Chitwan, November 19

The entire Chitwan district mourned the sudden demise of CPN Maoist Centre Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s only son Prakash Dahal today morning.

Prakash had struck good rapport with Chitwan folks in a short span during the election campaign.

He was born in 1981 at Bhimsennagar of Bharatpur Metropolitan City in Chitwan. He pursued his primary education in the home district. He began his political career underground during the insurgency period. He used to be cautiously busy with his father’s internal management. He used to take care of his father’s food, clothes, programme schedule and security, among others very minutely. Prakash was Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s personal aide as well as a central member of the party.

Late Prakash actively attending each election related activity of his father after his candidacy for the parliamentary election from the left alliance from Chitwan Constituency No 3. He used to sit on the front seat of the vehicle, where a security guard is supposed to sit. It clearly showed how sensitive he was about his father’s security.

No political force nor election candidate could be seen for election publicity campaign in Chitwan today.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Democratic Vice-chair and Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Bikram Pandey, who is in poll fray from Chitwan-3, said that he was deeply saddened due to the untimely demise of Prakash. “Soon after I heard about the demise, I stopped all poll publicity campaign and came to join the final rites,” said Pandey.

Nepali Congress Chitwan President Jit Narayan Shrestha said that the entire district was in mourning due to the untimely demise of a youth, who sacrificed for the republican movement in the country. “Prakash is not only the son of Pushpa Kamal Dahal,, he is also a young republican leader of the country,” said Shrestha.

CPN-UML Chitwan Vice-chairperson Tejendra Khadka said though the alliance was in deep mourning, they had to transform their shock into power. “Prakash had contributed remarkably to political transformation of the country. The movement of the left alliance has incurred an irrecoverable loss due to his demise,” regretted Khadka.

CPN-MC Chitwan district In-charge Ishwori Bhattarai said, “Prakash was not only Pushpa Kamal’s son, he was a personal aide of the party Chair, a central member and a responsible leader of the party. Both the party and the district have lost a dynamic young leader,” Bhattarai lamented.

Family members, kin and a large number of well-wishers arrived in Kathmandu after his demise due to heart attack today morning. Prakash’s in-law Rishi Ram Poudel said they had incurred an irreparable loss.

Press Centre Chitwan Chairperson Prakash Gyawali recalled that Prakash Dahal had returned to the capital from Chitwan due to health problems on November 14. “He returned to Kathmandu to take rest,” said Gyawali.