Martyrs, Martyrdom and Martyr Lakhan Thapa
- B. K. Rana
Email: rana1616@gmail.com
JANUARY 29 was martyr’s day this year. In memory of the
beloved martyrs formal programmes were organized across the
country. The prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba himself led
a procession that was marking this year’s Martyr’s Day in
the streets of the capital and paid tribute placing a
wreath under the statue of four martyrs: Ganga Lal, Shukra
Raj Shastri, Dharm Bhakta and Dasharath Chand, whose marble
statues you can see from a distance at the Martyr’s Gate in
Kathmandu. One of the former prime ministers - Girija
Prasad Koirala was reported to have garlanded his brother
B. P. Koirala’s photo, however, the media did not mention
whether he had also garlanded the martyrs photos there in
the function. B. P. Koirala’s contribution to the growth
and development of democratic Nepal is unsurpassable. He
also deserves quite a good respect from the nation and
which is also being offered on his anniversaries each year.
Those four martyrs were put to death for they had, in 1940,
campaigned against the autocratic tyrannical Rana Regime
ten years before the birth of democracy in Nepal in 1950.
And unfortunately as usual, we did not hear of anything at
the national level this year also about the sacrifice of
the first martyr of nation - Lakhan Thapa Magar who had
already started a movement against the Ranas in 1876 and
therefore was subsequently hanged by Junga Bahadur Rana,
then de-facto ruler, along with Ajakh Singh Chumi Magar and
a number of other martyrs. Each year, the last week of
January brings back fond memories of our beloved martyrs
and the nation also celebrates Martyr’s Day in a suavely
fashioned poise. Those four martyrs were remembered and
paid homage at the national level and few others were also
remembered. But we have not been able to hear of any
treatment from the nation on the part of Lakhan Thapa Magar
- even though the government, on February 23, 2000 has
already declared him the martyr of kingdom of Nepal and
approved a grant of 0.7 million rupees to erect his bust
size statue and construct a memorial park in Gorkha Kahule
Bhangar where he was hanged. We believe the history of
martyr Lakhan Thapa has to be retold to every new
generation. His biography should also be included in school
curricula in order to groom our children to live and die
for the cause of the country as the martyr did there 126
years ago, however, some biased historian have not done
justice towards the martyr. We do not believe in those
prejudiced historians’ anecdotes. And, this year also the
country failed to treat the first martyr what he deserved
there from the nation. This is what has been the convention
here even after we have successfully restored democracy in
1991.
Jung Bahadur Kunwar who later declared himself a ‘Rana’ had
been able to rise to power after killing hundreds of
courtiers in the dreadful event of Kot Massacre in 1846.
The gruesome killing of General Abhi Man Singh Rana Magar
followed the Kot Massacre at the present Hanuman Dhoka area
in Kathmandu, however, the courtiers were gathered there as
the queen had ordered them to fall in so that she would
know the killer of her paramour, General Gagan Singh, who
was shot dead the day before by Jung himself as historians
write. Jung Bahadur Rana ruled Nepal for almost 30 years.
He began the Rana family rule of terror that lasted 104
years in the Himalayan country.
The Rana regime was Black Days in the history of Nepal.
People had suffered much from the Ranas and wanted to get
rid of them. So Martyr Lakhan Thapa initiated peoples’
movement which can better be equated with ‘democratic
movement’ in today’s terminology - for the first time in
history from Gorkha by organizing peoples in his
leadership. We believe his campaign for uprooting Rana
tyranny was the first seed of democracy in Nepal that
germinated from Gorkha, grew over time with martyrdom of
hundreds of martyrs and flowered in 1950. However, the
flowered ‘1950 democracy’ could not last long as
differences had surfaced from within the ruling Nepali
Congress Party following which King Mahendra captured it in
1961.
After 30 years in 1991, democracy has been restored here
with peoples’ popular movement. Now, it has been 12 years
that we have democracy in the country. But, it seems to
have been lacking luster. The fruit of democracy has not
yet reached to the people. Apparently, democracy has been
portrayed as ‘begging bowl’ of political leaders only.
Peoples’ aspirations have been totally ignored. With these
leaders’ incompetence and corrupt attitude, the country has
fallen under extremely difficult circumstances in history.
People have lost faith in the political leaders. In the
meantime, the ruling Nepali Congress Party has not been
able to work in the best interest of the peoples in the
country. Its bosses - the party president, Prime Minister
and some other senior leaders seem busy in their
loggerheads or vying to topple each other in other words.
They are portraying the country as it used to be in 1961,
nevertheless, the possibility of kidnapping the democracy
is far from reality. Additionally, the opposition leaders
have also been dolls at the hands of quick-men. Their roles
have been diminished to a zero mark. Maoist insurgency has
not yet come under control - the ruling party-heads are
committing it publicly. We have grossly devalued the blood
of beloved martyrs and their martyrdom. The fruit of
democracy should reach to every one of us in the country.
Every one should prosper and enjoy the value and spirit of
democracy that the martyrs had dreamt.
(The author is the central committee member of the Nepal
Samata Party.)
People’s Review Weekly
http://www.peoplesreview.com.np/
Kathmandu, Nepal
April 07, 2002
