Literary works
Print Friendly and PDF

  • पहिलोपल्ट वि.पी. लाइ पढ्दा - वसन्त बलामी (२५ श्रावण 2069, kunakani.blogspot.com)

    चिसापानी ब्लग,बुक संसार र श्रुतिसंवेग बाट साहित्यलाइ सुन्न सकिने कुरा थाहा पाएदेखि डाउनलोड गर्दै सुन्न थालेको छु । अचेल उपन्यासहरु सुनेर पढ्ने गरेकोले...read more

  • बी पी कोइरालाका प्रमुख साहित्यिक मान्यताहरू - डा. विष्णुप्रसाद पौडेल (12 जेठ 2069, शुक्रबार, समकालीनसाहित्य डट कम)

    प्रस्तुत लेख विश्वेश्वर प्रसाद कोइराला (१९७१–२०३९) ले विभिन्न समयमा आफ्ना लेख, अन्तर्वार्ता आदिमा मूल तथा प्रासङ्गिक रूपमा प्रकट गरेका कला साहित्य सम्बन्धी मान्यताहरूको आ"कलनमा केन्द्रित छ...read more

  • वी.पी.को 'हिटलर र यहूदी' उपन्यासमा मानवतावाद - चारूभा घिमिरे (चैत २०६७, मधुपर्क)

    नदी प्रवाहजस्तै सधैँ नयाँ गतिमान, निरन्तर चर्चा र आदरका साथ सम्झना गरिरहने नाम नै विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला हो । 'संसारका थोेरै व्यक्तित्वमा...read more

  • वी.पी. कोइरालाका कृतिहरूको अनुवाद - ईश्वरमान रञ्जितकार (जेठ २०६६, मधुपर्क)

    आधुनिक नेपालको राजनीतिक वृत्तमा मात्र नभई नेपाली आख्यान साहित्यमा पनि एउटा सुपरिचित एवं सुप्रतिष्ठित नाम हो विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला...read more

While B. P. Koirala is considered one of the most charismatic political leader of Nepal, he was also one of the most well-read and thoughtful writers of Nepalese literature. He wrote short stories and novels, and some poems. Koirala began writing short stories in Hindi. His first stories were published in Banaras in Hansa, a Hindi literary magazine edited by Prem Chand (India's Leo Tolstoy). His first Nepali short story "Chandrabadan" was published in Sharada (a Nepali literary magazine) in 1935. Koirala was very good at depicting the character and mind of women. Four other stories of Koirala were included in Katha Kusum (an anthology of Nepali stories) published in 1938 in Darjeeling. As a social realist, and a good psychoanalyst, Koirala had established himself as one of the most important Nepali short story writers by 1938. Doshi Chashma [Guilty Glasses], Koirala's anthology of sixteen short stories, was published in 1949.

Koirala was very busy in the 1950s as he was in the center of Nepal's national politics. He was, however, able to write an incomplete novel Hitlar ra Yahudi [Hitler and the Jews] in the form of travelogue. The 1960s were very productive for Koirala in terms of his literary output. He wrote many novels and short stories in jail during 1960-68. They include: Tin Ghumti [Three Turns],1968; Narendra Dai [Brother Narendra], 1969; Sumnima [A story of the first Kirata woman],1969; Modiain [The Grocer's Wife], 1980; Shweta Bhairavi [The White Goddess of Terror],1983; Babu Ama ra chora [Father, mother and sons], 1989 and an incomplete autobiography Mero Katha [My Story], 1983 and many more yet to be published

Koirala also has dozens of political essays including the following: Rajatantra ra Lokatantra [Monarchy and Democracy], 1960; Thichieka Janata Jagisake [The Oppressed People Rise], 1969; Rastriyata Nepalko Sandarbhama [Nationalism in the Context of Nepal], 1970; Kranti: Ek Anivaryata [Revolution: An Absolute Necessity], 1970; Panchayati Vyavastha Prajatantrik Chaina [The Panchayat System is not Democratic], 1978; Prajatantra ra Samajvad [Democracy and Socialism], 1979; Rastriya Ekata ko Nimti Ahwan [A Call for National Reconciliation], 1980.

