Kishunji breaks his silence; expresses displeasure against NC's drive for republic

A very very unfortunate news has come. I think it is nothing but just a mere futile exercise of rights to freedom of speech and expression By KP Bhattarai and I hope that Majority of people in Nepal turn a blind eye for this kind of anti-democratic press releases.

On the eve of BP Jayanti, the only surviving founding member of Nepali Congress (NC) Krishna Prasad Bhattarai has expressed displeasure at the recent moves within the party to formally discard its age-old policy favouring democracy with constitutional monarchy.

Bhattarai, in a statement issued on Sunday, has said, "Let us be guided by our lessons of the past and collective thoughts for future and not by any thing else including republicanism."

He has appealed for a collective wisdom and dedication on the part of the people so that "it does not sweep away everything that makes Nepal."

Bhattarai, who is affectionately referred to as Kishunji, has also appealed for an end of "politics of hatred and denial dictated by undemocratic desires of rebels" which, he said, "will only sow the seeds of disintegration of the country." He added, "It is our responsibility to defeat those desires together."

Reiterating the policy of national reconciliation propounded by late BP Koirala when he returned from exile from India in 1976 along with Ganesh Man Singh, Kishunji said, "They were clear in their minds that a prolonged difference between the King and democratic forces will weaken the Nepali nationalism, independence and democracy. Besides it will also weaken great economic opportunities. Policy of national reconciliation and spirit it represented is valid even today as it was before. I have no doubt that this will remain valid for quite some time to come."

"Let us not destroy our history and legacy, which generations together have built," he said.

Stating that Nepal's current transition needs a "safe landing, which is possible only through unity and reconciliation," Kishunji said, "Not it is high time to remember again that the monarchy truly acted as a unifying symbol of diverse religious, cultural, ethnic and political groups in a truly democratic set up."

Kishunji's statement has come on the eve of BP Jayanti on September 10 and has followed the decision of the NC central working committee to adopt the line of federal republic in the coming Constituent Assembly election.

Kishunji is regarded as the senior most leader respected across the two Congress parties. He has been making comments urging for unification between the two parties at the soonest. A former prime minister, Bhattarai, has not attended the parliament session even once since it was restored following the agitation of April 2006. He has said that he will attend the parliament only after the Congress unites.

Of late, Bhattarai has been living a politically secluded life at his residence in Bhainsepati.