Pyar Jung Thapa () was Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the

Nepalese Army The Nepali Army (), also referred to as the Gorkhali Army (; see ''Gurkha, Gorkhas''), formally known as "Royal Nepal Army" is the Ground warfare, land Military branch, service branch of the Nepalese Armed Forces, Nepali Armed Forces. After t ...

from 9 September 2002 to 9 September 2006 during the

Maoist insurgency People's war or protracted people's war is a Maoist military strategy. First developed by the Chinese communist revolutionary leader Mao Zedong (1893–1976), the basic concept behind people's war is to maintain the support of the population a ...

. In 2006, he discussed opting out from the position of COAS for

Rookmangud Katawal General Rookmangud Katawal is a former Nepalese Army general, who served as the Chief of staff, Chief of Army Staff of the Nepal Army from 2006 to 2009. General Katawal has come across controversy after the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Daha ...

with Girija Prasad Koirala. Later, Rookmangud succeeded Thapa. Thapa has faced alleged human rights violation claims. He was investigated by

Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA; ) is an apex constitutional body for corruption control for the Government of Nepal. The fundamental function of the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) is to prev ...

for abusing government funds during People's Movement-II ( Jana Aandolan-II). He was criticized for oppressing pro-democracy agitators. He was also accused of using excessive security forces that resulted in the death of 21 people during the protest. However, he later took the initiative to negotiate with the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) to quell the distress. He is connected to the

Gaekwad dynasty Gaekwads (also spelled as Gaikwads, Guicowars, Gaekwars) (IAST: ''Gāyakavāḍa''), a Hindu Maratha (caste), Maratha dynasty of the former Maratha Confederacy, Maratha Empire and its subsequent (erstwhile) princely state of Baroda State, Baroda ...

by the marriage of his daughter Pragyashree Thapa to Pratapsinh Sangramsinh Gaekwad, grandson of the last Maharaja of

Baroda Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is a city situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district. The city is named for its abundance of banyan ...

Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad Shrimant Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad (29 June 1908 – 19 July 1968), who belonged to the Gaekwad dynasty of the Marathas, was the ruling Maharaja of Baroda. He succeeded to the throne upon the death of his grandfather Sayajirao ...

. Thapa holds the view that Nepal should be a Hindu State. He believes that Hinduism is the thread that has tied Nepalese people together during times of crisis. He has also said the major political parties have committed an error by not holding a referendum to decide whether or not Nepal should be a Hindu State. He also believes that the Nepali Constitution was rushed; the major parties should have met the Madhesi people halfway.

References

External links

, - Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Nepalese military personnel People of the Nepalese Civil War {{Asia-mil-bio-stub Nepali Army personnel