What do you think?
Rate this book
Atmabrittanta: Late life recollections
Writer, thinker, statesman and humanitarian, B.P. Koirala was a Nepali to be proud of. He fought for Indian independence and then turned homeward to fight the Rana regime. As the towering figure of the post-Rana era, he gave momentum to Nepal’s entry into modern times. His many years of imprisonment (in British India and, later, in a Nepal ruled by the king) and exile gave BP’s career the poignancy of unfulfilled expectations. Even as he has been elevated to the status of political icon, BP’s life and aspirations are little understood. Here, at last, in his own words, is what BP had to say–spoken with clarity and conviction into a microphone in his dying days.
- GenresBiographyAutobiography
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
9 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala
16 books166 followersBishweshwar Prasad Koirala (Nepali: विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला) was born in Varanasi to father Krishna Prasad Koirala, was one of the greatest Nepali political and literary figure. He was the Prime Minister of Nepal from 1959 to 1960 and also the first democratically elected Prime Minister in Nepal's history. He held the office just 18 months before being deposed and imprisoned by order of King Mahendra. The rest of his life was spent largely in prison or exile and in steadily deteriorating health.
While Koirala is considered one of the most charismatic political leader of Nepal, he was also one of the most well-read and thoughtful writers of Nepalese literature. He wrote short stories and novels, and some poems. Koirala began writing short stories in Hindi. His first stories were published in Banaras in Hansa, a Hindi literary magazine edited by Prem Chand (India's Tolstoy). His first Nepali short story "Chandrabadan" was published in Sharada (a Nepali literary magazine) in 1935. Koirala was very good at depicting the character and mind of women. Four other stories of Koirala were included in Katha Kusum (an anthology of Nepali stories), published in 1938 in Darjeeling. As a social realist, with good psychological insight, Koirala had established himself as one of the most important Nepali short story writers of Nepal.
While Koirala is considered one of the most charismatic political leader of Nepal, he was also one of the most well-read and thoughtful writers of Nepalese literature. He wrote short stories and novels, and some poems. Koirala began writing short stories in Hindi. His first stories were published in Banaras in Hansa, a Hindi literary magazine edited by Prem Chand (India's Tolstoy). His first Nepali short story "Chandrabadan" was published in Sharada (a Nepali literary magazine) in 1935. Koirala was very good at depicting the character and mind of women. Four other stories of Koirala were included in Katha Kusum (an anthology of Nepali stories), published in 1938 in Darjeeling. As a social realist, with good psychological insight, Koirala had established himself as one of the most important Nepali short story writers of Nepal.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 28, 2017
बीपीको यो आत्मकथा पढेर भारतीय स्वतन्त्र आन्दोलन, नेपालको राणाशासन, २००७ सालको नेपाली प्रजातान्त्रिक आन्दोलन, १७ सालको महेन्द्रको कू लगायत नेपाली राजनैतिक इतिहासको लामो तथा अत्यन्तै महत्वपूण कालखण्डलाई नजिकबाट हेर्ने मौका मिल्यो | भारतले सुरुवातदेखि नै कसरी नेपालमा राजा, राजनैतिक दल र प्रजालाई अलगअलग विपक्षी शक्तिको रुपमा विकास गरेर आफ्नो सर्वसत्ता लागू गर्न खोजेको छ भन्ने कुरा बीपीको अनुभवले सिद्ध गर्छ | २०३३ को वीपीको मेलमिलाप नीति सफल भएर देशमा भारतको दवदवा न्यूनिकरण हुनसकेको भए र एक ढिक्का भएर देश विकासको मार्गमा अगाडि बढ्न सकेको भए राष्ट्रले ठुलै फड्को मार्थ्यो होला भन्ने अन्दाज गर्न सकिन्छ | भारतीय आन्दोलन, राजनीतिबाट उदय भएका विपीले जुन रुपमा नेपाली प्रजातन्त्र र राष्ट्रियतातर्फ युटर्न गर्नेका छन् त्यो उल्लेखनीय छ | उनले देशको लागि गरेको त्याग र पाएको कष्टले उनको व्यक्तित्वको निर्माण गरेको छ | विभिन्न कमजोरीहरुका वावजुद पनि विपी उच्चस्तरका राष्ट्रनेता थिए भन्नेमा म स्पष्ट हुनसकेको छु | यस आत्मकथाले लेखकको आत्मरतिमात्र नगरेर समस्त रास्ट्रको इतिहास बोकेको छ | पढ्नैपर्ने पुस्तक |
April 2, 2020
Life, scholars claim, has several layers: a life that is lived, a life that is remembered, and a life that is told. André Maurois, a French author, says autobiographies are often plagued by deliberate forgetfulness. Their authors prevaricate at best; they fabricate at worst. Ad hoc events that turned out to be historical, in the case of politicians, can enter the autobiographies as well planned, informed events. Humans, after all, want to manufacture an image of oneself that is different from the common person’s.
