Bhadrakali Mishra

2021-11-12T12:56:12Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Bhadrakali Mishra
|native_name = भद्रकाली मिश्र
|native_name_lang = ne
|image =
|image_size = 225px
|caption = Official portrait photograph of Bhadrakali Mishra, c.1991.

|office = [[Tribhuvan of Nepal#Congress Rana Government|Minister of Transport]]<ref name="whelpton2004" /><ref name="NSSPP_Ghimire_Dec14" />
|term_start = 13 February 1951
|term_end = November 1951
|monarch = [[Tribhuvan of Nepal|King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev]]
|primeminister = Sir Mohan Shamsher Rana

|term_start2 = 18 February 1954
|term_end2 = 9 January 1955
|monarch2 = [[Tribhuvan of Nepal|King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev]]
|primeminister2 = [[Matrika Prasad Koirala]]

|office3 = Minister of Public Works (Nepal)<ref name=JoshiRose1966>{{cite book|last1=Joshi|first1=Bhuwan Lal|last2=Rose|first2=Leo E.|title=Democratic Innovations in Nepal: A Case Study of Political Acculturation|date=1966|publisher=University of California Press|pages=115, 121|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MX22o4PJ3Q0C|access-date=2 February 2016}}</ref>
|term_start3 = 18 February 1954
|term_end3 = 9 January 1955
|monarch3 = [[Tribhuvan of Nepal|King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev]]
|primeminister3 = [[Matrika Prasad Koirala]]

|office4 = Minister of Communications (Nepal)<ref name=JoshiRose1966 />
|term_start4 = 18 February 1954
|term_end4 = 9 January 1955
|monarch4 = [[Tribhuvan of Nepal|King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev]]
|primeminister4 = [[Matrika Prasad Koirala]]

|office5 = Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs (Nepal)<ref name=JoshiRose1966 />
|term_start5 = 18 February 1954
|term_end5 = 9 January 1955
|monarch5 = [[Tribhuvan of Nepal|King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev]]
|primeminister5 = [[Matrika Prasad Koirala]]

|office6 = Minister, without portfolio (Nepal)<ref>{{cite book|last1=Joshi|first1=Bhuwan Lal|last2=Rose|first2=Leo E.|title=Democratic Innovations in Nepal: A Case Study of Political Acculturation|date=1966|publisher=University of California Press|pages=122, 123|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MX22o4PJ3Q0C|access-date=2 February 2016}}</ref>
|term_start6 = 10 January 1955
|term_end6 = 9 February 1955
|monarch6 = [[Tribhuvan of Nepal|King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah Dev]]
|primeminister6 = [[Matrika Prasad Koirala]]

|office7 = Chairperson of the Raj Parishad Standing Committee<ref name="CommitteeForeignAffairs1994">{{cite book|title=South Asia Policy : Roundtable before the Committee on Foreign Affairs and its Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, House of Representatives, One Hundred Third Congress, second session, September 21, 1994.|date=1994|publisher=U.S. G.P.O.|location=Washington|isbn=0-16-046238-X|page=116|url=https://archive.org/details/southasiapolicyr00unit|access-date=4 February 2016}}</ref>
|term_start7 = 1991
|term_end7 = 1995
|monarch7 = [[Birendra of Nepal|King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev]]
|predecessor7 = ''Office established''
|successor7 = [[Dhanendra Bahadur Singh]]

|birth_date = 6 February 1920
|birth_place = [[Pipra, Mahottari|Pipra village]], [[Mahottari District]], Nepal
|death_date = 1 June 2006
|death_place = Ranchi, Jharkhand, India
|nationality = Nepali
|party = [[Nepali Congress]],<ref name="Parmanand1978" />
|otherparty =[[Nepal Praja Parishad]],<ref name="NepaliNetbook01">{{cite web|title=Revisiting The Spring of 1959|url=http://nepalinetbook.blogspot.com/2008/04/revisiting-spring-of-1959.html|website=Nepali Netbook|access-date=2 February 2016}}</ref> Nepal Praja Parishad (Mishra),<ref name="whelpton2004" /> and Terai Congress <ref name="KarkiAtmavritant" />
|spouse = Lilawati Mishra
|children = Three sons
|alma_mater = [[University of Allahabad]]
}}

'''Bhadrakali Mishra''' ({{lang-ne|भद्रकाली मिश्र}}; 6 February 1920 – 1 June 2006) was a Nepali politician.<ref name="whelpton2004" /> In his political career lasting more than 50 years, several of which were in exile, he held numerous ministerial portfolios and was also the Chairman of [[Birendra of Nepal|King Birendra]]'s Raj Parishad Standing Committee (the Royal Privy Council of King Birendra) after the establishment of multi-party democracy in 1990.<ref name="whelpton2004" /><ref name="NSSPP_Ghimire_Dec14" /><ref name="JoshiRose1966" /><ref name="CommitteeForeignAffairs1994" />

He also took part in the freedom movement of India, following the non-violent forms of protest advocated by [[Gandhi]].<ref name="Nepali082014News" /> After the [[independence of India]] and the subsequent [[Partition of India|partition of the country]], Bhadrakali Mishra served as a personal assistant to Mahatma Gandhi, traveled with him and also spent some time at his ''ashram''.<ref name="Nepali082014News" /><ref name=JoshiRose1966pg8687 />

He was first appointed a minister in 1951 when [[Tribhuvan of Nepal|King Tribhuvan]] abolished the system of hereditary [[Rana Dynasty|Prime Ministers from the Rana family]] and established democracy in Nepal.<ref name="whelpton2004" /> In the 1950s, Mishra held ministerial portfolios of Communications, Public Works, Transport, and Law and Parliamentary Affairs.<ref name="whelpton2004" /><ref name="JoshiRose1966pg8687" />

