Congress Leader Gagan Thapa Recounts 1961 'Jay Nepal' Movement Tragedy in Chitwan

Kathmandu. Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa said on Sunday that 50 bodies were buried in 2018 BS (1961 AD) at the Guest House Chaur in Bharatpur, Chitwan, simply for saying 'Jay Nepal' and demanding democracy.

Speaking as a guest of honor at the inaugural session of the first general convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), President Thapa said, 'In 2018 BS, on this very land of Chitwan where you stand today, 50 bodies were buried for saying Jay Nepal and demanding democracy. It is because of them that your blue flag is flying today. Do not forget that.'

President Thapa did not stop at this statement. He further clarified, 'While hoisting the blue flag, remember that there is also red on the ground. The sacrifices and martyrs of past movements cannot be forgotten. The contributions of the past should not be forgotten.'

The incident mentioned by Congress President Thapa is related to the movement against the Panchayat rule, which began after the government led by Nepali Congress founder and people's leader B.P. Koirala was overthrown on Poush 1, 2017 BS (1960 AD). The Congress launched an armed revolution under the leadership of leader Subarna Shamsher immediately after 2018 BS against the Panchayat rule.

Chitwan District President of Nepali Congress, Rajeshwar Khanal, informed that the Guest House Chaur incident in Chitwan is linked to that revolution. 'This incident is related to the armed revolution launched by the Congress after the elected government was overthrown and the Panchayat system was initiated,' President Khanal told Ratopati. 'During the initiation of that revolution in Chitwan, Bakhan Singh, Lal Dhwaj Gurung, and others led it. In the course of that campaign, at the current Guest House Chaur and the adjacent building now used by the Department of Transport, revolutionary fighters who were involved in the movement, fighting for the restoration of people's democracy, and shouting Jay Nepal with the four-star flag in their hands, were killed by the then government. The bodies of some agitators were cut there, and it has been found that the bodies of some agitators were taken to the Narayani river and buried under 1,000 tractors of gravel.'

Meanwhile, journalist Sitaram Baral has mentioned that Jagat Prakash Jung Shah was the leader of this incident in Chitwan. Baral wrote on Facebook on Sunday, 'Jagat Prakash Jung Shah is a descendant of Ranodyot Shah, the eldest son of King Ran Bahadur Shah, and was a candidate from Dhading on behalf of the Nepali Congress in the 1959 elections (defeated by Bharat Shamsher of Gorkha Parishad).' He mentioned that Jagat Prakash joined the armed struggle after the 1960 coup and led the capture of Chitwan, coming to Chitwan.

Baral also mentioned that although Chitwan was captured under Shah's leadership, the government army from Kathmandu arrested him through deception. While other fighters were killed, Shah, being related to King Mahendra, was brought to Narayanhiti without being killed immediately. Baral wrote that after King Mahendra asked Shah to surrender and he refused, he was sent back to Chitwan, and gradually his limbs were cut off, and his body without limbs was placed in a pit and beheaded.

Central Committee member Tek Prasad Gurung, considered one of the old leaders of Nepali Congress in Chitwan, said that former president of Nepali Congress Chitwan, Udayanath Adhikari, and other Congress leaders escaped and survived, while many leaders were killed by the then army and buried in the same place.

He stated that after the Congress captured Chitwan for about 72 hours during the armed revolution, the Nepali Army arrived, seized control, and arrested many agitators. 'After the Nepali Congress took control of Chitwan for 72 hours, the Nepali Army arrived and seized it. Then many friends were arrested. Those who could escape did, and those who couldn't were brought to the current Guest House Chaur, beaten, killed, and buried in pits,' Gurung told Ratopati. 'Around 80-85 friends went missing at that time. Some of them are said to have been killed.'

Gurung said that former president of Chitwan Congress, Udayanath Adhikari, was arrested in that incident but escaped. He said that Adhikari was released by the army because he was the commander's guru.

'We hear that the late leader Udayanath Adhikari was arrested and taken to the Guest House. But he survived. He survived because he was the guru of the army commander,' Gurung said. 'The commander said that one should not kill a guru, so he was released and survived.'

The exact number of deaths in that incident has not been confirmed. Chitwan Congress President Khanal said that he found in his study that a book written by Dr. Suryamani Khanal mentioned 26 deaths. He said, 'I found in my study of the book written by Dr. Surya Mani Dhakal that 26 people died during the movement. Later, as we continued our research, we found that an additional 31 people were added. The exact number has not been ascertained.'

Khanal informed that Chitwan Congress has prepared a report of 57 people buried at Guest House Chaur, based on the evidence received, assuming that the missing revolutionary fighters of that time were also killed in that incident. He said it would take time to find the details.

Khanal said that details were found that Congress leaders and workers from Tanahun, Gorkha, Lamjung, and Dhading had reached that movement during the capture of Chitwan.

Congress Central Committee member Gurung informed that he received information about the death of Hariprasad Gurung in that movement. Similarly, Buddhi Singh Gurung is also on the list of missing persons.