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala's autobiography is a notable exception. In Ramachandra Guha’s words, “it is a remarkable document of personal and social history…” Another notable fact about the book is that B.P did not write it down; there was no time for indulgence in the exercise of vanity, “forget” personal failures, and appropriate to his credit successes of collective effort. The dying B.P (he suffered from cancer) narrated his life to his lawyer and it was tape-recorded. It was not published until the late 1990s when the Nepali King Birendra restored democracy that his father had suspended after arresting and jailing the first democratically elected Prime Minister B.P Koirala in the 60s.
B.P was a man of many talents, many dimension. He was a statesman, scholar, writer, and an extremely good student of global geopolitics. He was a rebel; a democrat. He was a reformer. His father went on an exile to India after falling out with the Rana prime minister in Nepal. The Koiralas (especially B.P and his younger brother Girija who also became prime minister of Nepal several times) went to schools and colleges in India, became politically conscious there, turned right, left – and ultimately formed a sound opinion of the Nepali socio-political situation. All these aggregated to finally putting an end to the dictatorial Rana regime that brutally ruled Nepal for more than 100 years. B.P writes in great details, honesty, and clarity how they began their fight for democracy in Nepal from exile.
B.P’s views and politics went beyond his native land. He was fiercely intelligent, extremely erudite, and deeply committed to human wellbeing. His autobiography, besides the sheer elegance of language and literary quality, is a sound analysis of South Asian affairs of those times. B.P enjoyed a good relation with, among others, Jawaharlal Nehru, Jaiprakash Narayan, Ram Lohia, Dr Rajendra Prasad, and even Gandhiji himself. He was after all involved in the Indian independence movement. This association, of course, was of great help to B.P in his own fight against the oppressive political regime in Nepal; he gratefully acknowledges it. However, his closeness also gave him rare moments of how India, big power in the region, played its card. One incident he recounts in the book is particularly interesting and revealing. In New York, the Indian Ambassador V.K. Krishna Menon suggested Koirala, a sovereign prime minister himself, to accompany him to the airport to receive Prime Minister Nehru – an act that would tell the world that Nepal wished, and was, a client state of India, an unequal one. Naturally, Koirala rejected the suggestion. But he didn’t forget it. He says “they just didn’t understand clean diplomacy”. To him, the Indian leaders were like his big brothers. But he didn't accept the idea India was like a "big brother" to Nepal. That distinction between personal and the national spheres was something Koirala took very seriously. And that is what we should be doing.
A lot has changed in South Asia since. Nepal became a democracy. People fought for a republic. B.P’s brother was a critical player in a peace negotiation with the Maoists rebels. All these gave rise to a force that finally put an end to the Shah dynasty in Nepal. India too has changed, says its foreign policies have evolved – everything is so different from the times the great Nepali struggled for his people. But the pieces of wisdom the book preserves are ageless. They would serve as a manual for cautious politics and diplomacy. He was a great man, that is doubtless. The doubt though is, does the Nepali political leadership sometimes look back and reflect upon the ideals and visions of one of Nepal’s greatest sons?
Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala's autobiography is a notable exception. In Ramachandra Guha’s words, “it is a remarkable document of personal and social history…” Another notable fact about the book is that B.P did not write it down; there was no time for indulgence in the exercise of vanity, “forget” personal failures, and appropriate to his credit successes of collective effort. The dying B.P (he suffered from cancer) narrated his life to his lawyer and it was tape-recorded. It was not published until the late 1990s when the Nepali King Birendra restored democracy that his father had suspended after arresting and jailing the first democratically elected Prime Minister B.P Koirala in the 60s.
