Born as the only son of Commanding General Hiranya Shumsher JBR at Tangal Durbar in 1909, Subarna Shumsher joined the military in 1930 as a captain . Gen. Hiranya Shumsher was the second son of Shree Teen Maharaj Bhim Shumsher, the son of Gen. Dhir Shumsher and Nanda Kumari ( the sister of Commanding Colonel Keshar Singh Thapa ). Subarna was exiled to India along with many members of his family by the then Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher JBR, when Juddha Shumsher was sending many C-class Ranas to exile.
After Subarna and his relatives reached India, they were scarce on money. However, at that time, India was about to be freed from the British Raj and almost all bungalows and palaces were being sold in a hurry. Subarna's cousin General Mahabir Shumsher JBR realized this opportunity and established Dalhousie Properties Ltd. as the chairman and MD, from which he bought those buildings in a cheap price and sold them with a huge margin. The money earned from this was later used to buy weapons from Myanmar and cover the living expenses of all the revolutionaries residing in India.
Many people fail to see the connection, but the political career of Subarna Shumsher resembles that of the Chinese leader Dr. Sun Wen, or more commonly known as Dr. Sun Yat-Sen. Both of these leaders spent a large portion of their lives in exile. Both of these leaders were the principal donors for revolutions. Both of these leaders became the executive head of states for a brief period of time only. The striking difference is that Dr. Yat-Sen supported the three people's principles, while Subarna Shumsher supported socialist democracy.
Subarna Shumsher established the Nepal Democratic Congress on 4th August, 1948. Then, BP Koirala had already created Nepal National Congress on 25th January 1947. These two parties merged on 9th April 1950 to form Nepali Congress. The first ever conference of Nepali Congress was held in Bairganiya, India, where the revolution was formally announced. Subarna Shumsher supported the living expenses and bought weapons from Myanmar (Burma). Large quantities of alcoholic products, food and ammunition also came as foreign aid.
During the revolution, Bisheshwar Prasad Koirala insisted that the Nepali Congress should focus on non-violent struggle "Satyagraha" instead of commencing an armed revolution. However, Subarna Shumsher disagreed with him. Subarna knew what PM Mohan Shumsher was made of and that futile methods of demonstrations would not affect him in any way. So, he convinced everyone that an armed revolution was absolutely necessary for bringing democracy, in which the Congress succeeded.
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| A common photograph of Subarna Shumsher |
Subarna Shumsher was made the head of the council of ministers (effectively the Prime Minister) by King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev to ensure parliamentary elections. The election was duly held, in which Nepali Congress secured 74 out of 108 seats in the parliament. BP Koirala became the Prime Minister and Subarna Shumsher became the Deputy PM and Minister for Finance. During the coup-d'état of 1960, Subarna was out of harm's way as he was given permission to go to India for a consultant with a doctor, which King Mahendra was refusing him for some time. It seemed (and still seems) that King Mahendra was close to Subarna and didn't want to see any harm come to him. His property was seized by the state, and the central office of Nepal Rastra Bank, the living quarters of Prime Minister and Chief Justice are situated on his confiscated properties. Subarna Shumsher himself issued a statement, warning that the coup had pushed the country back by more than a decade. Even then, he didn't lose hope and struggled for the reestablishment of democracy.
The life of Subarna Shumsher is the life of an ideal revolutionary. However, it is a real shame that none of the recent generation of Congress politicians remember him for his principles and actions. Subarna Shumsher is a priceless jewel of the entire nation, and it is the nation's responsibility to make sure that all the struggles and sacrifices of Subarna doesn't become unnoticed. Recently, an organization called Subarna Memorial Council (सुवर्ण स्मृति परिषद ) has been established, which primarily aims to increase the awareness of people about the struggle for democracy spearheaded by Subarna. Let's hope that the present "great" politicians shall take a page out of Subarna's book and try to work just like him, with his selflessness, patience , and above all, his patriotic feeling.
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