Martyrs, Freedom Fighters and Brave Children of Nepal

After contemplating for a long time about what I should write on this blog, I finally decided to enlist and give basic information of the famous/infamous freedom fighters, martyrs, and political leaders of Nepal. Most of the information here is collected from several historical texts. The information here is factual to the best of my knowledge. Please help me correct anything that you find incongruous. Also help me add more people, who have made a significant contribution to Nepal, to this list. Thanks in advance.

Another desire that led to my interest in collecting and writing this article, is a fear of the manipulation of facts by the New Government of New Nepal. They have started interpreting history according to their interests and needs and I am fearful that the continuance of acts like this may actually blur things we have held as our historical facts for a long time. Things that have been shown in 1984 and Animal Farm by Orwell might happen in Nepal.

History has shown that facts have been changed by the ones in power.While there's no guarantee that most of the information that I provide as facts, might not have been promoted by the ones in power, I feel there's little chance that this ever took place because most of the people in this list were the ones, who fought against the ones in power.
Without further ado, here's the list, in alphabetical order.


ABHIMAN SINGH BASNET -
Born in 1817 AD as the son of Sibaram Singh Basnet, he fought against the Ranas that led to his death. He was also a member of the Ministry lead by Chautariya Fatttejung Kunwar in September of 1845. He was killed by Krishna Bahadur Rana, the brother of Jung Bahadur Rana, during the Kot Parva in 1846.

AMAR SINGH THAPA -
Born in 1761, he played an important role in the unification campaigns during Bahadur Shah's regency, mostly in the western frontiers. He conquered Kumaon and Garhwal and had the boundary of Nepal extended upto the Sutlaj River - adjacent to the Sikh Kingdom. He also fought bravely in the Anglo Nepal War, which was fought from 1814 -1816. After the defeat of the Gurkhali forces, he went to Gosainkunda to lead an ascetic life, where he breathed for the last time in August 16, 1816.

ANSHUVERMA -
He was one of the most famous rulers of ancient Nepal during the Lichchhavi period. He is famous for his insightful act of marrying his daughter to the mighty Tibetan King Tsrong Tsang Ghampo. This act, has been seen by many historians, as a strategy to keep the then Nepalese Kingdom intact. He is believed to have died in circa 640.

BAHADUR SHAH -
Born in 1757 as the son of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the unifier of modern Nepal, he was imprisoned and exiled by his brother, Pratap Singh Shah, who became the King after his father's death. He ruled as a regent after the death of Pratap Singh Shah, and he is credited to have extended most of the territory of Nepal. What Prithivi Narayan Shah started, was continued on a much grander scale by him. During his time, the first and second Nepal Tibet Wars were fought. When his nephew Rana Bahadur Shah came of age, he was arrested and imprisoned, where he died of ill-treatment in 1797. Sad end to a glorious life.


BAL BAHADUR PANDEY -
A member of the first Anti-Rana party, The Praja Parishad, he was a great revolutionary, who gave his fullest to overthrow the cruel autocratical Rana Regime. He was imprisoned for distributing Anti-Rana Regime pamphlets. He died in prison at an age of 21. Makes us realize that the Good die Young.


BHAKTI THAPA -
Born in 1741, Bhakti Thapa was a brave Nepalese warrior. He fought in the unification campaigns of Nepal. In the Anglo-Nepal War, he was left to defend the Western Frontier. He died a heroic death in course of the Battle. He is still remembered for his brave attitude.


BHIM DATTA PANT -
Born in 1926 AD as the son of Taranath Pant, he participated in the Indian independence as a student studying there. He continued to lead the anti-feudal movements, even after he made the governor of Mahakali. His views weren't tolerated by the then government, which called the Indian military to put an end to his activities. He died during an encounter by the army in 1953.


BHIM NARAYAN SHRESTHA -
Born in Dhankuta in 1936, he was a revolutionary member of the Nepali Congress. He was arrested for his anti-Panchayat activities and was also accused of trying to assassinate the then King Birendra. He was brutually murdered in Koshi Barrage by the then security forces.

