Nepal PM recalls his wedding in Delhi

Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Thursday became nostalgic as he recounted his wedding with a fellow comrade, Hisila Yami, around 30 years ago in the city. HT reports.

Nepal Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai on Thursday became nostalgic as he recounted his wedding with a fellow comrade, Hisila Yami, around 30 years ago in the city.

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As his old comrades greeted him at a function here, the Maoist leader, who studied at Jawaharlal Nehru University, walked down the memory lane reminiscing about his marriage and youthful days in Delhi. Bhattari, on his first visit abroad as a prime minister will hold talks with his Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday.

Recounting his marriage, Bhattarai said, "Both me and Hisila didn't believe in rituals. We wanted a court marriage."

Bhattarai recalled how he went to the Tis Hazari court for a quick registered marriage only to be told by a lawyer that the process would take at least a month. But the same lawyer suggested that Bhattarai, who was keen to join the struggle against monarchy in Nepal, should opt for a wedding according to the Arya Samaj rites which should not take more than a couple of days.

He said he then turned to Swami Agnivesh who was an MLA of the Janata Party and helped him get the marriage registered the same day itself.

Agnivesh, who also spoke at the function, recalled how quickly he set up a "havan" ceremony. "We lit a small fire. I told Bhattarai and Hisila had fire in them to bring about a revolution in Nepal," he said.

Bhattarai also called for a "People's SAARC" to forge unity among the people of South Asia. "We want to create a real federation of South Asia," Bhattarai told a meeting organised by the South Asian Forum for People's Initiative and Samkaleen Teesri Dunia.