B.P was a man of many talents, many dimension. He was a statesman, scholar, writer, and an extremely good student of global geopolitics. He was a rebel; a democrat. He was a reformer. His father went on an exile to India after falling out with the Rana prime minister in Nepal. The Koiralas (especially B.P and his younger brother Girija who also became prime minister of Nepal several times) went to schools and colleges in India, became politically conscious there, turned right, left – and ultimately formed a sound opinion of the Nepali socio-political situation. All these aggregated to finally putting an end to the dictatorial Rana regime that brutally ruled Nepal for more than 100 years. B.P writes in great details, honesty, and clarity how they began their fight for democracy in Nepal from exile.
B.P’s views and politics went beyond his native land. He was fiercely intelligent, extremely erudite, and deeply committed to human wellbeing. His autobiography, besides the sheer elegance of language and literary quality, is a sound analysis of South Asian affairs of those times. B.P enjoyed a good relation with, among others, Jawaharlal Nehru, Jaiprakash Narayan, Ram Lohia, Dr Rajendra Prasad, and even Gandhiji himself. He was after all involved in the Indian independence movement. This association, of course, was of great help to B.P in his own fight against the oppressive political regime in Nepal; he gratefully acknowledges it. However, his closeness also gave him rare moments of how India, big power in the region, played its card. One incident he recounts in the book is particularly interesting and revealing. In New York, the Indian Ambassador V.K. Krishna Menon suggested Koirala, a sovereign prime minister himself, to accompany him to the airport to receive Prime Minister Nehru – an act that would tell the world that Nepal wished, and was, a client state of India, an unequal one. Naturally, Koirala rejected the suggestion. But he didn’t forget it. He says “they just didn’t understand clean diplomacy”. To him, the Indian leaders were like his big brothers. But he didn't accept the idea India was like a "big brother" to Nepal. That distinction between personal and the national spheres was something Koirala took very seriously. And that is what we should be doing.
A lot has changed in South Asia since. Nepal became a democracy. People fought for a republic. B.P’s brother was a critical player in a peace negotiation with the Maoists rebels. All these gave rise to a force that finally put an end to the Shah dynasty in Nepal. India too has changed, says its foreign policies have evolved – everything is so different from the times the great Nepali struggled for his people. But the pieces of wisdom the book preserves are ageless. They would serve as a manual for cautious politics and diplomacy. He was a great man, that is doubtless. The doubt though is, does the Nepali political leadership sometimes look back and reflect upon the ideals and visions of one of Nepal’s greatest sons?
February 20, 2023
Well, It was a good read. Reading the book made me realise how much gossip, backstabbing and believing in rumours happens in our society. And this has prevailing, from around 2033B.S. when the book was written and 2079B.S. now.
January 11, 2017
A master piece!!! Must Read!!!
December 30, 2022
एक नयाकको उतार र चाडवो अनि त्यो यात्राको सम्पुर्ण विवरण ।नेपाली कांग्रेसका महान संस्थापक जसको चिन र भारत लगायत आन्य मुलुक संगपनी एकदम भरपर्दो र लाभदाइ मित्रता कायम गरेका थिए। एकदमै प्रभावशली आत्मबृतान्त । जय नेपाल ।
Read
December 20, 2019I listened to the audio version of this book as it was free online.
I think this book should be part of Nepali history curriculum to teach student what was happening in Nepal when there was transition from Rana rule to democratic rule.
There is section that highlight the darker side of Nepali Royals when king Tribhuwan pressurizes his family and BP to join some vulgar party. This gives some hint why king Mahendra may have wanted to take absolute power.
I assume BP has not lied in this book (as it is common with current politicians). He even mentions he shot (and killed) with his pistol when there was a mob attack when he was home minister in the transitional government. He also explains how he smuggled guns and money around countries and abroad. He even managed to fly guns from Rangoon (Yangoon) to Bihar and then transported it to Nepal. And he donated guns to Bangladesh when it was in process of separation with Pakistan.