BHIMSEN THAPA -
Born in the 1770's, he is considered to be the first Prime Minister of Nepal and was referred to as Mukhtiyar in those times. He was the virtual ruler of Nepal until the death of the Regent Queen Tripura Sundari. He was forced out of his office, and imprisoned under the false label of plotting to poison / actually poisoning Prince Debendra. He commited suicide while in prison in 1839.

BHOGENDRA MAN SINGH -
Born in 1931, he was a rebellious revolutionary. He had already been arrested for his Anti-Rana campaigns, but he continued to fight against them while in prison. He was shot dead by the police, when he organized a revolt inside the prison.

BIREN RAJBANSI -
A revolutionary born in 1945, he was arrested under the pretext of participating against the autocratic Panchayat regime. He was murdered in 1972 by the police at Sukhani forest in Ilam along with along with Ramnath Dahal and three others.

BAL BHADRA KUNWAR -
Everyone who's read the Anglo Nepal War has heard of Bal Bhadra Kunwar. He defended the Khalanga Fort so bravely that even the British Generals and soldiers were impressed. He fought against thousands of soldiers with heavy artillery, and the thing to consider is that he had farmers, women and children with him to defend the fort. At last he had been forced to come out of the fort amid heavy shooting after the water supply to the fort was cut off. The English erected a pillar in honor of his and the other Nepali's bravery. The pillar read - "In Honor of our Brave Adversay Balabhadra and his fellow Nepalis". It's still nearby the fort. He died in 1823 fighting in the Afghan War.

BISHWESHWAR PRASAD KOIRALA (Popularly know as B. P. Koirala) -
Educated in India after his birth in Banaras in 1914 as a son of Krishna Prasad Koirala, he is the founding member of the Nepali Congress in January 1947. He is also the brother of Matrika Prasad Koriala, and Girija Prasad Koirala, both of whom became Prime Ministers. He lead the Anti-Rana movement in 1950, and was able to defeat them. He is also Nepal's first elected Prime Minister, however, his cabinet was dissolved just in about a year of its formation by the then King Mahendra, under the pretext of Nepalese unity and sovereignty. He spent a lot of time in Nakkhu prison, and spent a long time in India. He came back to Nepal to advocate for the Multi Party Democracy in the referendum of 1936. He also carried his policy of National Unity and advocated non-violence for a while. He is considered to have personal enmities with King Mahendra, but despite that, both have made statements in which they respected each other's personality and acts. He is supposed to have said - "The King's and my throats are joined". He is also a famous writer. Among his popular books are "Hitler Ra Yahudi", "Modiain", "Sumnima", "Tin Ghumti" and others. One of his popular stories "Doshi Chasma" is pagiarised from Anton Chevok's story. I am not sure about the name of the story, but it's something like "The Clerk". This plagiarization has not been raised by writers until now. He died in 1982 of Cancer.


CHINI LAL SINGH -
Born in 1906, he was one of the frontrunners in the Anti-Rana movement. Arrested in 1936 for opening a public school called Mahavir Institute, he died in 1944 of typhoid.


CHINIYAKAJI UDASH -
Born in 1937, he was shot dead in 1951 by the police during a demonstration of Nepalese students in Bhugol Park against the 1950 Treaty and against domestic reactionaries. His death is considered to have fuelled the already growing anti-Rana sentiment.


DAMODAR PANDEY -
Born in 1751, he played an active role in the military conquests of the Baise and Chaubise Kingdoms, and also in the conquering of Kathmandu Valley. He was appointed Chief Kaji by Queen Raj Rajeshwari, when she assumed the regency, but was later removed from office and was excuted after the return of King Rana Bahadur Shah from his voluntary exile in Banaras.


DASARATH CHAND -
One of the most famous martyrs of Nepal, Dasharath Chand, was born in 1903 as the son of Sher Bahadur Chand. He was also one of the three founding members of the Rastriya Praja Parishad. He was executed by the Rana Prime Minister, Juddha Shumsher, for his anti-Rana activities in 27 January, 1941 - just nine years before the end of the autocratic Rana Regime.

