I have been victorious morally, politically and legally
Born in the year 2006 Bikram era (all the dates referred to hereafter are in Bikram era) at Khalte in Rupakot Village Development Committee of Tanahun district, Govinda Raj Joshi is an MA (Political Science), BL and BEd. His step into the field of politics dates back to the year 2021 when Joshi had just begun his student life. Joshi who regards late BP Koirala as his ideal was the president of free student union (College of Education) and Gandaki Student Council. Joshi was a member of Tarun Dal, the youth wing of Nepali Congress Party, in the year 2026, secretary of Nepali Congress, Tanahun, in 2033, secretary of multiparty campaign committee of Nepali Congress Party in 2036,vice- president of Nepali Congress Party, Tanahun district and eventually made it to the central committee member of the party in the year 2054. Likewise, Mr Joshi was elected as central committee member of the party in the year 2057.Twice a central committee member; Mr Joshi has already held the prestigious post of a joint general secretary of the party. He actively worked as a co-ordinator while the construction of the Nepali Congress Party Building was underway at Sanepa, Lalitpur.
Joshi who started his career as a teacher was also the founder of Tribhuwan High School, Tanahun, Principal of Shiva Secondary School, Rishing and also the founder of Bhanubhakta Multiple College, Tanahun. He taught at the very college for two years as a volunteer. A student of Law, Mr Joshi also practiced for 12 years and was also associated with Nepal Bar Association and Amnesty International. Mr Joshi was jailed at the inception of Nepal Student Union in the year 2027 and during the course of the struggle carried out by Nepali Congress Party for the restoration of Democracy, was jailed on and off for a total length of 3 and a half years.
Elected as a member of the parliament in the parliamentary elections held in the years 2048, 2051 and 2056, Mr Joshi also worked as a member secretary of Nepali Congress Party. A chief whip of the party in the parliament in the year 2048, Mr Joshi also held several important portfolios in the governments formed by Nepali Congress Party in different years: Minister for Education, Culture and Social Welfare (2048-2051), Education Minister (2052-2053), Home Minister (2055), Home and General Administration Minister (2055), Minister for Water Resource (2056), Home Minister again in 2057, Minister for Local Development and later Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (2058).
Mr. Joshi has already served as presidents in different unions and has worked as the chairperson of Nepal National Commission and Education Improvement Commission for UNESCO.
Mr. Joshi has visited India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Australia, China, North Korea, South Korea, France, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, United Kingdom, America, Japan, Canada etc, and also headed the Nepali delegations in various seminars, conventions and conferences conducted both home and abroad.
In addition to these, Mr Joshi is also an eloquent speaker and is known as a person with a clear political ideal within the party. He relentlessly took part in the people's movement after the royal takeover in 2059.He was the one to announce stiff protest programmes from Nepali Congress Party side. Mr Joshi, who was the one to design the basic concept of five party alliance, was also the one to go to Delhi to formally initiate the talks with the Maoists. The role he played during the splitting up of Nepali Congress Party and the construction of the party office building is still exalted by everyone. He has represented from Tanahun district in all the parliamentary elections held after the restoration of democracy in 2046. He is also portrayed as the potential leader of the party. The party workers have strongly demanded that he be made the Home Minister again. Here is an interview taken with Mr Joshi by Shree Bhakta Khanal for Salil Saugat Supplementary.
Did you not begin your active political life as a teacher ?
