Acharya’s exemplary courage and vision are solemn reminders about the inevitable triumph of democracy over dictatorship in Nepal
By Shyamal Krishna Shrestha
Tanka Prasad Acharya was the pioneer of democracy and freedom in Nepal. Leaders like Bisheswor Prasad (BP) Koirala and Ganesh Man Singh continued his struggle to defend liberty from the clutches of authoritarianism. The ‘living martyr’, statesman and former Prime Minister died at the ripe age of 80 on 23 April 1992 and today is his 14th death anniversary. Although Acharya’s vision of a free and prosperous Nepal remains unfulfilled, he is a national hero who inspires all Nepalis struggling to end tyranny, fight injustice, establish a modern democratic state and promote national prosperity.
“As for the future of the monarchy of Nepal, whether it is a monarchy or a republic or a democracy, whatever it is, it all depends upon its achievements.” – Tanka P. Acharya
Tanka Prasad’s rise into national politics occurred when Nepal was under Rana tyranny. In order to overthrow the despotic regime, young Acharya – along with his friends – founded Nepal’s first political party and subsequently spent his entire life working for human rights and democracy. Nepal Praja Parishad (NPP) – established in 1936 – received tacit support from King Tribhuvan. The party carried out its activities underground and was successful in generating mass political awakening among the Nepali people. However, deceit led to the arrest of the Parishad’s members, including its President – Acharya – in 1940. A mock trial resulted in the executions of its three members, viz., Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Ganga Lal Shrestha, Dasarath Chand and Shukra Raj Joshi (Shastri); all of who are now immortalized as martyrs. Spared death due to his Brahmin caste, Acharya was sentenced to life-term imprisonment in 1941 where he spent the next decade as a prisoner of conscience. Meanwhile, other Nepali youths began to organize themselves in order to revolt against the Ranas. Nepali Congress – formed in Benaras in 1947 – elected Tanka Prasad as its first President in absentia. Acharya was released in 1950 following the downfall of the century-old tyrannical regime. The popular revolution by the people and the king marked the dawn of Nepal’s democratic era.
Various coalitions during the 1950s were unable to formulate a roadmap for institutionalizing democracy. King Mahendra appointed 43 year-old Tanka Prasad Acharya as Prime Minister in January 1955. During his 18-month tenure, Acharya demonstrated his staunch nationalism by promoting Nepal’s external independence and establishing democratic norms within the country. Nepal established diplomatic relations with China, Egypt, Japan, the former Soviet Union and Switzerland, among others. Acharya’s government followed a policy of Panchsheel or peaceful coexistence with both India and China. The United States and the former Soviet Union also recognized Nepal’s right to exist as an independent, sovereign nation and provided foreign aid for the country’s planning process, which began in 1956. Establishment of Nepal Rastra Bank and promulgation of the Civil Service Act are other noteworthy achievements during Tanka Prasad’s premiership. A committed socialist, Acharya believed that all Nepalis should have access to food, clothing, shelter, education and health. A four-year ban on the Communist Party of Nepal was also lifted. The vicissitudes of domestic politics led to the resignation of his government in July 1957.
Pioneer leader Tanka Prasad Acharya
Whether elections should be held for a constituent assembly or a new parliament was intensely debated during the 1950s. Earlier, King Tribhuvan proclaimed his wish for the former but the political parties were divided on the issue. As a strong proponent of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy, Acharya supported elections to a new parliament, which would be the source of national sovereignty. On 15 December 1960, King Mahendra staged a coup d’ etat against the country’s first democratically-elected government headed by BP Koirala and suspended all forms of civil liberties. The country once again became a fiefdom of feudal elements enriching themselves while exploiting the Nepali people. Acharya became a key dissident of the regime and demanded restoration of civil rights and democracy. Both King Mahendra and King Birendra made futile attempts to enlist the elder statesman’s support for the partyless system but to no avail. For the next three decades, the Panchayat regime suppressed democratic aspirations while rampant abuse of power contributed to its eventual demise. Acharya lived long enough to witness the historic Jan Andolan that led to a liberal democracy in 1990.
Whenever democracy has emerged victorious in Nepal, its leadership has bickered and compromised with reactionaries; thus enfeebling itself. In the post-1990 era, a radical political group – Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – began an armed insurrection against the Nepali state. The rise of left-wing extremism was compounded by the weakness of the mainstream democratic parties. Therefore, autocracy once again resulted in the country.
In his inspiring work ‘Living Martyrs: Individuals and Revolution in Nepal’ written in 1997, American anthropologist James Fisher has detailed the lives of both Tanka Prasad and his wife Rewanta Kumari in Nepal’s modern political evolution. In this context, Acharya succinctly states: “as for the future of the monarchy of Nepal, whether it is a monarchy or a republic or a democracy, whatever it is, it all depends upon its achievements. If a monarchy can accomplish something for the people, then it will have a long future. If the King cannot do that he will also have to go. If a republic can perform service for the people, it will remain otherwise even it will go. It depends on deeds and achievements”.
The above caveat should be heeded in the current political context when the scourge of authoritarianism afflicts the country. Dictatorship – in any guise – arrests individual liberty besides undermining political, social and economic progress of a nation. Democracy is a sine qua non for all Nepalese. Tanka Prasad Acharya’s exemplary courage, sacrifice and vision are solemn reminders about the inevitable triumph of democracy over dictatorship in Nepal.
(The author is an economist based in Kathmandu. Please send your comments to [email protected] or [email protected])
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