Koirala’s aide recounts 1973 hijacking plot
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BIRATNAGAR, MAR 22 - Durga Subedi, a close aide of former prime minister and Nepali Congress President Girija Prasad Koirala, has several things to share about the octogenarian leader.
Something he recounted on Sunday describes a courageous, firm and go-getter Koirala - a dramatic tale of plane hijacking, led by the leader, in which he played a crucial role.
“Koirala would never backtrack once he made commitments. He would not care what difficulties he had to face,” reminisced Subedi.
Dilemma and anxiety shrouded the meeting when plane hijacking became a topic of discussion, he recounted. “Koirala was inspiration for all of us to execute the plan.”
The concept of hijacking plane, according to Subedi, was first raised by Saroj Koirala, who was imprisoned in Kathmandu. “When I told him the plan, he immediately said he was game for it and asked me to carry out required preparations,” she said. “I will talk to BP about it but you keep on getting information for the plan. We have to do this even if he dislikes,” he quoted Koirala as saying.
Koirala, Subedi and other NC leaders held a series of discussions on plane hijacking and ultimately fixed the date of July 13, 1973 to hijack a Kathmandu- bound plane.
Subedi, Basanta Bhattarai and Nagendra Dhungel hijacked the plane that was carrying three million rupees in Indian currency as per the plan chalked out with Koirala. Koirala was in Farbisgunj, India to make necessary arrangement to land the hijacked plane.
He said, Koirala had provided pistols and grenades and instructed to be careful for the safety of the passengers. “He was not as unkind as he would appear at times. He was kind-hearted,” Subedi remembered the former prime minister.
“Koirala would accept and implement suggestions from the friends the moment he liked those.”
Giving an account of one of the interesting events related to the hijacking, Subedi said, “We were sure that police would arrest him. We suggested that we all should leave for bordering Jogbani in the guise of women. He gave a nod. We walked all night and reached the Indian village the next morning, safe and sound.”
Posted on: 2010-03-22 12:00
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