I was into politics right from my student life. Back in the year 2018 when my father was imprisoned by the then government, the winds of active politics started blowing into my mind. While a school student, I was also an ex-com member of the student union of the present Bhanu Secondary School, then Durbar High School, in the year 2018. After my father was arrested on charge of being a Nepali Congress activist, my active involvement in the party activities accelerated. I was on and off jailed during the students' movement between 2021 and 2027. In 2027, at the inception Nepal Student Union, I was also jailed. As per BP Koirala's advice that the youth should go and work in the village, I too returned. On establishing Tribhuwan School, I worked as a founder and a volunteer principal for six years. Then, I used my family property in running the school. I was also the founder principal of Bhanubhakta Multiple Campus where I taught for 2 years free of cost. I advocated free of cost for all the democratic people of Tanahun for 12 years and many lovers of democracy still have high regards for me. I have been imprisoned for well over 3 and a half years for being associated with Nepali Congress Party. On the very day of declaration of democracy in the year 2046, I was released from the prison. During the Panchayat regime I was assigned the task of strengthening and expanding the party in Tanahun and I also had the responsibility of conducting major party programmes. This was how I was involved in politics.
You were in much controversy because of the Commission for Investigation of Authority Abuse (CIAA), weren't you ?
After the dismissal of the then Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, in 2059, as a pre- planned move, about 40 politicians of Nepali Congress, including the party president, Girija Prasad Koirala, and me were accused of being involved in corruption. This was done with the sheer purpose of ruining our political careers morally, politically and legally. They even tried their level best to prove us guilty. Many people, including some of my own party members who had strong prejudices against me, were involved in this conspiracy. They had tried to completely destroy my political career under the conspiracy of CIAA personnel but in the end I was victorious morally, politically and legally.
You blame the CIAA of accusing you without any evidence, but can the CIAA do that without any solid basis ?
The fact that CIAA accused me without any basis has been verified by the decision of the court. I held nine different ministries in nine years' period. Could it point out a single case of irregularity with regard to any of the decisions I took then? If all my work could be flawless could I still be charged with the malpractice allegation? While a Home Minister, I curbed the then rampant smuggling at the international airport; was that corruption? I never sheltered irregularity while holding different portfolios in the cabinet. On the contrary, I didn't let the Mafia work together while calling for tenders. While I was a Minister for water resource the then CIAA chief Surya Nath Upadhayaya had almost gulped Rs twenty million in connection with drafting an ordinance. I came to know about it and stopped him .Is that corruption? After I obtained a clean chit from the special court in my case, Surya Nath was quoted as saying, while speaking to the BBC, "With Joshi I had some old things to sort out and I succeeded in doing so. My duty was to ruin Joshi's political career and I spread it throughout the nation, and whether he was really involved in corruption or not is for the court to decide and it's none of my concern. What the court says must be right." In this way all the smugglers and Mafia were angry with me. And they invested a lot in writing against me. And you call that corruption? That's why, challenging the CIAA, I did not summon myself to them for any queries and clarification. And I could do this only because I had the moral strength to do so. In the end, I won morally, legally and politically.
Do you feel that your image has tarnished after the allegation on you from CIAA ?
I am not a leader with a short political background-born yesterday and all-powerful today. I have a history of having served in the year 2025 by opening up a school in Tanahu. Let alone taking the salary, I had spent my family property on meeting the running cost of the school. I was elected three times on account of my social service and the sweat beads I have shed for politics. The people are not foolish you know. Had I done anything wrong or if I had hurt their sentiments, they wouldn't have made me the winner each time my candidacy was filed. But may be some people didn't want to see me in politics and they simply couldn't take the support that I received from the people. So after the dissolution of the house followed by royal takeover, a case was filed against me. Forty leaders altogether, including our respected party president Girija Prasad Koirala, were accused of the malpractice and cases were filed against all. The royal takeover had really encouraged those elements that so badly wanted to eliminate the democrats like us. So taking advantage of the situation they had the case filed against us. And the court has proved that baseless and we have become morally victorious. Naturally not all people are happy about the fact that Joshi got the justice. And it's equally normal that they have opposed the verdict. This is their right to oppose. I don't see any reason why I should be unhappy about it. I was active yesterday, I am active today and I shall always remain active in the days to come. That's why I haven't at all felt discouraged. Conversely, those who troubled me for the last four years might have been restless. For example, one of the leaders of Nepali Congress Party itself, while addressing a function organized by Jana Morcha Nepal Party, openly expressed his dissatisfaction over the decision of the court. Those comments of his were published in one of the national dailies. This too has proved the suspicion that he and the CIAA chief had conspired against me before lodging the charge sheet. Not very unnatural it is that some people are not happy about the fact that justice was done to Govinda Raj Joshi.
