Gagan Thapa Pushes for Reform Within Nepali Congress, Calls for Greater Tharu Representation

Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa has said that the party is moving forward with a campaign to transform the Nepali Congress through new ideas, new commitments, and a new working style.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the first general convention of the Nepal Tharu Association on Saturday, Thapa said the party had pledged to reform the Nepali Congress through a special convention.

He stated that transforming the party does not simply mean changing faces or leadership, but preserving the positive values and contributions of the past while abandoning past weaknesses and wrongdoings.

“We have pledged through the special convention that we will transform the Nepali Congress. Transformation does not mean merely changing faces. It does not mean the previous leadership was bad and the new one is good. It means making new commitments and working with new thinking. It means taking inspiration from the past, preserving all the good deeds, values, and strengths, while leaving behind the wrong practices of the past,” Thapa said.

Thapa also expressed respect for the Tharu community, recalling its significant contribution to Nepal’s national unification and the protection of the country’s territorial integrity.

“We must remember the important role the Tharu community has played on the frontline in Nepal’s national unification and in safeguarding the country’s integrity. The Tharu community has also contributed to the establishment of the Nepali Congress, the country’s oldest political party. I would like to express my heartfelt respect to them,” he said.

Thapa further said that BP Koirala’s trust in Parshunarayan Chaudhary symbolized respect toward the Tharu community.

“There was a time when BP Koirala had presented Parshunarayan Chaudhary as a future prime minister if the Nepali Congress came to power. There was no political compulsion behind that decision. It reflected BP Koirala’s personal trust in Parshunarayan Chaudhary and, more importantly, his trust in the Tharu community,” he added.

Thapa also recalled the historic decision to free bonded laborers (Kamaiyas) during the leadership of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

He urged greater participation of the Tharu community in the party’s organizational expansion and called on them to actively engage in the membership expansion campaign.

“We want all sister organizations to hold their conventions, and we are ready to support them. We are currently updating active memberships, but we have not been able to achieve membership numbers proportional to the population. I urge the Nepal Tharu Association to take an additional month and launch a campaign to ensure at least five percent participation from the Tharu community in active membership,” Thapa said.

Speaking at the same program, Nepali Congress leader Pradeep Paudel also highlighted the contribution of the Tharu community to Nepal’s economic development.

“The Tharu community was the first to show that human settlements were possible in the Madhesh region. They proved that farming and organized settlements could thrive there and established the region as one of Nepal’s major resource hubs. Therefore, the Tharu community has made a significant contribution to the country’s economic development,” Paudel said.

Paudel acknowledged that the Tharu community had long remained neglected. Although the constitution has guaranteed many rights, he said there is still room for improvement.

“It is true that this community has faced neglect. The constitution has provided many rights, though I am not saying it is complete. But protecting those rights is also in our hands,” he said.