Former Nepal PM Bhattarai dies

Nepal's former Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who led a popular movement to restore multiparty democracy in 1990, has died at age 87.

Updated on: Mar 6, 2011, 01:24:59 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Former Nepal prime minister and one of the founder members of Nepali Congress Krishna Prasad Bhattarai died here late on Friday. He was 87.

Popular among his followers as Kishunji, the late leader succumbed to multiple organ failure at Norvic International Hospital, a specialized private hospital at 11:26pm.

As soon as news of the death spread, hundreds of residents reached the hospital to pay last respects to Bhattarai. His body was later taken to his ‘ashram’ at Lalitpur on the outskirts of Kathmandu.

The Jhalanath Khanal government declared a public holiday on Sunday in Bhattarai’s honour. The national flag will be flown at half mast for three days to mourn the death.

Born in Varanasi in 1924, Bhattarai had taken part in the Quit India movement before getting involved in the movement to remove the hereditary Rana prime ministers in Nepal.

He became the Speaker of parliament after the first parliamentary election in 1959 at the age of 36. He became the president of Nepali Congress in 1976, a post he held for nearly two decades.

Bhattarai was elected Prime Minister of the interim government after the Peoples Movement of 1990 that helped restore multi-party democracy and remove the 30-year-old ‘panchayat’ system of government.

A staunch believer in constitutional monarchy, he became PM for the second time in May 1999.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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