He clearly mentions friction between Jawaharlal Nehru (the prime minister of India) and him regarding various issues and the Indian mentality to think as big boss and how they played in between king, ranas and democratic parties.
Overall a good book that accounts political history of Nepal and slightly hints towards the social life of that period.
I think this book should be part of Nepali history curriculum to teach student what was happening in Nepal when there was transition from Rana rule to democratic rule.
There is section that highlight the darker side of Nepali Royals when king Tribhuwan pressurizes his family and BP to join some vulgar party. This gives some hint why king Mahendra may have wanted to take absolute power.
I assume BP has not lied in this book (as it is common with current politicians). He even mentions he shot (and killed) with his pistol when there was a mob attack when he was home minister in the transitional government. He also explains how he smuggled guns and money around countries and abroad. He even managed to fly guns from Rangoon (Yangoon) to Bihar and then transported it to Nepal. And he donated guns to Bangladesh when it was in process of separation with Pakistan.
He clearly mentions friction between Jawaharlal Nehru (the prime minister of India) and him regarding various issues and the Indian mentality to think as big boss and how they played in between king, ranas and democratic parties.
Overall a good book that accounts political history of Nepal and slightly hints towards the social life of that period.
July 17, 2024
This autobiography documented the political-history of Nepal from Koirala’s perspective. It is must read for someone who is interested in history about ‘fall of Rana regime’ and ‘rise of Nepali Congress’
But, I found this book to be full of some kind of ‘I am never wrong’ type of attitude of Mr. Koirala. Only in latter half of book, he self-criticises. Maybe being in jail makes him to introspect. I hoped Mr Koirala could have been more critical about his decisions and its consequences.
But, I found this book to be full of some kind of ‘I am never wrong’ type of attitude of Mr. Koirala. Only in latter half of book, he self-criticises. Maybe being in jail makes him to introspect. I hoped Mr Koirala could have been more critical about his decisions and its consequences.
June 25, 2024
"आत्मवृत्तान्त" एक आकर्षक र सूचनाप्रद कृति हो जसले बी.पी. कोइरालाको जीवन र नेपालप्रतिको उनको योगदानको सार समेटेको छ। यो दक्षिण एशियाली राजनीति, इतिहास र क्रान्तिकारी नेताको व्यक्तिगत यात्रामा रुचि राख्ने जो कोहीका लागि एक महत्वपूर्ण पुस्तक हो। यस आत्मकथाबाट, कोइरालाले आफ्नो जीवन कथा मात्र वर्णन गर्दैनन्, भविष्यका पुस्ताहरुलाई लोकतन्त्र र न्यायको मूल्यहरू कायम राख्न प्रेरणा पनि दिन्छन्।
September 12, 2020
तपाईंहरू कति जनाले बीपी कोइरालाको आत्मवृत्तान्त पढ्नु भएको छ? उनको मृत्युको बेलाको उनको आत्मवृत्तान्त नेपाली इतिहासको अभिलेख हो। बिपीको जेल जीवन, प्रजातन्त्र र राष्ट्रियताको लागि संघर्ष सबै यस पुस्तकमा पाइन्छ। बिपी कोइराला जस्तो नेताको अभाव अहिले राष्ट्रलाई छ।
November 13, 2020
As awesome tale of his political journey, period of transition from rana regime to democracy and then to kingship. The maturity and conscience with which he has portrayed his life is a lesson to be learned by all.
March 2, 2023
Review : tba
February 5, 2021
After reading SHINGADURBAR by Sagar SJB Rana, I wanted to learn about the events leading to the fall of the autocratic Rana regime.
Who better to refer than the man himself? BP Koirala, through this book, gives you an up-close view of his childhood, his time in India, struggle to uproot the Rana regime and his struggles with King Mahendra.
Who better to refer than the man himself? BP Koirala, through this book, gives you an up-close view of his childhood, his time in India, struggle to uproot the Rana regime and his struggles with King Mahendra.
May 11, 2015
Definitely provides insight to the pattern of Nepali politics.
August 23, 2016
Legend of Politics of Nepal and revolutionary saint of Nepal.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews