Birth: 16 March 1961, Achham
Death: 20 June 2021, Lalitpur

Tapta Bahadur Bista witnessed all the recent political upheavals in Nepal, including the decade-long Maoist insurgency, from the front seat from his perch in the Karnali province.  

Bista, who led the people of the Karnali region during both first and second Jana Andolans, was arrested several times for his participation in pro-democracy protests. He also faced many hassles from the Maoists who had made western Nepal the launchpad of their rebellion.

Bista is credited with playing a key role in making the people of western Nepal politically aware.

At a young age of 35, Bista was elected leader of the Surkhet district committee of the Nepali Congress, a position he held for 20 years. During his long tenure, he worked to mobilize party cadres, and helped establish a strong Nepali Congress base in the whole of western Nepal.

In 2013, he was elected to the Constituent Assembly from Surkhet Constituency No.3. In 2017, Bista was appointed Minister of State for Communication by then Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. At this time his special focus was on making Karnali Province a ‘wi-fi internet zone’, whereby all public areas in the province would be connected by free wi-fi internet.  

Thousands of Nepali Congress members looked up to Bista as a role model. He is remembered by his friends and supporters alike as an honest, down-to-earth, development-friendly, and exemplary leader.

On May 30, Bista, who was infected by Covid-19, was admitted to the provincial hospital in Surkhet. But as his health deteriorated, he was airlifted to a hospital in Lalitpur. He breathed his last on June 20.