DEV SHUMSHER RANA -
One of the two Rana Prime Ministers to feature in this list, he was born in 1862. After the death of Rana Shumsher Rana, he became the Commander-in-Chief of the army until the death of Bir Shumsher that enabled him to become the Prime Minister. His liberal policies were seen as a threat to their autocratic rule- by most of the Ranas. He established schools, made a bunch of social improvements, and tried to make the public aware, and thus alienated himself from the Rana coterie. He was removed through a coup after only 114 days as the Premier. He lived his retired life in Missouri until his death in 1914.

DHARMA BHAKTA MATHEMA -
Born in 1909 as the son of Adi Bhakta Mathema, he is one of the most famous martyrs of Nepal, and was the founding member of the Praja Parishad. He was a really strong man - infact, he was a body builder - and impressed with his strength, he was made a personal instructor of King Tribhuwan. He used to act as a medium of connection between the palace and the Nepali freedom fighters. Later he was caught, and was hanged in a temple beside Shova Bhagwati. He was so strong that when he was left to suffocate on the tree, he climbed the tree and fought against the Ranas bravely. Sadly, he could not prevent his death in January 24, 1941.

DIWAN SINGH RAI -
Born in 1927, in Bhojpur, Diwan Singh Rai was an active fighter against the Panchayat Regime. He had also served as the State Minister in the first elected cabinet under B. P. Koirala. He was assassinated by the snipers employed by the Panchayat rulers in Morang in 1972.

DURGANANDA JHA -
Born in 1942, as the son of Dev Narayan Jha, he fought against the Panchayat regime, which ultimately became the reason for his demise. He hurled a bomb at a vehicle on which King Mahendra was traveling to Janakpur in 1961. He was arrested and executed for this reason in 1963.


EKA DEV ALE -
Born in 1923, he fought as a Commander of a front in 1950 in Birgunj. This made him a star of the revolution. After his meeting with Pushpalal in 1952 he joined the communist movement. He died of cancer on January 26, 1969.

GANESH MAN SINGH -
Born as the son of Subba Gyan Man Singh and Sannani on November 9, 1915, Ganesh Man Singh was known as Hira Kaji in his childhood. In 1938, he started his political career as a member of the Praja Parishad. He was sentenced to a life imprisonment with property confiscation in 1940 for being a member of the banned Praja Parishad. He spent four years in "Bhadragol Jail" in Kathmandu after which he escaped to Calcutta and formed the Nepali National Congress Party with B. P. Koirala. He also served as the Minister of Commerce and Industry in the Coalition Government after the overthrowing of the Rana Regime. He was elected from Kathmandu as a Parliamentarian in the first General Election in Nepal's history and he served as the Minister for Works and Transport. However, King Mahendra's dismissal of the parliament and the establishment of Panchayat regime, made him go behind the bars again. After his release in 1968, he went to exile in India to make plans for a return to Nepal for a national reconciliation in 1976. He also led the Satyagraha movement in Nepal by uniting the Communists as well. It was off due to bombings by the recent Presidential nominee, Ram Raja Prasad Singh. He was jailed because of this. In January 1990, all banned political parties decided to launch a Mass Protest Movement agaisnt the Panchayat for the restoration of democracy in Nepal. He was awarded with prestigious prizes like "Peace Run Prize" of the USA in 1991, "U Thant Peace Award" and the "UN Award" in 1993 for all the great works he accomplished. He died in 1997. His son Prakash Man Singh is also actively involved in politics as of now, as a member of the Nepali Congress Party.

GANGA LAL SHRESTHA -
Born in 1918, as the son of Bhakta Lal Shrestha, he is one of the most famous martyrs of Nepal, and was the youngest among the four - Dharma Bhakta, Sukra Raj, Dasarath Chand and himself to be executed. He was also one of the three founding members of the Praja Parishad. He was arrested under strict orders by Juddha Shumsher, but was told that he would be released unscathed if he would ask for forgiveness, which he didn't. As a result, he was executed on 27 January, 1941.

GOKARNA KARKI -
Born in 1956, in Okhaldhunga, he was a revolutionary arrected on charge of transporting bombs from India and possessing them. He was shot dear near Nakhu Prison in 1974 by the Panchayat government while he was being transferred to that prison.

