Kathmandu: Describing veteran Nepalese
politician Girija Prasad Koirala as "a statesman of great
stature", India on Sunday said that in his demise it has lost a
friend and key champion of democracy in the sub-continent.
"In passing away of Koirala, we lost a statesman of great
stature," said Lok Sabha Speaker Mira Kumar, who arrived here
as part of a high-level delegation including Finance Minister
Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to
attend the funeral of the Nepalese leader.
Koirala, who died yesterday at the age of 85, fought for
deepening the roots of democracy in Nepal, she said after
arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport.
In his demise, the sub-continent lost a great champion of
democracy, Kumar said.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also condoled the death
of Koirala, saying he was a tall leader of South Asia who
fought for democracy for a long period.
The Nepalese leader led the struggle for restoration of
democracy and initiated the peace process in Nepal, he noted.
"In his demise we lost a great friend and a tall leader
of South Asia," Mukherjee said.
The Indian leaders went to the residence of Deputy Prime
Minister and Foreign Minister Sujata Koirala, who is also the
daughter of Koirala, to express their condolences, before
going to Dashrath Stadium where the veteran leader's body has
been kept for people to pay their last respects.
Leader of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) D P Tripathi
said Koirala was not only a great leader of Nepal, but was
also a guardian of democracy in South Asia.
"Our entire country is filled with grief on his demise,"
he said.
A great tribute to Koirala will be the completion of the
peace process in Nepal and drafting of the Constitution within
the May 28 deadline, he said.
Samajwadi Party general secretary SN Sharma and its
another leader Vijay Pratap also joined other Indian
dignitaries in paying tributes to Koirala at the stadium,
where over two lakh people had come to have a last glimpse of
the Nepali Congress leader.
This was the first time that so many people had gathered
at one place in Kathmandu after the People's Movement of 2006.
Koirala's funeral is set to take place shortly and his
body will be taken to major parts of the city in a procession
before being cremated at Pashupati Aryaghat.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 21, 2010, 16:31