Bhadrakali Mishra went into exile in 1960 when [[Mahendra of Nepal|King Mahendra]], son of King Tribhuvan banned all forms of political activities and imposed a party-less panchayat system.<ref name="wikileaksAmnesty" /> While in exile, Mishra with his family lived in [[Patna]], [[Bihar]], [[India]] and served as the General-Secretary-in-exile of the [[Nepali Congress]] as all political activities were banned in Nepal.<ref name="Parmanand1978" /><ref name="wikileaksAmnesty" />

He returned to Nepal in 1990 following the success of the first Jana Aandolan (People's Movement) and the restoration of multiparty democracy in 1990.<ref name="GNVADswathmore" /> He was subsequently appointed the Chairman of the first Raj Parishad Standing Committee (the Royal Privy Council) by [[Birendra of Nepal|King Birendra]].<ref name="CommitteeForeignAffairs1994" />

Bhadrakali Mishra died in June 2006 in Ranchi, Jharkhand state, India due to old age and failing health.<ref name="GorkhapatraObituary2006" />

==Biography==

===Early life===

Bhadrakali Mishra was born on 6 February 1920 to Dwarika Parshad Mishra ({{lang-ne|द्वारिका प्रशाद मिश्र}}) and Ram Ratan Kuwari ({{lang-ne|राम रत्न कुँवरी}}) in the village of [[Pipra, Mahottari|Pipra]] in Mahottari District, located in the southern plains of Nepal.<ref name="GorkhapatraNov99">{{cite news|title=In his retired life, Mishra encourages parents send children to school [translated]|agency=Gorkhapatra|publisher=Gorkhapatra Sansthan, Nepal|date=18 November 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Bhandari|first1=Ranjan|title=Such is the state of Pipara, where so many greats have come from [translated]|url=http://www.sancharaknepal.com/2016/03/27/%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%88-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8B-%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8C/|access-date=21 July 2016|work=Sancharak Nepal (sancharaknepal.com)|agency=Sancharak Nepal|date=27 March 2016}}</ref>

Owing to the absence of schools in his native district, he underwent early education at a local school in [[Sitamarhi]], Bihar, India. Either during his final years of school or shortly thereafter, he was married to the daughter of Bishwanath Prasad Mishra, a renowned criminal lawyer from [[Chhapra]], India.<ref name="GautamC2005" /> After his school studies, Bhadrakali Mishra enrolled at the law school at [[University of Allahabad]].<ref name="Nepali082014News" />

===1940–1949===

While at the University, Bhadrakali Mishra became active in student politics, following the non-violent forms of protest advocated by [[Gandhi]]. He became an active member of the [[Indian National Congress]] and took part in numerous protests against the British Regime.<ref name="Nepali082014News" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Interview with Bhadrakali Mishra|agency=Dainik Jagaran|publisher=Jagran Prakashan Limited|date=29 September 1974}}</ref>

On 9 August 1942, during one such protest in [[Patna]], Bhadrakali Mishra was arrested and imprisoned at the [[Bankipur Jail]] along with senior leaders such as [[Dr. Rajendra Prasad]],<ref name="Nepali082014News">{{cite news|last1=Nepali|first1=Rajeshwor|title=Nepalis in Indian (political) Movements|url=http://nagariknews.com/opinion/story/22984.html|access-date=2 February 2016|agency=Nagrik News|publisher=Nepal Republic Media|date=15 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140818090520/http://www.nagariknews.com/opinion/story/22984.html|archive-date=18 August 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> who incidentally was a close friend of his father-in-law.<ref name="GautamC2005">{{cite book|last1=Gautam|first1=Rajesh|title=Nepali Congress|date=c. 2005|publisher=Adroit Publishers|isbn=978-8187392613}}</ref> From Bankipur Jail, Mishra was transferred to Hazaribagh Central Prison.

After his release from prison in 1945,<ref name="Nepali082014News" /> Mishra resumed his studies and remained active in the freedom movement. He graduated with a degree in law ([[Bachelors of Law]]) from the [[University of Allahabad]], and then went on to complete his post-graduate degree in English literature from [[Patna University]].<ref name="Nepali082014News" /><ref name="DixitAtmabrittanta2001" />

In 1948, Bhadrakali Mishra served as a personal assistant to [[Gandhi]] and travelled with him on visit to a number of villages in Bihar that were affected by the communal violence erupting after the [[partition of India]]. Mishra also spent some time with Gandhi at his ''ashram''.<ref name="Nepali082014News" /><ref name=JoshiRose1966pg8687>{{cite book|last1=Joshi|first1=Bhuwan Lal|last2=Rose|first2=Leo E.|title=Democratic Innovations in Nepal: A Case Study of Political Acculturation|date=1966|publisher=University of California Press|pages=86, 87|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MX22o4PJ3Q0C|access-date=4 February 2016}}</ref>

===1950–1960===

Sometime in 1948 or 1949, Bhadrakali Mishra returned to Nepal and in 1950, established ''Lok Sewak Sangh'' along Gandhian lines (translation: Association of the Servants of the People) in [[Janakpur]]dham. The ''Sangh'' organized prayer meetings, cleaned temples and other public places, and worked to provide relief to people affected by natural disasters, such as fires. The organization was also successful in raising the general level of awareness of the local population in Mahottari.<ref name="DixitAtmabrittanta2001">{{cite book|last1=Dixit|first1=Kanak Mani|title=B.P. Koirala's Atmabrittanta: Late Life Recollections|date=2001|publisher=Himal Books|location=Lalitpur|isbn=9993313084|edition=1st}}</ref><ref name="Nepali082014News" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Yadav|first1=Vijay|title=This is how a theatre manager, Indrakant became a revolutionary journalist [translated]|url=http://journalistvijayyadav.blogspot.com/2015/08/blog-post_52.html|access-date=2 February 2016}}</ref>

