Parmeshwar Devkota

A person who happily sacrifices his/her life for the cause of the nation and people is called a martyr. A martyr does not compromise his/her ideology and belief. So, martyrs are the revolutionary figures committed to broader welfare of society. We pay homage to both known and unknown martyrs.

It is needless to mention that Nepal is a land of martyrs. Had there been a provision in which a country having many martyrs is considered prosperous and developed, our country would have stood on the front row of well-off nations as a lot of people have sacrificed their lives for the sake of good political system.

The valour and sacrifices of Shukra Raj Shashtri, Dharma Bhakta Mathema, Dasharath Chand, Ganga Lal Shrestha, Lakhan Thapa and many others were instrumental in overthrowing the Rana oligarchy. We have a long list of martyrs. More than 7,000 known martyrs have been registered. Some are still unknown while others are partially known. They had great contribution to usher in democracy and modernity.
The then Ministry of Peace and Reconciliation had recorded 1,619 martyrs in 2009. The government added 6,344 persons ‘recalling the glorious history of historic people’s movements, armed struggles…’ The Constitution of Nepal, 2015 recognises them all. But partially known martyrs have never been include in the list.

Baldev Shah, Dal Bahadur Limbu, Chandra Bahadur Sarki, Bhogendra Man Singh and Dharmaraj Shrestha, among others, are few partially known martyrs. As they raised their voices strongly as other martyrs against the Rana’s tyrannical rule, they were killed.

Baldev Shah from Achham is a conspicuous example. As Junga Bahadur Rana took over the reins in 1846, he started terrorising the people of Achham because at that time Achham was under the direct rule of Kathmandu. So, Shah stood against the atrocities committed by the Rana forces stationed at Banni. Shah began his revolutionary campaign by visiting villages to garner the support of the people and form armed forces against the Rana autocracy.

In 1850, Jung Bahadur knew such activities of Shah. Then, he formed a secret squad of three persons to kill Shah. Bhawani Singh Swar, Kalu Singh Swar and Rudrabir Swar were despatched to kill Shah and bring his head back to Kathmandu. They worked under the guidance of the then colonel Khadka Bahadur Kunwar Ranaji.

One of the squad members Rudrabir Swar impersonated himself as the supporter of Shah and started working with him. One afternoon, as the duo arrived at a stone spout at Kaphal Khet in Achham from the campaign, Shah wished to have a bath. As Shah bowed his head to the water, Swar chopped off the former’s head. Then, the head was brought to Jung Bahadur.
The squad members might have been given a hefty prize, but bravery of Shah has not yet been recognised. So, Shah deserves the status of a martyr. During this Martyrs’ Week, we should pay our heartfelt respect to all the known, unknown and also little known martyrs.