Tanka Prasad Acharya

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Tanka Prasad Acharya (Nepali: टंक प्रसाद आचार्य b. 1912 - d. 23 April 1992) was the Prime Minister of Nepal from 27 January 1956 to 26 July 1957[1] and the founding leader of Nepal Praja Parishad (Nepal People's Council). He was the son of Tika Prasad Acharya and Tika Devi Acharya.

Tanka Prasad Acharya was an anti-Rana, pro-democracy politician. Under the influence of freedom movement in India, five men—Acharya, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Dashrath Chand, Sukra Raj Shastri, Gangalal Shrestha founded the Nepal Praja Parishad in the late 1930s, with Acharya as the chairman. Their motive was to overthrow the Rana regime and establish a democratic government in Nepal.[2]

Acharya was the first person to bring printing machine into Nepal.[3] He brought it from Banaras to publish four leaflets advocating overthrow of the Rana empire. He along with other four activists were captured for opposition and sentenced to death by the Rana's in 1940; but Acharya was never executed as the then Nepali law (influenced by Hinduism) forbade the killing of Brahmins.[2] The movement later led to the overthrow of Rana empire. Acharya was released from the captivity in 1951 when King Tribhuvan came back to power. He went on to become the Prime Minister in 1956.

Tanka Prasad Acharya died on 23 April 1992 due to Kidney complications.[4] In year 2000, Meena Acharya founded the Tanka Prasad Acharya Memorial Foundation.

Political offices
Preceded by
Direct rule by Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev
Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Nepal
1956 – 1957
Succeeded by
Kunwar Inderjit Singh

References [edit]

  1. ^ "worldstatesmen.org/Nepal". worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
  2. ^ a b Westminster legacies. UNSW Press. 2005. ISBN 978-0-86840-848-4. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
  3. ^ "Tanka Prasad Acharya". nepalhomepage.com. Retrieved 2009-05-15. 
  4. ^ "Tanka Prasad Acharya, 78, Ex-Nepal Chief". The New York Times. April 25, 1992. Retrieved 2009-05-15.