-1 constituency in 1991 election and elected as leader of main opposition party in the House Representatives
Adhikary was elected in the House of Representatives from Kathmandu-1 and 3 constituencies in 1994 mid-term elections. He was appointed as the Prime Minister heading the minority UML government on November 29, 1994. Adhikary survived in a helicopter crash in Bardiya in June, 1995.
Adhikary resigned from the post of Prime Minister after the House of Representatives passed the no confidence motion against him in September, 1995. Earlier, a Supreme Court verdict had reinstated the House dissolved by King Birendra upon the recommendation of Adhikary.
A patient of asthma for the last four decades, Manmohan Adhikary was admitted at the TU Teaching Hospital for treatment several times in the past. He also spent more than two months in the same hospital after surviving in a helicopter crash four years ago.
The 78-year-old leader Adhikary is now struggling for his survival. “There is very little hope of his recovery,” said Dr. Govinda Sharma, executive director of TU Teaching Hospital on Tuesday evening. During the writing of this story on Wednesday morning, medical experts from All India Institute of Medical Sciences were discussing with their Nepalese colleagues about future course of treatment to Mr. Adhikary.
“The chances of his survival are very dim. Only a miracle can save him,” said Dr. Sharma.
Adhikary is known as one of the luckiest persons in communist movement. Most of his compatriot communist leaders had never thought that comrade Adhikary would ever be a prime minister in the only Hindu kingdom of the world ruled by a monarch.
Adhikary went to People’s Republic of China after he got infected with TB and stayed there for nearly four years for his treatment.
After the Royal coup of 1960, communist parties splits in more than half a dozen different factions and Adhikary sided with Pushpa Lal. Adhikary and Pushpa Lal had married two sisters, Sadhana and Sahana respectively. While Sadhana chose to help her husband as a housewife, Sahana is the chairperson of splinter CPN (ML) party.
During the 1970s when the global communist movement divided along Russian and Chinese line, Adhikary’s party followed the middle line.
Adhikary’s Nepal Communist Party- Marxist also participated in the referendum of 1979 when most of radical communist groups including CPN (ML) boycotted it. Panchayat system was declared victorious against multi-party system in the referendum.