{{Short description|Nepali politician}} {{For|other persons named Radha Krishna|Radha Krishna (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Radha Krishna Mainali | office = Former Minister for sports and education | image = | party = CPN (ML) <br />CPN (UML) <small>(before 1998)</small><br/>CPN (ML) -1998 <small>(1998–2002)</small><br/>UCPN <small>(2002–present)</small> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|9|26|df=y}} | birth_place = Chokpur, Taplejung, Nepal | death_date = | death_place = | term_start = 1 February 2005 | term_end = 25 April 2006 | monarch = King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah }}
'''Radha Krishna Mainali''', better known as R. K. Mainali (born September 26, 1946 in Chokpur, Taplejung District<ref name="surendra">K.C., Surendra. ''Aitihasik dastavej sangroh - bhag 2''. Kathmandu: Pairavi Prakashan, 2063 B.S.. p 453.</ref>) is a Nepalese politician. In the early 1970s he was one (along with his brother, C.P. Mainali) of the radical communists who led the Jhapa rebellion, inspired by the Naxalite movement in India.<ref name="himalmag">{{cite news|last=Thapa |first=Deepak |title=Day of the Maoist |work=Himāl |publisher=The Southasia Trust |date=May 2001 |url=http://www.himalmag.com/may2001/cover.html |accessdate=2006-12-31 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215201917/http://www.himalmag.com/may2001/cover.html |archivedate=2006-12-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
R.K. Mainali was imprisoned in 1973, and was not released until 1986. After his release he argued that the communists should form broadbased movements for democratic change. By this time he was a leading member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist).<ref name="idd.bham">{{cite journal | last = Nickson | first = R. Andrew | date = November 1992 | title = Democratisation and the growth of communism in Nepal: a Peruvian scenario in the making? | journal = Journal of Commonwealth and Comparative Politics | volume = 30 | issue = 3 | pages = 358–386 | url = http://www.idd.bham.ac.uk/research/publications/Staff/Democratisation%20in%20Nepal.pdf | accessdate = 2006-12-31 | doi = 10.1080/14662049208447640 | archive-date = 2007-03-16 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070316012122/http://idd.bham.ac.uk/research/publications/Staff/Democratisation%20in%20Nepal.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> He was a prominent leader of the 1990 Jana Andolan as the Acting Chairman of the United Left Front, and was one of four Jana Andolan leaders to appear on national TV on April 8, 1990 to declare that the movement for democracy had been victorious.<ref name="kantipur">{{cite news |last=Ghanashyam |first=Ojha |title=UML expels RK Mainali from party post |work=Kantipur Online |publisher=Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd |date=2004-03-07 |url=http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=8678 |accessdate=2006-12-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104011448/http://kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php |archivedate=January 4, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="asmita">{{cite web| url = http://www.asmita.org.np/Women_Subject_Category/social_movement.htm| title = One step Toward a Brighter Future: The pro-Democracy Movement in Nepal 1990-91| accessdate = 2006-12-31| last = Pant| first = Saroj| year = 2001| work = Asmita| publisher = ASMITA Women's Publishing House, Media & Resource Organization| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061207124946/http://www.asmita.org.np/Women_Subject_Category/social_movement.htm| archive-date = 2006-12-07| url-status = dead}}</ref>
He later became a leading figure in the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (which the CPN(ML) had merged into). R.K. Mainali contested the Jhapa-5 constituency in the 1994 parliamentary election. He won the seat with 16,361 votes, defeating the Nepali Congress candidate Surya Narayan Tajpuriya.<ref name="election-commission">{{cite web|url=http://www.election.gov.np/EN/toptwo.html |title=Finalised Constituencies With Top Two Candidates |accessdate=2008-02-09 |year=1999 |work=election.gov.np |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305180248/http://www.election.gov.np/EN/toptwo.html |archivedate=2008-03-05 }}</ref> After the election he became Minister for Agriculture, Land Reforms and Management in the CPN(UML) minority government headed by Man Mohan Adhikari.<ref name="usdos">{{cite web|url=http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/erc/bgnotes/sa/nepal9501.html |title=Background Notes:Nepal |accessdate=2006-12-31 |date=January 1995 |work=dosfan.lib.uic.edu |publisher=United States Department of State |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061230071734/http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/bgnotes/sa/nepal9501.html |archivedate=December 30, 2006 }}</ref> Mainali was Minister of Health in the coalition government led by Lokendra Bahadur Chand between March 12, 1997, and October 6, 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.healthnet.org.np/users/dixit/ANNEX-III.PDF |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2008-07-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819195227/http://www.healthnet.org.np/users/dixit/ANNEX-III.PDF |archivedate=2008-08-19 }}</ref>
