Bhadrakali Mishra
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Bhadrakali Mishra (; 6 February 1920 – 1 June 2006) was a Nepali politician. In a political career lasting more than 50 years, several of which he spent in exile, he held numerous ministerial portfolios and was also the Chairman of
King Birendra Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (; 29 December 1945 – 1 June 2001) was King of Nepal from 1972 until his assassination in 2001. Early life and education Birendra was born at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Kathmandu as the eldest son of th ...
's Raj Parishad Standing Committee (the Royal Privy Council of King Birendra) after the establishment of multi-party democracy in 1990. He also took part in the freedom movement of India, following the non-violent forms of protest advocated by
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...
. After the
partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...
, Bhadrakali Mishra served as a personal assistant to Gandhi, travelled with him and also spent some time at his ''ashram''. He was first appointed a Nepali minister in 1951 when
King Tribhuvan Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev (), (30 June 1906 – 13 March 1955) was King of Nepal. Born in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, he ascended to the throne at the age of five, upon the death of his father, Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah, and was cr ...
abolished the system of hereditary Prime Ministers from the Rana family and established democracy in Nepal. In the 1950s, Mishra held ministerial portfolios of Communications, Public Works, Transport, and Law and Parliamentary Affairs. Bhadrakali Mishra went into exile in 1960 when
King Mahendra Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (; 11 June 1920 – 31 January 1972) was King of Nepal from 13 March 1955 until his death in 1972. He led the 1960 Nepal coup d'état, 1960 coup d'état, in which he dismissed the government, jailed other political ...
, son of King Tribhuvan banned all forms of political activities and imposed a party-less panchayat system. While in exile, Mishra with his family lived in
Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...
,
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and served as the General-Secretary-in-exile of the
Nepali Congress The Nepali Congress ( ; Abbreviation, abbr. NC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a Social democracy, social democratic List of political parties in Nepal, political party in Nepal and the largest party in the country ...
as all political activities were banned in Nepal. He returned to Nepal in 1990 following the success of the first Jana Aandolan (People's Movement) and the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1990. He was subsequently appointed the Chairman of the first Raj Parishad Standing Committee (the Royal Privy Council) by
King Birendra Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (; 29 December 1945 – 1 June 2001) was King of Nepal from 1972 until his assassination in 2001. Early life and education Birendra was born at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Kathmandu as the eldest son of th ...
. Mishra died in June 2006 in Ranchi, Jharkhand state, India due to old age and failing health.


Biography


Early life

Bhadrakali Mishra was born on 6 February 1920 to Dwarika Parshad Mishra () and Ram Ratan Kuwari () in the village of
Pipra ''Pipra'' is a genus of birds in the manakin family Pipridae. Taxonomy and species list The genus ''Pipra'' was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1764. The name was used by Ancient Greek authors such as Aristotle for a smal ...
in Mahottari District, located in the southern plains of Nepal. Owing to the absence of schools in his native district, he underwent early education at a local school in
Sitamarhi Sitamarhi is the headquarters of the Sitamarhi district in Tirhut Division, Bihar. The city was named in honour of Sītā, wife of Rāma, who was born in Sitamarhi according to Hindu legends. In 1875, a subdivision for Sitamarhi was create ...
, Bihar, India. Either during his final years of school or shortly thereafter, he was married to the daughter of Bishwanath Prasad Mishra, a renowned criminal lawyer from
Chhapra Chhapra (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Chaparā'') is a city and headquarters of the Saran District in the Indian state of Bihar. It is situated near the junction of the Ghaghara River and the Ganges River. Chhapra grew in importance as a river-based mar ...
, India. After his school studies, Bhadrakali Mishra enrolled at the law school at
University of Allahabad The University of Allahabad is a Central university (India), Central University located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. It was established on 23 September 1887 by an act of Parliament and is recognised as an Institute of National Importance (INI). ...
.