In April or May 1950, while organizing a relief programme for victims of the fire, Bhadrakali Mishra, along with his cousin [[Ram Narayan Mishra]] and other ''Sangh'' workers were arrested and imprisoned. This incident sparked protests which far-flung and ill-staffed police posts could not contain and the local administration capitulated and released those who were arrested, including Mishra. After his release, Bhadrakali Mishra moved to [[Kathmandu]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nepali|first1=Rajeshwor|title=Janakpur Uprising on the path to democracy [translated]|url=http://janakpurnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/blog-post_29.html|website=Hamar Blog|access-date=2 February 2016}}</ref>

Bhadrakali Mishra's arrival in Kathmandu coincided with the popular movement against the Rana regime, a system hereditary Prime Ministers hailing from the Rana dynasty, that had reduced the ruling Shah monarchy to nominal figureheads and consolidated all powers within the office of the Prime Minister. A number of factors that included Mishra's closeness to the prominent leaders of the Indian Freedom Struggle, an Indian ambassador who knew of his history with the struggle,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rasgotra|first1=Maharajakrishna|title=A Life in Diplomacy|date=April 2016|publisher=Penguin UK|location=United Kingdom|isbn=9789385890956|edition=1st|ref=Rasgotra2016}}</ref> King Tribhuvan's strong inclination and belief in democracy, and Mishra's presence in Kathmandu propelled him to a central position and a key figure in the movement.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Choudhary|first1=Valmiki|title=President and the Indian Constitution|date=1985|publisher=Allied Publishers Private Limited|location=India|page=331|edition=First|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WK_o6YAGZD4C&q=President+and+the+Indian+Constitution+Valmiki|access-date=11 April 2016|ref=Choudhary1985}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Pratap|first1=Rajan "Prafulla"|title=Madheshi people's struggle for rights [translated]|url=http://www.saptarijagran.org.np/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%AE/|access-date=11 April 2016|work=सप्तरी जागरण|agency=Saptari Jagaran Weekly|date=4 January 2015}}</ref>

Meanwhile, as the movement against the Rana grew in strength, relations between BP Koirala, brother of [[Matrika Prasad Koirala]]—who would become the first Prime Minister of Nepal after the overthrow of the Ranas, and Mishra started to strain. In his autobiography, ''Atmabrittanta'' , BP Koirala wrote of his disagreements with Bhadrakali Mishra due to the latter's opposition to Nepali Congress starting an armed struggle for overthrowing the Rana Regime. Koirala added that Mishra continuously insisted that the struggle should fully be along Gandhian lines, including at formal party meetings.<ref name="KarkiAtmavritant">{{cite web|last1=Karki|first1=Swayambhunath|title=Bhadrakali Mishra: Through the lens of Atmabrittanta [translated]|url=http://crimecheckweekly1.blogspot.com/2014/12/blog-post_20.html|website=Crime Check Weekly|access-date=21 July 2016}}</ref><ref name="DixitAtmabrittanta2001" />

Tensions between the Ranas and the King grew and peaked in early November 1950 that ultimately led to the King seeking refuge at the Indian Embassy. On the morning of 10 November, two Indian aircraft arrived in Kathmandu and the royal family, along with the Indian Ambassador and Bhadrakali Mishra left for the Indian capital Delhi where they were received with full honours by President Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] and Commander-in-Chief [[General Cariappa]].<ref name="Singh2013">{{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Mahendra Man|title=Forever incomplete : the story of Nepal|date=2013|publisher=Sage|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-321-1099-6|page=142}}</ref> The King, assisted by Mishra and other close confidants, held a number of meetings with very senior and influential people and garnered overwhelming support for his efforts to establish democracy in Nepal.<ref name="Ragsdale1989">{{cite book|last1=Ragsdale|first1=Tod A.|title=Once a hermit kingdom : ethnicity, education, and national integration in Nepal|date=1989|publisher=Manohar|location=New Delhi|isbn=9788185054759|edition=1st}}</ref><ref name="Katsiaficas2013">{{cite book|last1=Katsiaficas|first1=George|title=Asia's unknown uprisings Volume 2: People Power in the Philippines, Burma, Tibet, China, Taiwan, Nepal, Thailand, and Indonesia, 1947-2009|date=2013|publisher=PM|location=Oakland, Calif.|isbn=9781604864885}}</ref>

With full support of the Indian political and military leadership, and absolute popular support back home for democracy in Nepal, King Tribhuvan returned to the country. Shortly thereafter, on 18 February 1951, he proclaimed an end to the Rana dynasty and announced the establishment of democracy in Nepal.<ref name="Katsiaficas2013" /> For the transition, the King appointed a joint Rana-Congress cabinet, headed by [[Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana|Mohan Shumsher]]. Bhadrakali Mishra, representing the Nepali Congress was allocated the portfolio the Minister of Transport; the new cabinet, including Mishra, were sworn in the same day.<ref name="whelpton2004">{{cite book|last1=Whelpton|first1=John|title=A History of Nepal|date=2004|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=New York|isbn=978-0521804707|page=[https://archive.org/details/historyofnepal00whel/page/96 96]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofnepal00whel/page/96}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The cabinet set up by royal proclamation [translated]|agency=Gorkhaparta|publisher=Gorkhaparta Sansthan, Nepal|date=18 February 1951}}</ref>

