Thousands bid adieu to ‘living martyr’

Thousands of Nepalis bid their adieu to Bishnu Lal Maharjan, popularly known as Nepal’s ‘living martyr’, as his mortal remains were consigned to flames on Sunday. Maharjan had breathed his last on Saturday, reports Utpal Parashar.

Updated on: Jan 3, 2010, 23:39:57 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Thousands of Nepalis bid their adieu to Bishnu Lal Maharjan, popularly known as Nepal’s ‘living martyr’, as his mortal remains were consigned to flames on Sunday. Maharjan had breathed his last on Saturday.

The 42-year-old had sustained spinal injuries in April 2006 during Jana Aandolan-II (People’s Movement-II), the mass uprising that forced former king Gyanendra Shah to reinstate the parliament.

“Bishnu’s sacrifice should spur the government and other parties to end the present political deadlock and work speedily towards drafting the new constitution and establishing peace,” newspapers quoted Maharjan’s elder brother, Krishna Lal Maharjan, as saying.

Maharjan, a Communist Party of Nepal (UML) member, who had been bed ridden since getting injured in police firing, had become an iconic symbol of the mass movement to remove the king and bring back democracy to Nepal.

With his death, Maharjan become the 25th victim of police action against demonstrators of Jana Aandolan II.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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