1940–1949

While at the University, Bhadrakali Mishra became active in student politics, following the non-violent forms of protest advocated by
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...
. He became an active member of the
Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
and took part in numerous protests against the British Regime. On 9 August 1942, during one such protest in
Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...
, Bhadrakali Mishra was arrested and imprisoned at the Bankipur Jail along with senior leaders such as Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who incidentally was a close friend of his father-in-law. From Bankipur Jail, Mishra was transferred to Hazaribagh Central Prison. After his release from prison in 1945, Mishra resumed his studies and remained active in the freedom movement. He graduated with a degree in law (
Bachelors of Law A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...
) from the
University of Allahabad The University of Allahabad is a Central university (India), Central University located in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. It was established on 23 September 1887 by an act of Parliament and is recognised as an Institute of National Importance (INI). ...
, and then went on to complete his post-graduate degree in English literature from
Patna University Patna University is a public state university in Patna, Bihar, India. It was established on 1 October 1917 during the British Raj. It is the first university in Bihar and the seventh oldest university in the Indian subcontinent in the modern e ...
. In 1948, Bhadrakali Mishra served as a personal assistant to
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...
and travelled with him on visit to a number of villages in Bihar that were affected by the communal violence erupting after the
partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...
. Mishra also spent some time with Gandhi at his ''ashram''.


1950–1960

Sometime in 1948 or 1949, Bhadrakali Mishra returned to Nepal and in 1950, established ''Lok Sewak Sangh'' along Gandhian lines (translation: Association of the Servants of the People) in
Janakpur Janakpurdham or Janakpur (), is the capital city of Madhesh Province. This sub-metropolitan city is a central hub for the Maithili language, as well as for religious and cultural tourism in Nepal. The city was founded in the early 18th centur ...
dham. The ''Sangh'' organised prayer meetings, cleaned temples and other public places, and worked to provide relief to people affected by natural disasters, such as fires. The organisation was also successful in raising the general level of awareness of the local population in Mahottari. In April or May 1950, while organising a relief programme for victims of the fire, Bhadrakali Mishra, along with his cousin Ram Narayan Mishra and other ''Sangh'' workers were arrested and imprisoned. This incident sparked protests which far-flung and ill-staffed police posts could not contain and the local administration capitulated and released those who were arrested, including Mishra. After his release, Bhadrakali Mishra moved to
Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...
. Bhadrakali Mishra's arrival in Kathmandu coincided with the popular movement against the Rana regime, a system hereditary Prime Ministers hailing from the Rana dynasty, that had reduced the ruling Shah monarchy to nominal figureheads and consolidated all powers within the office of the Prime Minister. A number of factors that included Mishra's closeness to the prominent leaders of the Indian Freedom Struggle, an Indian ambassador who knew of his history with the struggle, King Tribhuvan's strong inclination and belief in democracy, and Mishra's presence in Kathmandu propelled him to a central position and a key figure in the movement. Meanwhile, as the movement against the Rana grew in strength, relations between BP Koirala, brother of
Matrika Prasad Koirala Matrika Prasad Koirala ( ; 1 January 1912 – 11 September 1997) was the Prime Minister of Nepal for two separate terms from 16 November 1951 to 14 August 1952 and again from 15 June 1953 to 11 April 1955. Personal life Koirala was born to Kri ...
—who would become the first Prime Minister of Nepal after the overthrow of the Ranas, and Mishra started to strain. In his autobiography, ''Atmabrittanta'', BP Koirala wrote of his disagreements with Bhadrakali Mishra due to the latter's opposition to Nepali Congress starting an armed struggle for overthrowing the Rana Regime. Koirala added that Mishra continuously insisted that the struggle should fully be along Gandhian lines, including at formal party meetings. Tensions between the Ranas and the King grew and peaked in early November 1950 that ultimately led to the King seeking refuge at the Indian Embassy. On the morning of 10 November, two Indian aircraft arrived in Kathmandu and the royal family, along with the Indian Ambassador and Bhadrakali Mishra left for the Indian capital Delhi where they were received with full honours by President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