You have time and again said that CIAA tried to prove you guilty without any concrete evidence. Can you elaborate further on the charge tagged on you by CIAA ?
Yes, a fake lawsuit had been filed against me. Later the one to file the charge sheet himself testified in the court that the signature supposed to be his was a fake one. Speaking to the journalists, he has said that this case was filed by the political contestants of Mr. Joshi who were intent on ruining his political career by going for a fake signature of his. So it's crystal clear that it's a conspiracy. So far as the case is concerned, let me explain this to you clearly with the help of an example: Suppose, I filed a case against you saying that you killed me and I am seen walking after that. A dead man doesn't walk. A case has been filed and legal proceedings have taken place. Now should the court look into the case or not? When the very man supposed to be dead is walking alive then what option will the court be left with but to dismiss the case? While the case was lodged against me, I was not holding any public post. The legal provision under which the action was taken against me had been formulated later on. Let me further clarify to you the nature of the case with yet another example: You are walking on the road. The police arrest you on charge of a murder and take you to the court. The court doesn't at once inquire on whether you are a murderer or not. It looks into the legal proceedings. The court doesn't decide the case the way a street vandal does. It starts its trials after certain process. But why could CIAA, that was so sure of Govinda Raj Joshi's involvement in corruption, not even fulfill certain necessary procedures before taking him to the court? They were saying that Govinda Raj Joshi should go behind the bars for thirteen years. That's what they had demanded for. They too have to accept the rule of law. If one says he defies the law and the court, then what can be done about such people? This country has a lot of legal experts. Let them say if the law in Nepal can imprison anyone for thirteen years under corruption charge? Can I be proven guilty with the hypothetical provision of the law that doesn't even exist? The CIAA was just bent on scandalizing and ruining my career on moral grounds. During my twelve years period as an MP, I have not bought anything except a vehicle, that too under a special custom facility provided by the government to the MP's. I have time and again challenged: if anyone can find illegal wealth, which I am supposed to have amassed, in any corner of the world, I am ready to quit my public post forever. Can anyone just a file a case against me simply to harass me? That's why a lawsuit was filed without any legal base, just to defame me. I suffered for four years. Even Surya Nath has accepted this. Truth is truth after all. This has been proved by the verdict of the special court as well.
Let me tell you one more thing: if I had been indulged in corruption, there should have been a proof. I was minister for nine years. I took responsibility of nine different ministries. I took hundreds of decisions. Out of those at least in some they should have succeeded in pinpointing the malpractices on my part. Isn't it imperative that the ones who accuse of being corrupt prove the allegation? The court looks for facts and evidence, and when those were not found I was naturally given a clean chit.
Politics is always people based. Though the decision from the court has come in your favor, people say the public is not in your support ?
Please tell me who "people" are? Aren't the ones staging protests against CIAA when it unlawfully filed a case against me, "people"? Aren't the ones cherishing my release "people"? Aren't the ones who made me their representative for three tenures in a row "people"? Do we not take the ones who respect my politics as "people"? I have won people's confidence a number of times. Even the forthcoming election will prove that. I won't tremble simply because there is a conspiracy going on against me. The people themselves will speak against those elements that are trying to derail my commitment towards the people and democracy.
Why are you politically attacked from both within your party and outside ?