As the Minister of Transport, Mishra played a key role in the response and relief work following massive floods in the [[Terai]] region in 1951, personally visiting the affected districts and overseeing rescue efforts and disbursement of relief material and cash. He also met with senior political leaders to secure their cooperation with government agencies for relief operations irrespective of political differences.<ref name="NSSPP_Ghimire_Dec14">{{cite journal|last1=Ghimire|first1=Sharad|title=Flood of 1954: The beginning of a developmental state|journal=Nepal Journal of Social Science and Public Policy|date=December 2014|volume=3|issue=1|pages=5–48|url=http://www.nepalpolicynet.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/2-Sharad-Ghimire.pdf|access-date=13 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Les inondations au Népal [tr.: Floods in Nepal]|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/100178/files/1954-09-01.pdf|access-date=12 July 2016|agency=L' Impatrial|issue=23548|date=1 September 1954}}</ref>

He also undertook official trips to [[China]], [[India]] and [[East Pakistan]] (now: [[Bangladesh]]) to explore avenues of strengthening Nepal's connectivity with its neighbours.

In the meantime, relations between BP Koirala and Bhadrakali Mishra did not warm considerably. In a defining moment at the party's Fifth General Convention in Janakpur in 1952, where Koirala was campaigning strongly for being elected the party's President as well as posturing himself as the next Prime Minister, Mishra spoke out very strongly and critically against Koirala's proposal and stressed that the same person should be both the Prime Minister and the chief of a political party. Tensions overflow and culminated in Mishra, along with some other leaders of the Nepali Congress walking out of the meeting venue, boycotting the Convention and announcing a new political party, called the Terai Congress.<ref name="KarkiAtmavritant" /><ref name="DixitAtmabrittanta2001" /><ref>{{cite web|title=Being Nepali: The Construction of a National Identity in South Asia|url=http://linguae.weebly.com/being-nepali.html|website=linguae|access-date=22 July 2016}}</ref>

Historians believe that despite the differences Koirala maintained a "deep respect" for Mishra. Behind the scenes, many senior leaders worked to reconcile the differences between the two. These efforts ultimately led to the reunification of Terai Congress and Nepali Congress a few years later.<ref name="KarkiAtmavritant" /><ref name="DixitAtmabrittanta2001" />

In subsequent years, Mishra was re-inducted in the cabinet and held numerous ministerial portfolios.<ref name="JoshiRose1966" /> But the differences between him and Koirala continued to surface time and again. The differences resulted in Mishra writing notes of dissent to many decisions taken by Koirala as the President of Nepali Congress and ultimately led to Mishra leaving the party again and also subsequently resigning from the Cabinet.<ref name="KarkiAtmavritant" /><ref name="DixitAtmabrittanta2001" /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Mishra|first1=Rajesh|title=Representation of Madheshis in Nepali Congress leadership [translated]|url=http://kantipur.ekantipur.com/news/2016-03-03/20160302213606.html|access-date=21 July 2016|agency=Kantipur|publisher=Kantipur Publications|date=3 March 2016}}</ref>

Following differences with the Nepali Congress, Bhadrakali Mishra and [[Tanka Prasad Acharya]] split from the party and reactivated the [[Nepal Praja Parishad]] (translation: Nepal People's Council) that was established circa 1945 against the Rana regime.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Khanal|first1=Yadav|title=Prospects for unity of NC and NC-D - The Himalayan Times|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/prospects-for-unity-of-nc-and-nc-d/|access-date=12 July 2016|agency=The Himalayan Times|publisher=International Media Network Nepal (Pvt.) Ltd.|date=23 March 2005}}</ref> However, in 1959, Tanka Prasad and Bhadrakali contested the elections separately, as duly recognized as national parties by the Election Commission of Nepal. Bhadrakali Mishra's party, Nepal Praja Parishad (Mishra fraction), contesting 36 seats won 1 while the Acharya faction, contesting 46, won 2.<ref name="whelpton2004" />

===1960–1990===

In December 1960, King Mahendra proclaimed all executive powers in the country and banned all forms of political activities. Following this "coup", the administration swiftly arrested a huge number of political leaders who would to be "tried for treason and receive due punishments." To escape arrest and imprisonment, Bhadrakali Mishra, along with his family fled Nepal and went to India.<ref name="wikileaksAmnesty">{{cite web|title=Amnesty for Self-Exiled Politicians|url=https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1976STATE300355_b.html|website=WikiLeaks|access-date=12 July 2016|date=10 December 1976}}</ref><ref name="Shah2015">{{cite book|last1=Shah|first1=Sukhdev|title=Nepal's Enduring Poverty - Non Economic Barriers to Economic Growth|date=18 August 2015|publisher=Author House|location=Bloomington, IN, USA|isbn=978-1-4969-6510-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tHloCgAAQBAJ|access-date=2 February 2016}}</ref>

Following the developments back home, Nepali political leaders in exile in India started to raise attention to the situation in Nepal and started gathering together. On 25 January 1961, the Nepali Congress, then in exile, held a general convention in Patna, Bihar and [[Subarna Shamsher Rana|Subarna Shamsher]], its senior leader, formally announced a struggle against the autocratic King and his regime. The convention also elected Rana as the President of Nepali Congress-in exile. About a month later, on 26 February 1961, Bhadrakali Mishra formally merged his own party, the Nepal Praja Praishad with the Nepali Congress. Shortly thereafter, he was also appointed the General Secretary of the Nepali Congress.<ref name="Parmanand1978">{{cite book|last1=Parmanand|title=The Nepali Congress in exile|date=c. 1978|publisher=University Book House|location=Delhi|pages=43|edition=First}}</ref><ref name="NepalPressDigest1968">{{cite journal|title=Panchayat System and Politics|journal=Nepal Press Digest|date=1968|volume=12|issue=26|pages=197}}</ref> Other political parties, such as Samyukta Prajatantra Party, Nationalist Gorkha Parishad, Gorkha Parishad, Nepal Terai Congress, and Terai Congress also merged with the Nepali Congress in due course.<ref name="Srivastava1986">{{cite book|last1=Śrīvāstava|first1=Kāśī Prasāda|title=Nepāla kā itihāsa|date=1986|publisher=Ātmārāma|location=New Delhi|isbn=81-7043-045-3|page=157|edition=2008|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YWKPQZpn_ewC|access-date=4 February 2016}}</ref>