and Commander-in-Chief General Cariappa. The King, assisted by Mishra and other close confidants, held a number of meetings with very senior and influential people and garnered overwhelming support for his efforts to establish democracy in Nepal. With full support of the Indian political and military leadership, and absolute popular support back home for democracy in Nepal, King Tribhuvan returned to the country. Shortly thereafter, on 18 February 1951, he proclaimed an end to the Rana dynasty and announced the establishment of democracy in Nepal. For the transition, the King appointed a joint Rana-Congress cabinet, headed by
Mohan Shumsher Field-Marshal Shree Maharaja Sir Mohan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (), GCB, GCIE, GBE (23 December 1885 – 6 January 1967) was the prime minister and foreign minister of Nepal from 30 April 1948 until 12 November 1951. He was the last prime ...
. Bhadrakali Mishra, representing the Nepali Congress was allocated the portfolio the Minister of Transport; the new cabinet, including Mishra, were sworn in the same day. As the Minister of Transport, Mishra played a key role in the response and relief work following massive floods in the
Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in parts of southern Nepal and northern India that lies to the south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by ...
region in 1951, personally visiting the affected districts and overseeing rescue efforts and disbursement of relief material and cash. He also met with senior political leaders to secure their cooperation with government agencies for relief operations irrespective of political differences. He also undertook official trips to
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...
(now:
Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
) to explore avenues of strengthening Nepal's connectivity with its neighbours. In the meantime, relations between BP Koirala and Bhadrakali Mishra did not warm considerably. In a defining moment at the party's Fifth General Convention in Janakpur in 1952, where Koirala was campaigning strongly for being elected the party's President as well as posturing himself as the next prime minister, Mishra spoke out very strongly and critically against Koirala's proposal and stressed that the same person should not be both the Prime Minister and the chief of a political party. Tensions overflow and culminated in Mishra, along with some other leaders of the Nepali Congress walking out of the meeting venue, boycotting the Convention and announcing a new political party, called the Terai Congress. Historians believe that despite the differences Koirala maintained a "deep respect" for Mishra. Behind the scenes, many senior leaders worked to reconcile the differences between the two. These efforts ultimately led to the reunification of Terai Congress and Nepali Congress a few years later. In subsequent years, Mishra was re-inducted in the cabinet and held numerous ministerial portfolios. But the differences between him and Koirala continued to surface time and again. The differences resulted in Mishra writing notes of dissent to many decisions taken by Koirala as the President of Nepali Congress and ultimately led to Mishra leaving the party again and also subsequently resigning from the Cabinet. Following differences with the Nepali Congress, Bhadrakali Mishra and
Tanka Prasad Acharya Tanka Prasad Acharya (Nepali: टंक प्रसाद आचार्य; 11 February 1912 – 23 April 1992) also known as Jeudo-Shahid(living martyr), was a Nepali politician who served as the 19th Prime Minister of Nepal from 1956 to 1957 ...
split from the party and reactivated the
Nepal Praja Parishad The Nepal Praja Parishad (Nepali language, Nepali: नेपाल प्रजा परिषद) was the first attempt to form an organization to lead the revolution against the Rana dynasty in Nepal. Led by Tanka Prasad Acharya, the group wa ...
(translation: Nepal People's Council) that was established circa 1945 against the Rana regime. However, in 1959, Tanka Prasad and Bhadrakali contested the elections separately, as duly recognised as national parties by the Election Commission of Nepal. Bhadrakali Mishra's party, Nepal Praja Parishad (Mishra fraction), contesting 36 seats won 1 while the Acharya faction, contesting 46, won 2.