Koirala's writings (both political and literary) were banned until recently. Nepalese youths spent several years of imprisonment just on the charges of possessing Koirala's writings. Another problem is that his rare and important writings have been scattered all over. Old newspapers and magazines (including the underground publications) have to be researched. Libraries, museums, and archives in Kathmandu, Banaras, Calcutta, New Delhi, London, Paris, berkeley, Stanford, and many other places have to be visited to collect the materials on Koirala. As a result, one can hope to produce volumes of his political writings and literary works.

Koirala was the focus of Nepalese politics during the 1950s, 1960s, and the 1970s. Even today, long after his death, people of Nepal feel that the restoration of multiparty democracy is a tribute to him. Koirala was also one of the most important literary figures of Nepal. In politics Koirala was a democratic socialist; in literature he was an existentialist especially in his novel Tin Ghumti [Three Turns]. He said that he wrote his literary works to satisfy his anarchist impulses, impulses which revolted against the traditional order of things. But as a social democrat he was in search of a political order that was agreeable to every citizen of Nepal.

As a politician, Koirala struggled throughout his life for the establishment of a multi-party democracy in his country. Traditional forces, still strong to resist such effort, made it very hard for "B. P." to accomplish his political mission. As a social democrat, Koirala differed with communists; as he often said man cannot live by bread alone. He also differed with the capitalists as he thought that unbridled consumerism was immoral, and that the appalling exploitation of the world's resources was short-sighted and unrealistic. He believed that only socialism could guarantee political freedom and equal economic opportunities to the people. He said, "socialism is the wave of the future."

Koirala had studied economics, logic, literature and law. He was a voracious reader of English, German, French, Russian, American, Hindi, Bengali and nepali literature. His educational background and artistic genius combined in his own works to present a view of life in an artistic, logical and compelling manner. He would thus shake the conscience of Nepali readers by questioning their unreflective acceptance of the traditional value systems.

Koirala's short stories were first published in the 1930s in Hindi and Nepali literary magazines. Koirala first came to notice in Nepali literature because often his characters seemed to have been treated with an understanding of Freudian psychoanalysis. Even when a short story or novel of Koirala was not Freudian in its approach, it was still noteworthy to Nepali readers because he presented an unconventional approach to life.

Modiain (The Grocer's wife) is probably the smallest novel of Koirala. In Modiain Koirala looks at the Mahabharata war from the point of view of a young woman who loses her husband to the war. This woman was not alone. There were hundreds of thousands of young women who were widowed by the war. Thus, Koirala presents a passionate plea against the philosophy of the Bhagwad Gita which assumes that the world is but an illusion and thus makes life and death a meaningless phenomena and that the observance of one's own duty is the ultimate priority. Koirala was against war, and by looking at the Vedanta philosophy and the issue of war from a war widow's point of view, he once again shakes the conscience of the Nepali readers who generally tend to accept the philosophy of Vedanta especially its idea of karma (fate). Characteristically, Koirala presents one more instance in which he analyzes the mind of a woman, as he did in most of his short stories and novels

Doshi Chashma (Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan, 1949) Hitler ra Yahudee (Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan) Tin Ghumti (Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan, 1968) Narendra Dai (Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan, 1969 ) Sumnima (Kirat deshko euta katha) (Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan, 1969 )
Modi Aain (Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan, 1980) ShwetBhairabi (Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan, 1983) Afno Katha (Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan, 1983) Babu Ama ra Chora (Kathmandu: Sajha Prakashan, 1989) Faulty Glasses (1997)
Cunautiko gherama rajatantra (Kathamandau : Nepali Congress, 2062) Pheri Sundarijal (Kathmandu: Jagadamba Prakashan, 2063)