Nepali Congress Observes National Unity and Reconciliation Day

The Nepali Congress (NC) is commemorating the 49th National Unity and Reconciliation Day across the country today with various programs honoring the party’s historic return from political exile.

This day, observed annually on Poush 16 in the Nepali calendar, marks the return of NC founder and Nepal’s first democratically elected Prime Minister, BP Koirala, along with other senior leaders from political exile in India on Poush 16, 2033 BS (December 30, 1976). The leaders advocated for the principle of national unity and reconciliation to safeguard Nepal’s sovereignty amid growing political interference in South Asia.

Prominent figures such as Ganesh Man Singh, Shailaja Acharya, and Khum Bahadur Khadka joined BP Koirala in the repatriation effort, which called for collaboration between the monarchy and political parties to preserve the nation’s independence. Despite an active prosecution order against him, BP Koirala returned to Nepal, where the Panchayati regime arrested him and other leaders at the airport, detaining them at Sundarijal jail.

BP Koirala, known as both a statesman and a celebrated literary figure, used his imprisonment to pen significant political memoirs and fictional works that continue to inspire generations.

The National Unity and Reconciliation Day serves as a reminder of BP Koirala’s vision of harmony between the people’s power and the monarchy, a principle that remains relevant in contemporary Nepali politics.