1960–1990

In December 1960, King Mahendra proclaimed all executive powers in the country and banned all forms of political activities. Following this "coup", the administration swiftly arrested a huge number of political leaders who would to be "tried for treason and receive due punishments." To escape arrest and imprisonment, Bhadrakali Mishra, along with his family fled Nepal and went to India. Following the developments back home, Nepali political leaders in exile in India started to raise attention to the situation in Nepal and started gathering together. On 25 January 1961, the Nepali Congress, then in exile, held a general convention in Patna, Bihar and Subarna Shamsher, its senior leader, formally announced a struggle against the autocratic King and his regime. The convention also elected Rana as the President of Nepali Congress-in exile. About a month later, on 26 February 1961, Bhadrakali Mishra formally merged his own party, the Nepal Praja Praishad with the Nepali Congress. Shortly thereafter, he was also appointed the General Secretary of the Nepali Congress. Other political parties, such as Samyukta Prajatantra Party, Nationalist Gorkha Parishad, Gorkha Parishad, Nepal Terai Congress, and Terai Congress also merged with the Nepali Congress in due course. Mishra undertook a number of activities to protest the situation in Nepal. In one such protest, held in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Mishra spoke about the role of media that had also sided with the King. His statements were suppressed by media in Nepal but Indian media widely reported on the subject, resulting in further highlighting of the situation in Nepal in both national and regional press and radio. In the years that followed, Mishra gave a number of interviews and wrote a number of opinion pieces in major Indian newspapers on political repression and curtailment of civil rights in Nepal. In December 1976, King Birendra decreed that Mishra, along with 11 other senior political leaders, all in exile in India, will be pardoned. In doing so, he reiterated that the pardon and any subsequent participation in the panchayat system was possible for those who accepted the basic rules of the system. Mishra issued a press statement thanking the King but did not endorse the panchayat system. Instead he welcomed "the opportunity to dedicate himself to the service of his compatriots." Other leaders, such as B.P. Koirala and
Ganesh Man Singh Ganesh Man Singh ( Nepali: गणेशमान सिंह; November 9, 1915 – September 18, 1997) was a Nepali politician who was leader of the 1990 Nepalese revolution. He is considered the Father of Democracy and the Iron-man of Nepal ...
however decided to return to Nepal to seek national reconciliation on terms more acceptable to the Nepali Congress. Following the pardon, Mishra briefly visited his hometown,
Pipra ''Pipra'' is a genus of birds in the manakin family Pipridae. Taxonomy and species list The genus ''Pipra'' was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1764. The name was used by Ancient Greek authors such as Aristotle for a smal ...
, to perform some religious services on the death of a family member and thereafter returned. However, despite the 1976 royal pardon, a single member bench of the
Supreme Court of Nepal The Supreme Court of Nepal () is the highest court in Nepal. It is designated as the court of record by the Constitution of Nepal. It has appellate jurisdiction over decisions of the seven High Courts (including eleven Benches of the High Cour ...
, in February 1977 passed death sentences on a number of senior political leaders, including Bhadrakali Mishra, Girija Prasad Koirala and Ganesh Man Singh for their involvement in an attack on the district of
Okhaldhunga Okhaldhunga is the headquarters of the Okhaldhunga District in the Sagarmatha Zone of Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 3761 living in 790 individual households. Climate Media To promote local culture Okhal ...
. On this verdict, B.P. Koirala, who was at the time imprisoned at the Sundarijal Prison, wrote in his memoirs ''Pheri Sundarijal (Jail Diary 2033-34)'': It remained unclear whether the 1976 royal pardon to Mishra applied to this case. But as a result of the 1980 general amnesty announced by the King, Mishra and other leaders were exonerated of the charge of attack on Okhaldhunga. In 1979, King Birendra announced that a national referendum would be held and the population would be offered the choice between the non-partisan panchayat system and a multi-party system. While a number of political leaders cautiously welcomed the announcement, Mishra spoke very critically on the matter. He questioned the fairness of the vote and expressed particular concern on the issue of citizenship for the Nepali population inhabiting the Terai region as it practically disenfranchised close to two million people. The issue of citizenship was largely not addressed and the referendum was ultimately held on 2 May 1980 with a voter turnout of 66.9%. The panchayat system received a slim majority of 54.8%. On 13 April 1980, King Birendra announced a general amnesty to all political prisoners and exiles. A few days later, it was confirmed by the Home Ministry that Mishra was one of the political exiles to be granted amnesty. This paved way for him to freely return to Nepal although he was still barred from any political activates in the country. Following the amnesty, Mishra would visit Kathmandu frequently but remained in India where he continued to advocate for greater political and civil freedom in Nepal.


