KATHMANDU:- Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has strongly criticised what he described as a growing tendency to label any form of dissatisfaction as authoritarianism.
Speaking at the BP Koirala National Award ceremony held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar on Sunday, Oli said, “Today, anyone expressing dissatisfaction tends to call it authoritarianism. But people like BP Koirala and those of us who have endured prison, handcuffs, and dark cells truly understand what real authoritarianism is like.”
Prime Minister Oli emphasised that leaders such as BP Koirala and Pushpa Lal have transcended political affiliations to become national figures, acknowledging the critical roles played by both the Nepali Congress and communist parties in advancing democratic reform. “BP was a source of inspiration for that struggle,” he added.
Presenting the award, Prime Minister Oli said that it was established to honour BP Koirala, a towering political and literary figure who, along with other leaders of his generation, put national interest above personal gain and took great risks for democratic change.
Meanwhile, speaking at the same event, Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey said that the vision of Nepal’s first elected Prime Minister BP Koirala remains a guiding principle for the country’s prosperity.
“He stood fearlessly against the autocratic Rana regime and united people for the revolution,” the Minister said, adding that Koirala envisioned a prosperous nation, the elimination of inequality, and guaranteed citizens’ rights.
Minister Pandey added that the current government was formed out of necessity through cooperation between the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress, due to the instability caused by their disunity.
“We will continue this alliance until 2027, when the two parties will compete in a fair election,” he said, clarifying that future electoral competition would be based on the evaluation of the ministers’ work from both parties.
During the event, the BP Koirala National Award, 2081 was presented to four individuals for their outstanding contributions in various fields.
Til Bikram Nembang ‘Bairagi Kaila’ and Bhuvan Dhungana Koirala from Morang were honoured for their role in literature.
Similarly, Mina Gurung from Sunsari (in political philosophy) and Nayan Singh Kadayat from Achham were also among the awardees. Each recipient received a cash prize
of Rs. 100,000. The event was organised by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation.
The award was initiated in the fiscal year 2077/78 through the government’s policies and programmes. The award has been distributed annually since 2078 following the release of its operational guidelines.