Gagan Thapa’s Chitwan reference revives memories of Congress’ 1962 armed rebellion

The Congress president’s remarks at the RSP general convention have renewed interest in the capture of Bharatpur and the deadly military crackdown that followed.

On Sunday, Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa called attention to an obscure, violent chapter from the early days of the partyless Panchayat era. Speaking at the opening session of the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s first general convention in Chitwan, Thapa said that the sacrifices made by the Congress during the struggle for democracy should not be forgotten—and that the democratic system enjoyed today was the result of that struggle.