1990–1995

Bhadrakali Mishra returned full-time to Nepal in August 1990 after the success of the 1990 popular movement. The movement brought an end to absolute monarchy and established a democracy with the King retaining a ceremonial role. (See also
People's Movement I (1990) The 1990 People's Movement () was a multiparty movement in Nepal that brought an end to absolute monarchy and the beginning of constitutional monarchy. It also eliminated the Panchayat system. The movement was marked by the unity between the ...
) In late December 1990, Mishra was granted an audience by King Birendra at the
Narayanhiti Palace The Narayanhiti Palace Museum () is a public museum in Kathmandu, Nepal located east of the Kaiser Mahal and next to Thamel. The museum was created in 2008 from the complex of the former Narayanhiti Palace (or Narayanhiti Durbar) following the ...
where the two reportedly discussed the establishment of democracy and transition from an absolute to constitutional monarchy. It was at this meeting that the King reportedly asked Mishra if he would be willing to serve as the Chairman of his Raj Parishad (Privy Council). Bhadrakali Mishra agreed and, on 17 February 1991, was appointed to the position. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the King on the morning of 19 February 1991, Nepal's ''Prajatantra Diwas'' (Democracy Day). The ''Raj Parishad'' was a body bestowed with a lot of power by the Constitution of Nepal (1990). According to the constitution (Article 34), chairman of the ''Raj Parishad'' had the authority to convene a meeting of the council to run matters of the state in the event of the demise of the king, should the king proclaim his abdication, or the king be mentally or physically unable to perform his functions. In May 1991, Mishra travelled as the personal representative of King Birendra to pay respects on the death of former prime minister of India
Rajiv Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi (20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian statesman and pilot who served as the prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the Assassination of Indira Gandhi, assassination of his mother, then–prime ...
. The official Nepalese delegation was led by Prime Minister Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand. In late January and early February 1992, Bhadrakali Mishra undertook an official visit to the United States of America as the personal representative of King Birendra to meet with
President George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
, senior officials of the US Government, the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, also known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a standing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives with jurisdiction over bills and investigations concerning the foreign affair ...
, and other officials and dignitaries at
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
During this visit he also attended the
National Prayer Breakfast The National Prayer Breakfast is a yearly event held in Washington, D.C., usually on the first Thursday in February. The founder of this event was Abraham Vereide. The event—which is actually a series of meetings, luncheons, and dinners—has ...
on 30 January 1992. In early July 1992, Bhadrakali Mishra travelled to
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
at the invitation of Sanya Dharmasakti, the then president of the
Privy Council of Thailand The Privy Council of Thailand () is a body of appointed advisors to the Monarchy of Thailand. The council, as the Constitution of Thailand stipulates, must be composed of no more than eighteen members. The council is led by the President of the ...
. During this visit he undertook discussions with his counterpart at the Privy Council of Thailand and with other senior Thai Government officials on strengthening relations between Nepal and Thailand as well as the development of
Lumbini Lumbinī (, "the lovely") is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Lumbini Province in Nepal. The Buddhist commentaries state that Maya Devi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in Lumbini around 624 BCE. Gautama is bel ...
, the birthplace of
Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...
. In 1994, Bhadrakali Mishra travelled to various parts of the
Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), often shortened to Tibet in English or Xizang in Pinyin, Hanyu Pinyin, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China. It was established in 1965 to replace the ...
of China, visiting many border crossings that could be developed to strengthen trade and transit between Nepal and China. During this trip, in addition to meeting with border, customs and trade officials, Mishra also met with senior officials of both the Region's administration as well as with senior members of the
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
. He also visited the Consulate of Nepal in
Lhasa Lhasa, officially the Chengguan District of Lhasa City, is the inner urban district of Lhasa (city), Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, Southwestern China. Lhasa is the second most populous urban area on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining ...
. Mishra's was the first official visit to any part of
Tibet Autonomous Region The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), often shortened to Tibet in English or Xizang in Pinyin, Hanyu Pinyin, is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China. It was established in 1965 to replace the ...
of China by a senior Nepalese dignitary since the establishment of democracy in Nepal (in 1990).


1996–2006

Following the end of his term as the Chairman of the Royal Privy Council Standing Committee, Bhadrakali Mishra returned to his village
Pipra ''Pipra'' is a genus of birds in the manakin family Pipridae. Taxonomy and species list The genus ''Pipra'' was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1764. The name was used by Ancient Greek authors such as Aristotle for a smal ...
in the Terai. He engaged in a number of local and small-scale social initiatives. He financed, from his personal accounts, repair and preventative maintenance of the Pipra high-school and its Dwarika-Vijay-Lilawati ''Chhatrawas'' (hostel). He also reactivated the Basahiya village-based ''Gandhi Sewa Ashram'' started a number of programmes aimed at social upliftment, education and women empowerment (Bhadrakali Mishra, Pundit Ramakant Jha, Ram Narayan Mishra and Mahendra Narayan Nidhi had established the ''Ashram'' in 1953). He strongly advocated the need for and importance of women's empowerment, effective social security structures for widows and orphans, meaningful and remunerated employment for women, and proper education of girls. He financed tuition scholarship for one girl and one boy in
Pipra ''Pipra'' is a genus of birds in the manakin family Pipridae. Taxonomy and species list The genus ''Pipra'' was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1764. The name was used by Ancient Greek authors such as Aristotle for a smal ...
village, each year, for the duration of their school years on condition that they continue formal schooling until they graduated high school. He also accompanied local NGO workers to rural Terai villages to speak to parents and impress upon them the need to educate their children, particularly their daughters. In his retired life, he also undertook religious pilgrimages to locations of religious and educational importance, visiting Puri, Kanya Kumari, Delhi, Varanasi, Allahabad, Calcutta, Badrinath and Kedarnath in India. From 2003 onwards, owing to poor health and the need for regular medical care, Bhadrakali Mishra moved back to Kathmandu and lived with his son Ajay and his family. He made yearly trips to Ranchi where in addition to being with his youngest son, Vinay, he also underwent regular medical check-ups. He frequently travelled to Delhi and
Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...
to visit his grandchildren. Bhadrakali Mishra passed away in Ranchi on 1 June 2006 due to old age. As per his wishes, his last rites were performed as per the Arya Samaj rituals and his ashes were immersed in the
Ganges The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary rive ...
in
Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...
, India.


