Kanchanpur. Although many things in life are uncertain, death is an unwavering truth. However, there are some personalities whose actions, not the end of their lives, leave an indelible mark on society. One such great personality is the revolutionary farmer leader Bhimdatta Pant.
On 17th of Shrawan (today), the Memorial Day of martyr Bhimdatta Pant is being celebrated through various programs across the country. However, this day is not just a formality of remembrance, but also a call to recall and implement thoughts and movements.
Born on 10th of Mangsir 1983 BS in Karigaon, Dadeldhura, Bhimdatta Pant was the son of mother Saraswati Pant and father Taranath Pant. He studied Sanskrit from Singhai in Uttar Pradesh, India. The confluence of the religious text Gita and the ideology of scientific socialism, Marxism, further ignited the rebellious consciousness within him.
Nariram Lohar, the chairman of the advocacy group for community transformation, said, “Education made him not only a scholar, but also a warrior dedicated to social justice. By imbibing the Gita and Marx, he questioned class divisions.”
According to him, since 2007 BS, revolutionary leader Pant raised the flag of rebellion against feudal thinking, untouchability, labor exploitation and injustice. The movement he led earned him the name Bhimdatta Congress. On 2nd Baisakh 2009 BS, at Ghatalthan in Dadeldhura, he gave a historic message by feeding water to the so-called upper caste people from the hands of Jaya Das on the same plate, “Now no caste is big or small.”
Similarly, former MP Nira Jairu says, “Not in speech, but in practice, he broke caste discrimination. He started the tradition of all castes sitting and eating on the same plate.” Bhimdatta had organized Dalits, Magars, Tharus and other oppressed communities and formed the Mukti Sena. He stopped the eviction, he had burned the Tamsukh. “It was his greatness to displace the feudal lords,” said Jairu, “The rebellion he waged in favor of the tilling farmers is worth remembering.”
Haliya leader Rajuram Bhule says, “We got the confidence from Bhimdutt that we are not just Haliyas, but citizens. He was not just a leader, he was the bearer of our self-respect. When he was martyred before the movement was complete, we had to wait years for liberation.”
According to him, Bhimdutt’s popularity scared the local Thalu and the state machinery, and finally, on 17th Shrawan 2010 BS, he was shot in the Gailek of Budar. His head was cut off and hung from a bamboo pole to create terror. The family was ostracized, they were not allowed to perform rituals. Finally, the funeral was held in Haridwar.
“Bhim Dutt’s death was the end of an era, but also the beginning of an idea,” says land rights activist Ram Bahadur Chunara. “The movements that followed have also kept his inspiration alive.” He says that the slogans given by martyr Pant at that time are equally relevant. Leader Pant used to say, “Either plow the land or leave the land, otherwise it is no good anymore.” Rights activist Chunara adds, “Delhi’s goods arrived on the train to Bombay, the days of the poor have come, the time of the Thalu has come. Wake up, Nepali youth wake up.”
In Falgun 2072 BS, the government had declared revolutionary leader Pant a martyr. Leader Pant’s dream will only be fulfilled, Chunara says, “When land is given to the landless, squatters and flood victims, agricultural self-reliance is ensured, education, health, employment are equal for all, and the values of justice, equality and inclusiveness are implemented in practice.”
Bhim Dutt Pant is not physically present today. But land rights activists say his ideas, dreams and sacrifices are guiding the voices of the landless today. (RSS)