GYAN DIL DAS -
Born in 1821, in eastern Nepal, he was persecuted by the Ranas for his literary involvement. As a result, he lived in exile in Darjeeling. He preached against racial discrimination and Brahmanism, totally new ways of thoughts then, throughout his life. He died in 1883.

HARI PRASAD PRADHAN -
Known as the first judge of Nepal, he played an important part in separating Judiciary from the Executive and the King. He had played an important role as a judge to protect and bolster the fundamental rights of the Nepali citizens. He died in 1963.


JAGAT JUNG RANA -
Born as the eldest son of Jung Bahadur, on March 1, 1848, he is also an important character in the novel "White Tiger" or "Seto Bag" by Diamond Shumsher Rana. He married the daughter of King Surendra, Princess Tika, that was one reason for his rise to power at a quick rate. Accused of being the bombing conspirator against the then Prime Minister Rannodip Singh, he was removed from the Succesion hierarchy and was prohibited from returning back to Nepal, while he was in India. He is credited to have placed the Big Bull infront of Pashupati Nath Temple. He came back to Nepal to plead his innocence, but wasn't given any responsibility, During his father's death, he was also not made aware of that event for some days to prevent any action from him. He was assassinated along with the then Prime Minister Rannodip Singh on 22 November, 1885.

JAY PRITHIVI BAHADUR SINGH -
Although born in a family with ties to the influential Rana family, he fought against them. He opened schools in different parts of Nepal, brought in Nepal the first printing press from India, made various social and economic progressions in his home-district Bajhang, and instituted land reform in Bajhang. He aslo spread several of his messages of love and humanity in Europe. He was detested by the Ranas, particularly Chandra Shumsher, the then Prime Minister. He was cajoled and threatened to stop acting against the prosperity of the Rana regime, and also to stop acting for the prosperity of the Nepalese people. He ultimately died in 1940.

KALU PANDEY -
Born in 1713 as the son of Bhim Raj Pandey, he is regarded as a brave warrior in the history of Nepal. Prithivi Narayan Shah awarded him the title Kaji in 1743 for his extensive help in the unification campaign of Nepal. He was beheaded at the age of 44 years with many other Gurkhas in 1757 during the first battle with Kirtipur. He is said to have suggested King Prithivi Narayan Shah not to make the war then citing several reasons, which was duly neglected by Prithivi Narayan Shah, who felt himself undefeatable at that time.

K. I. SINGH -
His full name is Dr. Kunwar Indrajeet Singh, but is popularly known as Dr. K.I. Singh. He worked in India, and Burma (Myanmar) in the Japanese occupied areas during 1932-34. In 1946, he joined the Nepali National Congress Party and actively participated in the 1950-51 revolution against the Ranas to establish democracy in Nepal. Because of his strong opposition to the 1950 agreement, he was arrested and jailed for 6 months. He escaped and fled to China but returned back later after Amnesty by King Mahendra. He also served as the Prime Minister for four months in 1957. He was jailed for 17 months because of his involvement in Satyagraha but was released subsequently after the order of Supreme Court in 1965. He was also appointed as a member of the Rastriya Panchayat for two terms. He was an undaunting, honest and fearless son of Mother Nepal. In 1982, he died of throat cancer at the age of 76.

KRISHNA KUINKEL -
Born in Jhapa in 1954, he was a revolutionary militant. Arrested for his involvement in the Jhapa movement, he was later murdered by the Panchayat Regime in 1972.


KULBIR THAPA MAGAR -
Born in 1888, Kulbir Thapa Magar was the first person to be awarded the Victoria Cross for their courage and bravery in the First World War. Along with him, Lal Bahadur Thapa Magar, Netra Bahadur Thapa Magar, Thaman Gurung, Captain Gaje Ghale, Captain Ganju Lama and Agam Singh Rai are the Gurkhas to have received this honorable medal of honor for their braveries in the World Wars.


LAKHAN THAPA -
Often hailed as the first martyr of Nepal, he was born at Bungkot in Gorkha in 1834. He was arrested and hanged at Manakamana Temple Premises in 1876 for organizing youths to revolt against the Rana Prime Minister, Jung Bahadur.

MADAN BHANDARI - to be continued...in the days to come...have patience..haha