Social and political legacy

Following his passing, the Nepali Congress unanimously approved a condolence motion that was sponsored by late Girija Prasad Koirala, the then President of the Nepali Congress and care-taker Prime Minister of Nepal. Speaking at the meeting, Koirala noted that in Mishra's demise, the nation had lost a statesman and a true democrat. Condolence messages were also delivered by the Ambassadors of China, Japan and India, and numerous political activists and civil society members. He was also often cited as one of the only representatives of the marginalised and impoverished Terai/Madhesh community in the Governance and political structures in Kathmandu. On the eve of the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal-2015, Nepali civil society leaders including Sushil Pyakurel, Kapil Shrestha, Dharmendra Jha, Charan Prasai, Dinesh Tripathi, and many others issued a statement recalling the contributions of and paying homage to Bhadrakali Mishra, along with leaders including B.P. Koirala, Tanka Prasad Acharya, Pushpalal Shrestha, Madan Bhandari, Mahendra Narayan Nidhi and Gajendra Narayan Singh as "dreamers of a democratic Nepal."


Personal life

Bhadrakali Mishra was born on 6 February 1920 to Dwarika Parshad Mishra () and Ram Ratan Kuwari () in the village of
Pipra ''Pipra'' is a genus of birds in the manakin family Pipridae. Taxonomy and species list The genus ''Pipra'' was introduced by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1764. The name was used by Ancient Greek authors such as Aristotle for a smal ...
in Mahottari District, located in the southern plains. Sometime in his late-teens, Bhadrakali Mishra was married to Lilawati Mishra (), the daughter of Bishwanath Prasad Mishra from
Chhapra Chhapra (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Chaparā'') is a city and headquarters of the Saran District in the Indian state of Bihar. It is situated near the junction of the Ghaghara River and the Ganges River. Chhapra grew in importance as a river-based mar ...
, Bihar, India. His father-in-law, Bishwanath Prasad was a close friend of the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. By profession, he was a defence lawyer, primarily for criminal cases during the
British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...
. They had three sons, Vijay, Ajay and Vinay. Bhadrakali Mishra had an elder brother, Gunjakali Mishra, and a younger brother, Jwala Prasad Mishra. One of his cousins,
Shyam Nandan Prasad Mishra Shyam Nandan Mishra (20 October 1920 – 25 October 2004) was an Indian independence activist and politician from Bihar. He was Member of Parliament for many years in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Initially a member of the Indian Nation ...
, served as the Minister of External Affairs of India from 28 July 1979 to 13 January 1980. Mishra did not subscribe to the notions of the caste hierarchy. Influenced by Gandhian ideals, he actively advocated for an end to caste system, in particular the practice of untouchability. Upon his retirement from public life, Mishra often visited the homes of the so called "lower castes" in and around his village, and shared meals with them.


Honors

Some of the prominent honours bestowed upon Bhadrakali Mishra included: * Suprasidha Prabala Gorkha Dakshina Bahu (The Most Puissant Order of the Gurkha Right Arm) for most exceptional and highly invaluable services rendered to the nation and to the monarchy, 1995. * Birendra Rajat Jayanti Padak (King Birendra Silvery Jubilee Medal), special coronation medal for services rendered to the nation during the reign of His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, 1997. * Birendra-Aishwarya Sewa Padak (King Birendra-Queen Aishwarya Service Medal) for dedicated and trustworthy services rendered to King Birendra and the monarchy during his reign, 2002.


References


Additional reading on background information

* भारतीय आन्दोलनमा नेपाली r.: Nepalis in Indian (political) Movementsby Rajeshwor Nepali https://web.archive.org/web/20140818090520/http://www.nagariknews.com/opinion/story/22984.html * Modernization of Nepal under the Shah Dynasty, 1951-1991 (Research Paper, AP World History Class, Fall 2007) by Yang, Eunmo. Korean Minjok Leadership Academy International Program {{DEFAULTSORT:Mishra, Bhadrakali 2006 deaths 1920 births Nepali Congress politicians from Madhesh Province People from Mahottari District University of Allahabad alumni Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu Members of the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu Nepalese expatriates in India Gandhians Nepalese exiles