, AUG 10

Award winning littérateur and staunch royalist Rajeshwor Devkota passed away at Neuro Hospital in the Capital on Monday. He was 86.

According to Dr Shyam Babu Prasad, neurosurgery register at the Bansbari-based hospital, he breathed his last at around 5 in morning. Devkota was suffering from pneumonia. His mortal remains was kept at Nepal Academy in Kamaladi for tributes before performing his final rites at the Pashupati Aryaghat.

 Born in Gorkha in 1929, Devkota is among very few politicians to have witnessed several political upheavals in the country—from the Rana Regime to a Republic Nepal. He grew up to become an active participant of the democratic movement against the Rana regime since his school days.

A key leader of Jayantu Sanskritam, one of the most significant student revolts against the Rana regime, Devkota was exiled by the autocratic government in 1947. He went underground for three years to raise awareness among the people against the 107-year autocratic regime. He was one of the pioneer leaders of Nepali Congress who worked with BP Koirala in the initial days of party formation. He, however, quit the party following differences with Koirala, becoming a staunch supporter of King Mahendra.

Devkota was always known to be loyal to the monarchy. One of the founding members of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, he was also a coordinator of Rastrabadi Abhiyan, a movement for promoting patriotism. He was made a Rastriya Panchayat by King Mahendra for his strong support of Panchayat. Once Rastriya Prajatantra Party adopted republicanism in principle, he had openly criticised the decision.

Apart from that, he served the Panchyat government as Minister for Land Reform and Minister for Education.  A well known politician, Devkota also has significant contribution in literature. He was awarded with Madan Purakshar in 1987 for his novel ‘Utsarga Prem’ while his story ‘Purba Prem’ bagged the Sajha Puraskar. He was also awarded with several prestigious awards such as Bhanu Puraskar and Bednidhi Puraskar among others for his over a dozen literary works. He will be remembered for his honesty and simple life.

Several prominent leaders including Chairman of Constituent Assembly Subas Nembang, former Prime Ministers Baburam Bhattarai and Madhav Kumar Nepal, and Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal Kamal Thapa among others gathered to pay tribute to him.