Freedom fighter Sapkota dies

Freedom fighter Tilak Prasad Sapkota passed away today. He was also a leading personality in the political and social sphere of Nawalparasi district. He was 79.

 Sapkota had been suffering from asthma for the past three years and was admitted to Bharatpur Hospital on Tuesday. He was referred to the Central Hospital the same night, where he died during treatment at 11:45 this morning, the family sources said.

The late Sapkota was born on 30 January , 1945 in Baglung. He is survived by two wives, seven sons and four daughters. As some of his children are out of the country, his funeral will be held on Friday or Saturday, according to family sources.

Presently living in Ward No. 8 of Gaindakot Municipality after shifting base from Baglung, senior leader of the Nepali Congress party was attracted towards politics after meeting with Nepali Congress Leader BP Koirala, who had come to see his father in Baglung.

Coincidently, many years later, Sapkota gave up his constituency to Dr Shashank Koirala, the son of the late leader BP Koirala. Koirala is standing from the same constituency for a seat to the House of Representatives in the upcoming November 20 general elections.

His contemporaries describe Sapkota as an exemplary character who did not want to come out into the limelight but played an effective role in development, reforms and social transformation along with politics initially at Baglung and then at Nawalparasi.

Sapkota, who spent four years in prison for his involvement in politics during the Panchayat regime, had been active in the Congress since 1959A.D. Sapkota was the president of Kalika Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Gandakot since its inception. He was the founder and former president of Kalika Model Secondary School. He was also the catalyst of Vijay Bikas Resource Center.

He was the founder and lifetime member of Kalika Temple and Kalika Ashram in Gandakot and was also the former chair of Devghat Area Development Committee. He was a lifelong member of Senior Citizens Welfare Foundation Nepal and was known throughout the country as a freedom fighter.

In his political journey, Sapkota served as NC party secretary of Baglung and Nawalparasi districts.

With Sapkota's death, RSS senior editor at the English Desk Krishna Prasad Sapkota has been bereaved. Krishna is the late Sapkota's youngest son.