CPN-UML leader and former Minister for General Administration Lal Babu Pandit’s autobiography ‘Singhadurbar Badalne Sangharsha’ (Struggle to Change Singhadurbar) was launched amid a programme in the Capital on Tuesday. The book was published by Nepa-laya.

Although being associated with the party since its inception, Pandit was first appointed as a minister only a few years back and was popular for mainly two reasons.

First – for the government’s announcement that had caught public eye. During his tenure as a general administration minister, the government had decided to forbid Nepali government officials, who were in possession of Permanent Residence Status and Green Card of other countries, to hold important public positions.

This move affected many senior civil servants, who had acquired a permanent residency of the US through Diversity Visa lottery process.

At that time, many employees abandoned their dual citizenship, while some left their government job to settle abroad.

This created a huge debate in the public domain. The general administration minister, who is usually not in the news, became hugely popular due to immense public interest in the action taken by his ministry. This not only made Pandit a household name, but also the most talked about minister in the Cabinet at the time.

The second reason that propelled Pandit to become an important figure of Nepal’s modern transitional history was his views on Madhes issues during the Tarai movement—a very critical juncture in Nepal’s transition. Pandit, who hailed from a minority community in eastern Tarai, had a differing opinion from those of other Madhesi leaders on issues relating to welfare of Tarai.

At a time when partition politics was on the rise, Pandit stood firmly for unity amidst various communities. His thoughts and appeal during the Tarai movement made him even more popular public figure among public.

Pandit’s genuine personality and simple lifestyle also caught the public attention. As time passed by, public curiosity rose on this humble politician, who used to commute through cycle and auto rickshaw.

Pandit’s uncompromising attitude on issues of national importance was a result of his long standing political career.

The story of his involvement with the underground political movement alongside CPN-UML’s popular leader late Madan Bhandari, his life as a student and a family man covers interesting facts.

Pandit’s book tells the story of a man, who used his political career to change the very character of the power he possessed.

‘I saw corruption and malpractices rampant everywhere after I became a minister and hence I thought the process of change needs to start from within,’ says Pandit. ‘I have sincerely put forward the work carried out during my tenure as a minister’.

He added, “I hope people who are committed to a positive change and nation building will read this book”.

Pandit has written the book by collaborating with journalist Mukesh Pokhrel.

The book starts with, him receiving a call from the party chairman informing him on being nominated for a ministerial post, while he was commuting in a public bus in Kathmandu’s Ring Road, and ends with him leaving the government quarters back to his rented apartment. 

“Sharing one’s life story is putting yourself on trial”, he shared. “I leave it up to the readers to judge and decide”.

Pandit’s auto-biography is priced at 325 NRS.