Tanka Prasad Acharya

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Tanka Prasad Acharya
टंक प्रसाद आचार्य
19th Prime Minister of Nepal
In office
27 January 1956 – 26 July 1957
MonarchMahendra
Preceded byDirect rule by King Mahendra
Succeeded byKunwar Inderjit Singh
Personal details
Born11 February 1912
Died23 April 1992 (aged 80)
NationalityNepali
Political partyNepal Praja Parishad, Nepali Congress
SpouseRewanta Kumari Acharya
Children5

Tanka Prasad Acharya (Nepali: टंक प्रसाद आचार्य; 11 February 1912 – 23 April 1992) was a Nepali politician who served as the 19th Prime Minister of Nepal from 1956 to 1957.[1] He was one of the founders and the leader of the Nepal Praja Parishad, the first political party in Nepal with the goal of removing the Rana Dynasty's dictatorship.[2]

Founding of the Nepal Praja Parishad[edit]

Tanka Prasad Acharya was born to Tika Prasad Acharya and Tika Devi Acharya in 1912.

Acharya met multiple other intellectuals seeking the end of the Rana dictatorship, primarily Dashrath Chand. In a hotel in Bhimphedi, Makwanpur District, Acharya and Chand came up with the idea to form the Nepal Praja Parishad (Nepal People's Council). They formed the group in 1936, after getting support from other pro-democracy intellectuals like Dharma Bhakta Mathema and Gangalal Shrestha.[3][4] Acharya was voted the leader of the group. Dharma Bhakta Mathema was also the gym instructor of King Tribhuvan, and Tribhuvan explicitly gave his support to the organisation.[3]

The Nepal Praja Parishad took part in many anti-Rana activities. Initially, they handed out hand-written pamphlets to Nepali's, and wrote articles in multiple Indian papers. Eventually, Acharya brought a printing machine from India to Nepal, allowing them to print and distribute more pamphlets.[2] The group became more extreme as time went on, and later, in 1940, they planned the assassination of multiple officials in the Rana government. However, they were discovered after someone informed the government of their plan.[3] Acharya and many members of the group were sentenced to death,[5] however Acharya was not executed, for he was a Brahmin, and the killing of Brahmins was not allowed under Nepali law at the time.[6] Instead, Acharya was sentenced to life in prison.[4] The Nepal Praja Parishad was effectively dissolved.

While in prison, in 1947, the Nepali National Congress was formed, and Acharya was elected its president. However, due to being in prison and unable to communicate with the Nepali Congress, this was only a symbolic move, and B.P. Koirala became acting president.[7]

Post-revolution political career[edit]

Following the 1951 Revolution, Acharya was released from prison and pardoned by King Tribhuvan.[4] For a few years he remained a part of the Nepali Congress as a senior member, however, following disagreements with the Nepali Congress leadership, he split off with Bhadrakali Mishra, another senior politician of the Nepali Congress, and reformed the Nepal Praja Parishad.[8] Acharya and the Nepal Praja Parishad were part of Matrika Prasad Koirala's government in 1953, and remained a part of the opposition to the dominant Nepali Congress.[9]

Tanka Prasad Acharya (left) visiting Beijing

Premiership[edit]

In 1956, King Mahendra made Acharya Prime Minister.[2][4] During his premiership, the first 5-year plan was started, the Nepal Rastra Bank was created and the Supreme Court was established. Acharya's tenure was also seen as a golden age for Nepal for foreign relations, establishing diplomatic relations with many countries and working closely with the Chinese government, primarily seen through the signing of the Economic Assistance Agreement with them on 7 October 1956, with China pledging Rs 60 million to the Nepali government for development.[10] Acharya resigned as Prime Minister in July 1957.

Post-premiership[edit]

By the 1959 Nepali elections, there had been a split between Acharya and Mishra in the Nepal Praja Parishad, leading them to run separately. Acharya's faction of the Nepal Praja Parishad won 2 seats, whereas Mishra's won 1.[11] After King Mahendra's 1960 coup where he installed the Panchayat system, Acharya was arrested and put in prison. He was released the following year, though he made little political impact.[4]

Tanka Prasad Acharya died on 23 April 1992 due to kidney complications, aged 80.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Nepal". www.worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  2. ^ a b c Patapan, Haig; Wanna, John; Weller, Patrick, eds. (2005), Westminster Legacies: Democracy and Responsible Government in Asia and the Pacific, New South Wales: University of New South Wales Press Ltd, p. 64, ISBN 9780868408484
  3. ^ a b c Brown, T.L. (2002), The Challenge to Democracy in Nepal, New York: Routledge, p. 16, 20, ISBN 9780415085762
  4. ^ a b c d e Lentz III, Harris M. (2013), Heads of States and Governments Since 1945 (2nd ed.), London, New York: Routledge, p. 573, ISBN 9781134264902
  5. ^ Lecomte-Tilouine, Marie (2013), Revolution in Nepal: An Anthropological and Historical Approach to the People's War, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, p. 39, ISBN 9780198089384
  6. ^ Gellner, D.N. (August 2007). "Democracy in Nepal: four models". Seminar. 576: 50 – via Oxford University Research Archive.
  7. ^ www.nepalicongress.org. "NepaliCongress.org- Nepali Congress Official website | Political party of Nepal". www.nepalicongress.org. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  8. ^ Khanal, Yadav (23 March 2005). "Prospects for unity of NC and NC-D - The Himalayan Times". International Media Network Nepal (Pvt.) Ltd. The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  9. ^ Levi, Werner (1954). "Political Rivalries in Nepal". Far Eastern Survey. 23 (7): 105. doi:10.2307/3024093. ISSN 0362-8949. JSTOR 3024093.
  10. ^ Bhattarai, Kamal Dev. "Turning points in Nepal-China relations". The Annapurna Express. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  11. ^ Whelpton, John (2005), A History of Nepal, New York: Cambridge University Press, p. 96, ISBN 9780521804707
  12. ^ "Tanka Prasad Acharya, 78, Ex-Nepal Chief". The New York Times. April 25, 1992. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
Political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Nepal
1956 – 1957 		Succeeded by


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