MANDELA GLORIFIED NEPAL

Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa and the renowned freedom fighter, who passed away at the age of 95 ON 5th December 2013 had glorified Nepal during the Non Aligned Movement Summit held in Durban in 1998. There were a total of 114 member states of the NAM and they were attending the summit. Being the host country Mandela and his wife Graca Machel were receiving the guests shaking hands one by one before the inauguration of the summit. It took long time to receive them all so there was just hand shake and move process.

But when Nepal’s late prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who was leading the Nepalese delegation, came to   meet with Mandela, he not only shook hand but also hugged Koirala and spoke for a few minutes. When I asked Girija Prasad Koirala about the content of the talk after the summit, he said ‘it was about democracy and freedom in Nepal.’  I was covering the news of the summit sitting with media persons around the world. There was an editor of Al Aharam news agency of Egypt sitting beside me.  When I told him the person talking with Mandela for a long time was Nepal’s prime minister, the al ahram news agency journalist surprisingly asked me ‘’is there any special relations between Nepal and South Africa.’’ When I said 'no'  then he said ''why Mandela was talking with your prime minister for so long time.'' I replied ‘’Nepal’s prime minister is also a freedom fighter like Mandela.’’ That was just my guess answer.  Egypt’s then president Hosni Mubarak was also attending the summit and Egypt was one of the five countries to founding members of the non aligned movement including India, Indonesia and Yugoslavia. However, Mandela did not give any importance to Mubarak.  It was clear that Mandela was honouring  democracy and freedom.

The other leaders getting time to talk with Mandela were Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Columbian president, who was the chair of the NAM before South Africa. It clearly showed Mandela gave priority to the democracy and freedom across the globe that also reflected his talk and meeting with Nepal’s prime minister.  Meeting Mandela was a great privilege during the summit.

I also remember another incident during the summit. Security was beefed up around the summit venue and big concrete blocks were placed specially in the evening. One day, we saw some people outside the summit and they were crying and protesting against the huge security presence and in fact what had happened was they were beggars and they were driven out of their usual place of the streets. They were crying and shouting to make their voice heard but when we met some of them all praised President Mandela.  I still remember a man saying ‘’Tata Madibu is like our father.’’ Then only I knew Mandela was called Tata Madibu as a respect.   We had danced the whole night in the beach, which used to be reserved only for 'white people' during the apartheid era  and the famous singer sang the popular song '' Tata Madibu.'  Now there are such song echoing in every corner of South Africa. 

There were and are still problems in South Africa. Crime was so rife that there was news in the local newspaper one youth was killed in the train for money and only less than 1 rand was found in his pocket. When we were taken to a hotel in Johannesburg from the airport, the local driver said ‘’ I am going to the long route,’’ when we asked why he said showing to a township near the area ‘’ that is a dacoits area.’’ Though there was security and it was in the broad day light that was the security situation. When we went to Durban airport to fly to Johannesburg after the conclusion of the summit, after security check up we were waiting to board a plane , our passports were stolen- all the 18 passports of the Prime Minister’s entourage were stolen from inside the airport that too after the security check up. Interestingly while discussing this terrible situation, Durganath Sharma of Nepal Television who was showing his passport was also gone within a second.  So we can imagine how the situation there was. Despite this, Mandela led the country, struggled for democracy, freedom, human rights and succeeded to achieve that goal. He spent most of his important youthful age in prison- 27 years and had to divorce his wife Winnie Mandela, a freedom fighter after she was found to be involved in criminal activities and did everything for the sake of reconciliation making his own captor the white ruler- instead he made him vice president.  He is an inspiring figure for democracy, freedom, peace, reconciliation, leadership, courage and bravery. Everyone should follow his path specially our leaders in Nepal.   Tribute to this towering figure and friend of Nepal.