Mishra undertook a number of activities to protest the situation in Nepal. In one such protest, held in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Mishra spoke about the role of media that had also sided with the King.<ref name="Shah2015" /> His statements were suppressed by media in Nepal but Indian media widely reported on the subject, resulting in further highlighting of the situation in Nepal in both national and regional press and radio.<ref>{{cite news|title=Political repression in Nepal [translated]|agency=Dainik Bhaskar|publisher=Dainik Bhaskar Group|date=8 August 1961}}</ref> In the years that followed, Mishra gave a number of interviews and wrote a number of opinion pieces in major Indian newspapers on political repression and curtailment of civil rights in Nepal.<ref name="RenoGazetteMay80">{{cite news|title=Political arrests in Nepal|agency=Reno Gazette|publisher=Reno Gazette, Nevada|date=9 May 1980}}</ref>

In December 1976, King Birendra decreed that Mishra, along with 11 other senior political leaders, all in exile in India, will be pardoned. In doing so, he reiterated that the pardon and any subsequent participation in the panchayat system was possible for those who accepted the basic rules of the system. Mishra issued a press statement thanking the King but did not endorse the panchayat system. Instead he welcomed "the opportunity to dedicate himself to the service of his compatriots."<ref>{{cite web|title=King Grants Amnesty To Exiled Political Figures (14 December 1976)|url=https://www.wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/1976KATHMA05098_b.html|website=WikiLeaks|access-date=2 February 2016}}</ref> Other leaders, such as [[B.P. Koirala]] and [[Ganesh Man Singh]] however decided to return to Nepal to seek national reconciliation on terms more acceptable to the Nepali Congress.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Scholz|first1=John T.|title=Nepal in 1977: Political Discipline or Human Rights|journal=Asian Survey|date=February 1978|volume=18|issue=2|pages=135–141|doi=10.2307/2643307|jstor=2643307}}</ref> Following the pardon, Mishra briefly visited his hometown, [[Pipra, Mahottari|Pipra]], to perform some religious services on the death of a family member and thereafter returned.

However, despite the 1976 royal pardon, a single member bench of the [[Supreme Court of Nepal]], in February 1977 passed death sentences on a number of senior political leaders, including Bhadrakali Mishra, Girija Prasad Koirala and Ganesh Man Singh for their involvement in an attack on the district of [[Okhaldhunga]]. On this verdict, B.P. Koirala, who was at the time imprisoned at the Sundarijal Prison, wrote in his memoirs ''Pheri Sundarijal (Jail Diary 2033-34)'':<ref>{{cite news|title=The king has no alternative but compromise|url=http://www.nepalitimes.com/news.php|access-date=11 April 2016|agency=Nepali Times|issue=123|publisher=Himalmedia Private Limited, Nepal|date=13 December 2002}}</ref><ref name="KoiralaBP2034">{{cite book|last1=Koirala|first1=Bishweshwar Prasad|title=Pheri Sundarījala : Jail Diary, 2033-34|date=2006|publisher=Jagadamba Prakashan|location=Lalitpur, Nepal|isbn=9789994661657|edition=First}}</ref> It remained unclear whether the 1976 royal pardon to Mishra applied to this case. But as a result of the 1980 general amnesty announced by the King, Mishra and other leaders were exonerated of the charge of attack on Okhaldhunga.<ref name="LakelandLedger1980">{{cite news|title=King of Nepal grants amnesty|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=19800414&id=MoQwAAAAIBAJ&pg=3509,4794112&hl=en|access-date=11 April 2016|agency=Lakeland Ledger|publisher=Lakeland Ledger Publishing Corp. (a New York Times Company)|date=14 April 1980}}</ref>

{{Quote|text="Today's Rising Nepal carried the news of confirmation by the Supreme Court of death sentences passed by one man tribunal. What is intriguing is that BK Mishra was also involved in the statement of Capt [[Yagya Bahadur Thapa]]. This news says that Captain has made the statement before the trial court that by a joint direction of Girija, GM and BK, he was made the leader of the group that went to capture Okhaldhunga and set up a parallel govt there. I can understand GM and GP but why BK? What is the purpose of the govt in getting this statement from Capt Thapa? BK has recently been given amnesty and had only less than 2 months ago come to Kathmandu to test the validity of the amnesty. He has been pardoned-does amnesty granted to him extend to this case also in which he has been involved?"|author=B.P. Koirala|source=Pheri Sundarijal (Jail Diary 2033-34)<ref name="KoiralaBP2034" />}}

In 1979, King Birendra announced that a [[1980 Nepalese governmental system referendum|national referendum]] would be held and the population would be offered the choice between the non-partisan panchayat system and a multi-party system. While a number of political leaders cautiously welcomed the announcement, Mishra spoke very critically on the matter. He questioned the fairness of the vote and expressed particular concern on the issue of citizenship for the Nepali population inhabiting the Terai region as it practically disenfranchised close to two million people.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Parmanand|title=The Indian Community in Nepal and the Nepalese Community in India: The Problem of National Integration|journal=Asian Survey|date=September 1986|volume=26|issue=9|page=1008|doi=10.2307/2644086|jstor=2644086}}</ref><ref name="Joshy2016">{{cite book|last1=Joshy|first1=Dhruva|title=Nepal's Republic & India|date=8 April 2016|publisher=Manas Publications|location=Kathmandu, Nepal|isbn=9788170495123|edition=1st}}</ref> The issue of citizenship was largely not addressed and the referendum was ultimately held on 2 May 1980 with a voter turnout of 66.9%. The panchayat system received a slim majority of 54.8%.

