Birth: 12 March 1948, Dailekh

Death: 4 July 2021, Dailekh

For those who only knew Jagat Jung Thapa casually, he came across as an intimidating figure. But those who knew him up close remember him as a kind-hearted and soft-spoken man who dedicated his life to the country’s betterment

There are, in fact, few in Dailekh district of Karnali Province who have not heard of Thapa.

Born on 12 March 1948 in Narayan Municipality-2, Dailekh, Thapa got his early education at Kathmandu’s Anandakuti Vidyapeeth. He then enrolled into Amrit Science and Tri Chandra campuses for higher education. 

After completing his Masters in Political Science, he stepped into politics in 1966 through a democratic student union protest at Tri Chandra Campus. Following this, in 1970, he also contested a position in a student union group from Far-Western districts.

From 1972 to 1976, Thapa worked as a teacher at Tribhuvan Secondary School located at the heart of Dailekh Bazaar, where he helped various youth organizations around the Bheri region organize during the Panchayat regime. Then, in 1991, he was elected a member of the Congress Mahasamiti and a district party representative.  

In 2017, he contested the general election from Dailekh-1 but ended up losing. Thapa was magnanimous in his defeat. In fact, he was admired for his equanimity in both victory and loss.

Thapa had his ups and downs in politics but this never stopped him from working for the country. Throughout his career, he worked with organizations like Nepal Family Planning Organization and Nepal Red Cross Society. He was also the chairperson of the Nepal Children’s Organization.

Thapa, 71, had recently contracted coronavirus and was admitted to Dailekh District Hospital, where he was kept in isolation. He succumbed to the virus at around three in the morning on July 4. Thapa is survived by his wife and six daughters.