Fate had written Girija Prasad Koirala, the man known as the Kennedy and Nehru of Nepal, would be at the helm of the Himalayan republic's politics, coming as he did from a family that was one of the biggest champions of democracy in Nepal.
Born in Tadi in Bihar, he was the son of Krishna Prasad Koirala, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi, who died in prison in Nepal for his pro-democracy convictions.
Educated at the Kirori Mal College of Delhi University, India, Koirala became involved in politics through trade union movement in his hometown Biratnagar in southeast Nepal, known for the largest jute mill in Nepal.
Koirala founded the Nepal Mazdoor Union, that exists even today as the Nepal Trade Union Congress.
The lanky Koirala and his three elder brothers, B.P. Koirala, Tarini and Matrika were at the forefront of the pro-democracy movement in 1960 when King Mahendra sacked B.P., Nepal's first elected prime minister, and jailed the Koirala brothers.
Freed in 1967, the Koiralas were exiled to India where they struggled to rally against the absolute royal reign and were finally able to return to Nepal in 1979 after mounting international pressure on the king.
Under his leadership, the Nepali Congress won the election in 1991 and Koirala became prime minister for the first time, a post he was to assume four more times later.
However, dark days for Nepal started from 2000, during Koirala's third term when the Nepali Congress government became embroiled in corruption and the Maoist insurgency, started in 1996, began gathering momentum.
It was also this time that the then king Birendra and nine more members of the royal family were killed in a shocking massacre in the royal palace, a turning point for Nepal's monarchy.
Koirala was forced to resign in 2001 when the army, called in to combat the Maoists, refused to heed his command.
Though his prot