There will be less number of people involved in plotting of any campaign that is started with certain vested interest and the ones participating in it will be more. So some people might have carried the notion that they will profit out of my political defeat. There is a saying in our country that until one is uprooted, the other will not have the remedy. I have heard that some of my party men have lost their sleep after I won the case. Some people have been hired to oppose me as well. May be some have been used without their being aware about it. What I should accept is that I couldn't represent the feelings of certain friends of mine from within the party when I was a minister. Some friends had approached me for their own personal interests and I couldn't help them. Quite many friends are after me for not helping them when I was in power. I might also have been attacked for my unshakable political stance. I had said earlier that the action of CIAA was prejudiced, politically motivated and unlawful. That's why despite repeated insistence I didn't summon myself before CIAA to furnish any explanation. I couldn't assist the unlawful action. Even when I was in Singha Durbar prison, they said I would be released if I agreed to give a one-line statement in their favor. But I refused. The court has finally given me justice.
You said the people and the party workers were with you but you were defeated in the party convention. What do you say about it ?
Don't harbor the delusion that Govinda Raj Joshi has become weaker in the party. If I had lost people's faith, if the leaders had not trusted me, and if the party workers had not believed in me, I wouldn't have faced such a stiff opposition. I am still at the center of politics, my position in the party is the same, and the people have the same faith in me. If you are into politics you are also prepared to cope with the opposition, and I was aware of it the very moment I first stepped into the field of politics. The opposition acts as energy for me. And because of that very energy I am determined to strive further in politics. If you talk about the party convention, I lost due to technical reasons. Then as a joint general secretary I was responsible in making the convention a success. The autocratic regime had created all kinds of obstacles with a view to not letting this convention be a success. Later, in the last minute, it had to be held at the party office itself. Thus I was totally busy with the preparation for the convention but in the meantime other friends had enough time to go to the representatives and ask for the vote. I didn't get enough time so I was defeated. On top of this, some friends betrayed me. This is not my first and the last ordeal. I have come triumphant in many such tests and the same will happen in future as well. My friend's love and trust is just the same.
What was your role in People's Movement- 2 ?
Most of the leaders after the February first royal takeover were either underground or imprisoned. Girija Prasad Koirala too was under house arrest. When I was released from Damuli and came to Kathmandu the party activities were complete chaos. Then I was a joint general secretary. Whilst president Koirala was under house arrest Nepali Congress Party proclaimed massive protest programmes from 7 Falgun, 2062. The call came from Girija Prasad Koirala, and that was very natural. But I was the one to plan it and issue the press statement. You can even ask Girija Babu about that. Later, seven parties were into the mass uprising. Initially it was me who had formed a working unity between the five parties. This can be known through Girija Prasad Koirala and Madhav Kumar Nepal. Similarly, talks and comprise is underway with the Maoists now. With a conclusion drawn that politics can't progress without the talks and comprise with the Maoists, Chakra Bastola and Girija Prasad Koirala headed off to New Delhi and initiated informal talks. To give those informal talks a formal touch Dr Shekhar Koirala and I went to New Delhi and the talks progressed from that very point. This can be known from Girija Prasad Koirala and Prachanda. I was also actively involved in People's movement after the royal takeover. The Police had arrested me a number of times in connection with this. In the decisive mass uprising, I was arrested under the security act and kept in the Police custody. Who saw my active involvement in the movement and who didn't is a different story. I was in Lalitpur in the course of the movement. I did fulfill my duty with utmost responsibility there. If one is to seek his share for having taken part in the movement, it's different but in the course of political development I have played a crucial role and I am totally satisfied with it. All may not know all these things.
What have you done so special that people will be able to remember your contribution ?
I shouldn't blow my own trumpet. The policies that I devised while a Minister for Education are still relevant today. Higher Secondary School inception, Technical and Vocational Training Centered Programs, Multi University Establishment, University grants Commission, Proposed provision of changing the temporary Secondary Schools to Permanent ones, etc, happened during my period. The people of Nepal shall assess what I have done. The Party workers are comparing the present state of the party with that of my tenure as a joint general secretary. What I firmly believe is people love me on account of my work.
And do you have anything to say in the end ?
I would like to thank you for making my views and reality known to the people.
