Fifteen years ago, Madan Bhandari died in a car accident. His driver was shot dead immediately after his release when they were rumors that he was going to come out with some ‘shocking’ revelation. The UML, who won the elections, by making his death a national agenda, did not do anything to my knowledge to investigate and punish whoever was responsible. Now the UML has been trashed in the elections, it cadres are disillusioned, and a rift is becoming apparent within the party. Perhaps recalling for an investigation and reevaluating his philosophy would inject some life back into the party.
Said noted Indian communist leader Vinod Misha of Madan Bhandari in his essay “A Death Heavier than the Himalayas”
…the communist movement needed a theoretician who could integrate the universal truth of Marxism with the concrete conditions of Nepal; the democratic movement of Nepal demanded a leader who could fearlessly uphold the banner of consistent democracy; and the Nepalese nation wanted national figures who could boldly champion the national interests and aspirations of Nepal. In Comrade Madan Bhandari, all the three requirements found a unified answer and herein lay his unique contribution.
Pradip Gyawali’s also pays tribute to the great leader in a Kantipur columm today. And an article on Himal Khabarpatrika on the changing leadership structure of UML.
Rest In Peace, Madan Bhandari.
1 comment:
the universal truth of marxism
that phrase caught my eye. i have been struggling for some time now.
Formulation: class is central (to the human experience).
[the Formulation sounds preposterously ponderous, i admit.]
it is very difficult to decide between two possibilities:
a. my experiences and observations inform the Formulation.
b. i observe through the Formulation-tinted lenses.
i am a scientifically or b dogmatically predisposed.
reflecting on the relative veracity, or superiority, of either possibility is a distraction, though. class exists whether a is more true than b or it is the other way around.
thus, the next dilemma:
does the existence of class necessitate action, even if said action is mere commentary?
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