Krishna Prasad Bhattarai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai
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| कृष्णप्रसाद भट्टराई | |
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai
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| 29th Prime Minister of Nepal | |
| In office 31 May 1999 – 22 March 2000 |
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| Monarch | Birendra |
| Preceded by | Girija Prasad Koirala |
| Succeeded by | Girija Prasad Koirala |
| In office 19 April 1990 – 26 May 1991 |
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| Monarch | King Birendra |
| Preceded by | Lokendra Bahadur Chand |
| Succeeded by | Girija Prasad Koirala |
| 4th President of the Nepali Congress | |
| In office 17 January 1988 – 10 January 1992 |
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| Succeeded by | Girija Prasad Koirala |
| In office 12 February 1976 – 16 January 1992 (Acting) |
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| Preceded by | Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala |
| Speaker of the Pratinidhi Sabha | |
| In office May 1959 – 26 December 1960 |
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| Monarch | King Birendra |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Bal Chandra Sharma |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 December 1924 Benares, Benares State, British India (present-day Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India) |
| Died | 4 March 2011 (aged 86) Godawari Municipality, Nepal |
| Political party | Nepali Congress |
| Nicknames | Kishunji, Santa Neta (Saint Leader) |
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai (born December 13, 1924 – died March 4, 2011) was an important political leader from Nepal. People also knew him as Kishunji or the "Saint Leader" (Santa Neta). He played a big part in changing Nepal from a country ruled by a king with absolute power to a country where people could vote and choose their leaders.
Bhattarai became the Prime Minister of Nepal in April 1990. This happened after a big movement by the people called the Jana-Andolan, which means "People's Movement." He served as Prime Minister two times. First, he led an interim (temporary) government from 1990 to 1991. Later, he was elected Prime Minister and served from 1999 to 2000.
He was also a leader of the Nepali Congress political party for many years. He helped create Nepal's 1990 constitution and successfully held the first multi-party election in 30 years. This was a huge step for democracy in Nepal.
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Early Life and Career
When he was young, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai worked as a journalist. He even got to interview Nikita Khrushchev, who was a very important leader of the Soviet Union at that time. This shows he was interested in world events from an early age.
Fighting for Democracy
Bhattarai spent many years working to make Nepal more modern and open. For a long time, Nepal was ruled by the Rana Dynasty, a family that had complete control for over 100 years. The country was very isolated from the rest of the world.
He joined the fight to end the Rana family's rule. In 1950, he was in charge of an armed group called the Congress Mukti Sena. This group was part of a bigger revolution started by the Nepali Congress party, which he helped create. This armed struggle, supported by the King and other countries, finally ended the Rana Dynasty's rule on February 18, 1951. This day is now celebrated as Democracy Day in Nepal.
In 1959, at age 36, Bhattarai became the Speaker of the lower house of parliament. This meant he was in charge of leading discussions and making sure rules were followed in the parliament. However, after a government takeover in 1960, he was put in jail without a trial for eight years.
Even after being released, he continued to fight for democracy. He became the acting President of the Nepali Congress party in 1976 and later the elected President in 1992. He was a key figure in Nepal's journey towards democracy for over 25 years.
Leading the Interim Government
After the 1990 People's Movement, which ended the 30-year-old Panchayati government and the absolute power of the king, Bhattarai became the Prime Minister of an interim government.
He successfully guided Nepal from being an absolute monarchy (where the king had all the power) to a multi-party democracy (where people could choose from different political parties). He helped create the new constitution in 1990 and held the first free elections in three decades. Even though he was very popular, he lost that election by a small number of votes.
He served as Prime Minister again from May 1999 to March 2000. During his time as Prime Minister, he also handled the country's foreign affairs.
Personal Life
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai came from a politically important family in the Gorkha district. He never married and remained a bachelor his whole life.
He was a Hindu Brahmin and was known for being very religious. He loved to read the Bhagvad Gita, a holy book. Because of his strong beliefs and saintly nature, people often called him Sant, which means "virtuous" or "saint."
Death and Legacy
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai passed away on March 4, 2011, at a hospital in Kathmandu. He was the last living founding leader of the Nepali Congress party. He had been ill for some time, but he had recently said he hoped to live to be one hundred years old.
He was honored posthumously (after his death) with the Nepal Ratna Awards by the President of Nepal in 2021.
See also
- Bhattarai Interim Cabinet,1990
Images for kids
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Kishunji, a respected leader
