GPK bust erection comes a cropper

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: “I would much rather have men ask why I have no statue than why I have one,” Marcus Porcius Cato, a Roman statesman had said aeons ago. Locals of Shankhapark in Chakrapath area, who obstructed the function to lay the foundation stone of late Nepali Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala’s statue today, will like to agree with him.

The function to erect the statue was postponed due to the obstruction. Constituent Assembly Chairman Subas Nembang was to lay the foundation stone at the function organised by Ganesh Man Singh and People’s Movement Martyrs Academy.

After the locals buried the pit, dug for laying the foundation stone, the two sides had an altercation. The Academy’s Chairman and President of Nepali Congress, Kathmandu district, Bhimsen Das Pradhan accused the local Maoist cadres of impeding the programme. After putting off the function, a condolence meeting was organised there to mark the first death anniversary of late veteran leader Koirala, who passed away on March 20 last year. CA Chairman Subas Nembang, Congress leader Pradhan, CPN-UML leader Krishna Gopal Shrestha and Nepal Student Union Chairman Pradip Paudel were among those who addressed the programme and portrayed late Koirala as the hero of Nepal’s democracy.

“Our obstruction doesn’t mean we are protesting against late GP Koirala. We do not want the park to be named after leaders of political parties and other personalities as there are shrines of gods and goddesses inside the park,” said Ram Bahadur Luintel, a local advocate. He reminded that the locals had also blocked the statue erection of veteran singer Narayan Gopal a few years ago.

Locals, with the signature of 57 people including Parashu Ram Dahal and Prakash Koirala, filed an appeal at the office of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Ward No 4, demanding to stop the act of erecting statues of leaders or persons in the public park.

Prakash Koirala, son of founding leader of Nepali Congress, BP Koirala, was among those spearheading the obstruction.

“It is not a good idea to erect a statue of a leader in a public place. If we allow it we will lose the importance of public places,” said Prakash Koirala.

Koirala is a former royalist, who became minister during the direct rule of former King Gyanendra.