On 13 April 1980, King Birendra announced a general amnesty to all political prisoners and exiles. A few days later, it was confirmed by the Home Ministry that Mishra was one of the political exiles to be granted amnesty. This paved way for him to freely return to Nepal although he was still barred from any political activates in the country.<ref name="LakelandLedger1980" /> Following the amnesty, Mishra would visit Kathmandu frequently but remained in India where he continued to advocate for greater political and civil freedom in Nepal.<ref name="Joshy2016" />

===1990–1995===

Bhadrakali Mishra returned full-time to Nepal in August 1990 after the success of the 1990 popular movement. The movement brought an end to absolute monarchy and established a democracy with the King retaining a ceremonial role.<ref name="GNVADswathmore">{{cite web|title=Nepalese force king to accept democratic reform, 'Jana Andolan' (People's Movement), 1990 {{!}} Global Nonviolent Action Database|url=http://nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu/content/nepalese-force-king-accept-democratic-reform-jana-andolan-peoples-movement-1990|website=nvdatabase.swarthmore.edu|access-date=14 July 2016}}</ref> (See also [[People's Movement I (1990)]])

In late December 1990, Mishra was granted an audience by King Birendra at the [[Narayanhiti Palace]] where the two reportedly discussed the establishment of democracy and transition from an absolute to constitutional monarchy. It was at this meeting that the King reportedly asked Mishra if he would be willing to serve as the Chairman of his Raj Parishad (Privy Council). Bhadrakali Mishra agreed and, on 17 February 1991, was appointed to the position. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the King on the morning of 19 February 1991, Nepal's ''Prajatantra Diwas'' (Democracy Day).<ref name="KhatiwadaBhattarai1993">{{cite book|last1=Khatiwada|first1=Pradip|last2=Bhattarai|first2=Dinesh|title=Nepal India : democracy in the making of mutual trust|date=1 December 1993|publisher=Pencraft Intl.|isbn=8185693366|edition=1st}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1991 Timeline of Nepal|url=http://d-arch.ide.go.jp/browse/html/1991/303/1991303DIA.html|website=Institute of Developing Economies (IDE-JETRO)|publisher=IDE-JETRO|access-date=25 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121094041/http://d-arch.ide.go.jp/browse/html/1991/303/1991303DIA.html|archive-date=2013-01-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The ''Raj Parishad'' was a body bestowed with a lot of power by the Constitution of Nepal (1990). According to the constitution (Article 34), Chairman of the ''Raj Parishad'' had the authority to convene a meeting of the Council to run matters of the state in the event of the demise of the King, should the King proclaim his abdication, or the King be mentally or physically unable to perform his functions.<ref name="NepalConstitution1990">{{cite book|title=Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal (1990) - Official Translation|date=1992|publisher=Law Books Management Board, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs|location=Kathmandu, Nepal}}</ref>

In May 1991, Mishra traveled as the Personal Representative of King Birendra to pay respects on the death of former Prime Minister of India [[Rajiv Gandhi]].<ref name="Aggarwala1993">{{cite book|last1=Aggarwala|first1=Adish C.|title=Rajiv Gandhi : an assessment|date=1993|publisher=Amish Publ.|location=New Delhi|isbn=8190028901|pages=198|edition=First}}</ref> The official Nepalese delegation was led by Prime Minister [[Krishna Prasad Bhattarai|Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2016}}

In late January and early February 1992, Bhadrakali Mishra undertook an official visit to the United States of America as the Personal Representative of King Birendra to meet with [[President George H. W. Bush]], senior officials of the US Government, the [[House Committee on Foreign Affairs]], and other officials and dignitaries at [[Washington DC]]. During this visit he also attended the [[National Prayer Breakfast]] on 30 January 1992.

In early July 1992, Bhadrakali Mishra traveled to [[Thailand]] at the invitation of [[Sanya Dharmasakti]], the then President of the [[Privy Council of Thailand]]. During this visit he undertook discussions with his counterpart at the Privy Council of Thailand and with other senior Thai Government officials on strengthening relations between Nepal and Thailand as well as the development of [[Lumbini]], the birthplace of [[Gautama Buddha]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Chairman of the Raj Parishad Standing Committee visits Thailand, discusses cooperation [translated]|url=http://www.gorkhapatraonline.com/|agency=Gorkhaparta|publisher=Gorkhaparta Sansthan, Nepal|date=14 July 1992}}</ref>

In 1994, Bhadrakali Mishra traveled to various parts of the [[Tibet Autonomous Region]] of China, visiting many border crossings that could be developed to strengthen trade and transit between Nepal and China. During this trip, in addition to meeting with border, customs and trade officials, Mishra also met with senior officials of both the Region's administration as well as with senior members of the [[Communist Party of China]]. He also visited the Consulate of Nepal in [[Lhasa]]. Mishra's was the first official visit to any part of Tibet Autonomous Region of China by a senior Nepalese dignitary since the establishment of democracy in Nepal (in 1990).<ref>{{cite news|title=CPPCC Head meets Nepali Council Head|agency=Xinhua News Agency|publisher=The Xinhua General Overseas News Service|date=26 November 1994}}</ref>