In 1998 he took part in a split and the formation of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist). He became a politburo member of the new CPN(ML).<ref name="nn1">{{cite news |title=Their View |work=www.nepalnews.com |publisher=Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd |date=1999-08-09 |url=http://www.nepalnews.com/contents/englishweekly/awake/1-93/view.htm |accessdate=2006-12-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20041029144312/http://www.nepalnews.com/contents/englishweekly/awake/1-93/view.htm |archivedate=2004-10-29 }}</ref><ref name="nn2">{{cite news| title = News Notes| work = www.nepalnews.com| publisher = Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd| date = 2000-12-15| url = http://www.nepalnews.com/contents/englishweekly/spotlight/2000/dec/dec22/newsnotes.htm| accessdate = 2006-12-31}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was a candidate of CPN(ML) in the 1999 parliamentary election, but lost his seat.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://nepalresearch.org/publications/insec_elections_1999.htm| title = Elections in Nepal: 1999 and Before | accessdate = 2006-12-31| last = Kraemer| first =Karl-Heinz | date =2006-01-05 | work = nepalresearch.org| publisher = Nepal Research }}</ref>
In 2002, when CPN(UML) and CPN(ML) reunified, Mainali returned to CPN(UML), and became a member of the party's Standing Committee.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.solidnet.org/cgi-bin/lpr?parties%2F0540=nepal%2C_communist_party_of_nepal_%28uml%29%2F994nepal26f02.doc |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528221510/http://www.solidnet.org/cgi-bin/lpr?parties%2F0540=nepal%2C_communist_party_of_nepal_%28uml%29%2F994nepal26f02.doc |archive-date=2008-05-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, in July 2003 his party membership was suspended due to his disagreements with the party.<ref name="nn3">{{cite news|title=News Notes |work=www.nepalnews.com |publisher=Mercantile Communications Pvt. Ltd |date=August 2003 |url=http://www.nepalnews.com/contents/englishmonthly/businessage/2003/aug/businessage1.htm |accessdate=2006-12-31 }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Mainali had criticized the tactics of the party and advocated rapprochement with King Gyanedra.<ref name="kantipur"/>
After the royal coup on February 1, 2005, R.K. Mainali sided with the monarch and became Minister for Education & Sports in his cabinet.<ref name="japan">{{cite web|url=http://www.np.emb-japan.go.jp/info0608/events.html |title=Events Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and Nepal |accessdate=2006-12-31 |date=August 2006 |work=www.np.emb-japan.go.jp |publisher=Embassy of Japan in Nepal |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929154626/http://www.np.emb-japan.go.jp/info0608/events.html |archivedate=2007-09-29 }}</ref> Following the overthrow of the royal cabinet in April 2006, Mainali has denied responsibility for the repression unleashed on protestors during the popular upsurge in that year (Loktantra Andolan).<ref>[http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/PrintStory.asp?filepath=aATaoanlaNaeaw2a/a2Ta0sa/Va7a/ysgaHaoZaea/aFWata0a0wxyea3va3uvoIamal Mainali denies role in excesses<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref> In September 2010, Mainali joined the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).<ref>http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/2-political/9510-rk-mainali-changes-his-avatar-again-joins-ucpn-maoist.html{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mainali, Radhakrishna}} Category:1946 births Mainali, Radha Krishna Mainali Category:Government ministers of Nepal Category:Nepalese prisoners and detainees Category:Prisoners and detainees of Nepal Category:Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) (1978) politicians Category:Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) politicians Category:Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) politicians Category:Nepalese atheists Category:Nepal MPs 1991–1994 Category:Nepal MPs 1994–1999 Category:People of the Nepalese Civil War