B. P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation in association with Embassy of India, Kathmandu organized Condolence Meeting on demise of Prof. Bimal Prasad, former Ambassador of India to Nepal at the Nepal Bharat Library, Kathmandu on 10th November 2015. 

 

Prof. Bimal Prasad was Ambassador of India to Nepal from January 1991 to January 1995. Prior to assignment as the Ambassador of India to Nepal, Professor Bimal Prasad was Dean of South Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He was an Indian historian known for his scholarship on modern Indian history.  An intellectual with socialist inclinations, Prof. Prasad was associated with Jayaprakash Narayan's mass movement in 1974-75 and wrote several books on JP. He also served as Director of Gandhian Institute (Varanasi), honorary Director of the Rajendra Prasad Academy, and as a fellow at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi. Apart from this, he was also the chairman of the Rajendra Bhawan Trust National Gandhi Museum. He was the President of the Indian council for South Asian Co-operation. He was recipient of several national and International fellowship and awards.

 

A rich tribute was paid to him by his students such as Prof. Lok Raj Baral, Ms. Usha Dhakal Acharya and Dr. Saphalaya Amatya. They shared their experience as students of Prof. Prasad at the Jawahar Lal Nehru University. Prof. Baral mentioned that he admired Prof. Prasad for his simplicity. 

 

Mr. Kamal mani Dixit shared his experience in discharging his duties as the Board Member of B.P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation. He added that B. P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation was set up as an initiative of Prof. Prasad. He was the Founder Co-chairperson of B. P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation. Likewise, senior political leader, Mr. Pradeep Giri mentioned that he met him in 1966 at Jaya Prakash Narayan’s residence and became his student at JNU. Mr. Sriharsh Koirala, Board Member of B. P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation and son of B. P. Koirala, briefed about the association between Koirala family and Prof. Prasad.

 

Ambassador Ranjit Rae paying tribute to Prof. Prasad said that he was very popular in Nepal both as diplomat and a scholar. He added that he did not get chance to interact with him but he was father of his friend Jayant Prasad who was his predecessor. 

 

Several parliamentarians, former ambassadors of Nepal paid rich tribute on the occasion including Mr. Bhekh Bahadur Thapa. A minute of silence was kept at the gathering in memory of Prof. Prasad.