===1996–2006===

Following the end of his term as the Chairman of the Royal Privy Council Standing Committee, Bhadrakali Mishra returned to his village [[Pipra, Mahottari|Pipra]] in the Terai. He engaged in a number of local and small-scale social initiatives. He financed, from his personal accounts, repair and preventative maintenance of the Pipra high-school and its Dwarika-Vijay-Lilawati ''Chhatrawas'' (hostel). He also reactivated the Basahiya village-based ''Gandhi Sewa Ashram'' started a number of programmes aimed at social upliftment, education and women empowerment (Bhadrakali Mishra, Pundit Ramakant Jha, Ram Narayan Mishra and [[Mahendra Narayan Nidhi]] had established the ''Ashram'' in 1953).<ref>{{cite news|last1=Singh|first1=Rajkamal|title=Regional committee of the Nepal Charkha Pracharak Gandhi Tulasi Smarak Trust constituted [translated]|url=http://dainikpost.com/%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%9A-%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE/|access-date=21 July 2016|work=Dainik Post (dainikpost.com)|agency=Dainik Post|publisher=Dainik Post|date=29 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819005501/http://dainikpost.com/%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%9A-%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE/|archive-date=2016-08-19|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He strongly advocated the need for and importance of women's empowerment, effective social security structures for widows and orphans, meaningful and remunerated employment for women, and proper education of girls. He financed tuition scholarship for one girl and one boy in [[Pipra, Mahottari|Pipra]] village, each year, for the duration of their school years on condition that they continue formal schooling until they graduated high school. He also accompanied local NGO workers to rural Terai villages to speak to parents and impress upon them the need to educate their children, particularly their daughters.<ref name="GorkhapatraNov99" />

In his retired life, he also undertook religious pilgrimages to locations of religious and educational importance, visiting Puri, Kanya Kumari, Delhi, Varanasi, Allahabad, Calcutta, Badrinath and Kedarnath in India.<ref name="GorkhapatraObituary2006" />

From 2003 onwards, owing to poor health and the need for regular medical care, Bhadrakali Mishra moved back to Kathmandu and lived with his son Ajay and his family. He made yearly trips to Ranchi where in addition to being with his youngest son, Vinay, he also underwent regular medical check-ups. He frequently traveled to Delhi and [[Mauritius]] to visit his grandchildren.<ref name="GorkhapatraObituary2006">{{cite news|title=Obituary: Bhadrakali Mishra, Congress Leader [translated]|agency=Gorkhapatra|publisher=Gorkhapatra Sansthan, Nepal|date=15 June 2006}}</ref>

Bhadrakali Mishra passed away in Ranchi on 1 June 2006 due to old age. As per his wishes, his last rites were performed as per the Arya Samaj rituals and his ashes were immersed in the [[Ganges]] in [[Varanasi]], India.<ref name="GorkhapatraObituary2006" />

===Social and political legacy===

Following his passing, the Nepali Congress unanimously approved a condolence motion that was sponsored by late Girija Prasad Koirala, the then President of the Nepali Congress and care-taker Prime Minister of Nepal. Speaking at the meeting, Koirala noted that in Mishra's demise, the nation had lost a statesman and a true democrat. Condolence messages were also delivered by the Ambassadors of China, Japan and India, and numerous political activists and civil society members.<ref name="GorkhapatraObituary2006" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Stalwart of democratic movement passes away [translated] |url=http://kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?nid= |agency=Kantipur |publisher=Kantipur Publications |date=14 June 2006 }}{{dead link|date=January 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

On the eve of the promulgation of the [[Constitution of Nepal|Constitution of Nepal-2015]], Nepali civil society leaders including Sushil Pyakurel, Kapil Shrestha, Dharmendra Jha, Charan Prasai, Dinesh Tripathi, and many others issued a statement recalling the contributions of and paying homage to Bhadrakali Mishra, along with leaders including B.P. Koirala, Tanka Prasad Acharya, Pushpalal Shrestha, Madan Bhandari, Mahendra Narayan Nidhi and Gajendra Narayan Singh as "dreamers of a democratic Nepal."<ref name="INSEC20150915">{{cite news|title=नागरिक समाजका अगुवाद्वारा नयाँ संविधानको स्वागत (translated: Civil society leaders welcome new Constitution)|url=http://www.inseconline.org/index.php?type=news&lang=np&id=51183|access-date=11 February 2016|agency=INSEC Online|publisher=Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC)|date=19 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Statute hailed|url=http://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/statute-hailed/|access-date=12 July 2016|agency=The Himalayan Times|publisher=International Media Network Nepal (Pvt.) Ltd.|date=20 September 2015}}</ref>

==Personal life==

Bhadrakali Mishra was born on 6 February 1920 to Dwarika Parshad Mishra ({{lang-ne|द्वारिका प्रशाद मिश्र}}) and Ram Ratan Kuwari ({{lang-ne|राम रत्न कुँवरी}}) in the village of [[Pipra, Mahottari|Pipra]] in Mahottari District, located in the southern plains. Bhadrakali had an elder and a younger brother.<ref name="GorkhapatraNov99" />

Sometime in his late-teens, Bhadrakali Mishra was married to Lilawati Mishra ({{lang-ne|लीलावति मिश्र}}), the daughter of Bishwanath Prasad Mishra from [[Chhapra]], Bihar, India. His father-in-law, Bishwanath Prasad was a close friend of the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.<ref name="GautamC2005" /> By profession, he was a defense lawyer, primarily for criminal cases during the [[British Raj]].

Bhadrakali and Lilawati Mishra were married for about 45 years, until Lilawati's death in 1987, in Patna, India. They had three sons, Vijay, Ajay and Vinay.

