 |
|||
|
|||
OBITUARY |
|
|||
|
|||
OBITUARY |
Light of Liberty The Madhesi community loses
one of its ardent leaders in the death of Gajendra Narayan Singh By SANJAYA DHAKAL When Gajendra Narayan Singh succumbed to
multiple heart attacks on January 23, at the age of 73, a palpable feeling of despondency
swept across the southern belt of the country from east to west. Singh, in the years since the restoration
of democracy in 1990, had emerged as a true leader voicing issues dear to the Madhesi
community living in the terai belt.
He floated the Nepal Sadbhavana Party
(NSP) after the three-decade-long ban on political parties was lifted in 1990. He was the
chief of the party until he breathed his last. During the last decade, Singh created a
mixed legacy. His demands for radical changes in the citizenship system and federal rights
had endeared him to a section of the people from the southern belt. The same positions had
brought him ire from the rest of the country, which accused him of involving in communal
politics. Nevertheless, the tireless efforts Singh
put in to raise issues of his community had given him the stature he enjoyed in the
Nepalese political spectrum. The fact that the prime ministers of both Nepal and India
sent messages of condolences on his death speaks volumes about his influence. The
government decided to provide him with final salutations during the last rites that were
performed at his hometown of Rajbiraj. Born in 1985 BS (1928) in Koiladi in
Saptari district, Singh developed an affinity to politics from an early age. As the
country was under the absolute rule of Rana family then, Singh, like so many of his
compatriots, joined the anti-establishment bandwagon. An active participant of the struggle for
democracy in 1950, Singh was associated with the Nepali Congress party for long time after
that. He got the first taste of life in prison at the tender age of 18. He spent a total
of seven years of imprisonment during his career. He headed his district's Congress wing
for decades. However, Singh also earned a considerable
share of controversies during his political life. A passionate Congress leader until 1980,
he switched to Panchayati politics after that. He even became a minister during those
days. In fact, it was only after the restoration
of democracy that he really started raising the issues of the Madhesi community. The
community has long faced discrimination in the country and Singh deserves recognition for bringing those issues to the fore. Whether
by refusing to wear the national attire of daura suruwal (and instead sticking to
traditional dhoti kurta) while attending parliament, or organizing a nationwide chariot
procession ó quite like the ones organized by the Bharatiya Janata Party in India —
he did succeed to drag pending issues of his community into the national mainstream. "Another negative aspect of his career
could be his lust for power. After the restoration of democracy, he won election twice to
become MP. During the days of coalition government, he played his card shrewdly and never
missed a ministerial berth no matter which party headed the government," said a
political analyst. In the last general election, he lost to a Congress candidate in his
own district. Later, the Nepali Congress nominated him to the Upper House. The death of Singh is perhaps the biggest
loss for the NSP. Already facing allegations of leading communal politics, the party was
never in more need of a dynamic leader. "Singh's death is a big loss to our
party," said Rajendra Mahato, MP and general secretary of the party. After the mourning period, the party will
have to find itself a suitable leader who can drive it successfully in the days ahead.
Leaders like Badri Nath Mandal, Mukti Nath Mandal and Hridayesh Tripathy appear to be in
the forefront to take over the party's mantle. In Singh's death, the people of Terai have
lost their leader, Nepal Sadbhavana Party its mentor and country one of its champions of
democracy. |
Send your feedback to the
editor: spotligh@mos.com.np |