Vijay Mishra (1946-1977) spent most of his life in Nepal and started Vijay Printing Press, one of the country's first privately owned mechanical printing presses.<ref>{{cite news|title=Special Editorial|work=Saptahik Bimarsha|agency=Saptahik Bimarsha Prakashan|date=14 April 1990}}</ref> Ajay Mishra (1952-2011) initially served in the Merchant Navy in India as an engineer, returning to Nepal in 1981, and was one of the country's first Apple certified service providers (for Macintosh computers).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Shneiderman|first1=Sara|title=Rituals of Ethnicity: Thangmi Identities Between Nepal and India (Contemporary Ethnography)|date=25 February 2015|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|location=United States of America|isbn=978-0812246834|edition=First|ref=Shneiderman_Ethnicity2015}}</ref> He is also credited as having designed and developed Preeti, the first computer font for Nepali language.<ref name="UNMINPatra6">{{cite news|title=Communicating UNMIN and Nepal's rich linguistic diversity|url=http://un.org.np/unmin-archive/downloads/publications/PATRA_6_ENG.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812235942/http://un.org.np/unmin-archive/downloads/publications/PATRA_6_ENG.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 August 2016|access-date=2 February 2016|work=UNMIN Patra|agency=United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN)|issue=#6, April–May 2008|publisher=Public Information and Outreach Section UNMIN}}</ref> Vinay Mishra (1956-) a [[Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons|Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons]] is presently the Chief Surgeon at the Abdur Razzaque Ansari Memorial Hospital in [[Ranchi]], [[Bihar]].

Among his grandchildren, Vibhu Mishra (son of Ajay Mishra) is an official at the [[United Nations]], serving at the [[United Nations Department of Public Information|Department of Public Information]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Nepal's mountain communities feeling effects of global warming|url=http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2016/12/nepals-mountain-communities-feeling-effects-of-global-warming/|access-date=12 December 2016|work=www.unmultimedia.org|agency=UN Radio|date=10 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=World should "embrace" new UN draft agreement on refugees|url=http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2016/08/world-should-embrace-new-un-draft-agreement-on-refugees-and-migrants/|access-date=12 December 2016|work=www.unmultimedia.org|agency=UN Radio|date=9 August 2016}}</ref> having previously served at the secretariat of the [[Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific|UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific]],<ref>{{cite web|title=List of participants at the third session of the Committee on Macroeconomic Policy, Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Development, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific|url=https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/ESCAP/CMP%283%29/INF/2|website=United Nations Official Document System|publisher=United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific|access-date=11 February 2016}}</ref> the [[Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights]]<ref name="MahonyNashInfluences">{{cite book|last1=Mahony|first1=Liam|last2=Nash|first2=Roger|title=Influence on the Ground: Understanding and Strengthening the Protection Impact of United Nations Human Rights Field Presences|date=2012|publisher=Fieldview Solutions|location=United States of America|isbn=978-0-9850713-1-8|page=v|edition=first|url=http://www.globalprotectioncluster.org/_assets/files/tools_and_guidance/human_rights_protection/Fieldview_Solutions_Influence_Ground_Mahony_2012-EN.pdf|access-date=11 February 2016}}</ref><ref name="Vigeland_OECDDemoSupport">{{cite web|last1=Vigeland|first1=Endre|last2=Sharma|first2=Ila|title=Democracy Support through the United Nations|url=https://www.oecd.org/derec/norway/48086725.pdf|website=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)|publisher=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)|access-date=2 May 2016}}</ref> and the [[United Nations Mission in Nepal]].<ref name="UNMINPatra6" />

One of Bhadrakali Mishra's cousins, [[Shyam Nandan Prasad Mishra]], served as the Minister of External Affairs of India from 28 July 1979 to 13 January 1980.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ghimire|first1=Yubaraj|title=Who are the Madhesis, why are they angry?|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/explained/who-are-the-madhesis-why-are-they-angry/|access-date=12 July 2016|agency=The Indian Express|publisher=The Express Group|date=5 October 2015}}</ref>

==Honours==

Some of the prominent honours bestowed upon Bhadrakali Mishra included:<ref name="GorkhapatraObituary2006" />
* [[Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu|Suprasidha Prabala Gorkha Dakshina Bahu]] (The Most Puissant Order of the Gurkha Right Arm) for most exceptional and highly invaluable services rendered to the nation and to the monarchy, 1995.<ref>{{cite book|title=Nepal Rajpatra [tr.: Nepal Gazette]|date=12 August 1995|publisher=His Majesty's Government of Nepal|location=Kathmandu|page=2}}</ref>
* Birendra Rajat Jayanti Padak (King Birendra Silvery Jubilee Medal), special coronation medal for services rendered to the nation during the reign of His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, 1997.
* Birendra-Aishwarya Sewa Padak (King Birendra-Queen Aishwarya Service Medal) for dedicated and trustworthy services rendered to King Birendra and the monarchy during his reign, 2002.

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Additional reading on background information===
* भारतीय आन्दोलनमा नेपाली [tr.: Nepalis in Indian (political) Movements] by Rajeshwor Nepali https://web.archive.org/web/20140818090520/http://www.nagariknews.com/opinion/story/22984.html
* Modernization of Nepal under the Shah Dynasty, 1951-1991 (Research Paper, AP World History Class, Fall 2007) by Yang, Eunmo. Korean Minjok Leadership Academy International Program

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mishra, Bhadrakali}}
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:Nepali Congress politicians]]
[[Category:People from Mahottari District]]
[[Category:University of Allahabad alumni]]
[[Category:Maithil Brahmin]]

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Bhadrakali Mishra