While we cast a look towards preparation, establishment and development of left movement in Nepal, we find that the Communist Party of Nepal founded on September 15 1949 had all its five founding members (Pushpa Lal Shrestha, Narayan Bilas Joshi, Nar Bahadur Karmacharya, Ms. Moti Devi Shrestha and Niranjan Govinda Vaidya) hailing from Newah community. Some writers have spread a wrong information that there were only four founders, omitting the name of Ms. Moti Devi Shrestha. Also among persons who played important roles in the preparatory work for founding the party, one cannot forget the contribution of two Newah figures Sambhu Ram Shrestha and Ganga Lal Shrestha (Haluwai), the former was in prison and could not attend the party-founding meeting while the latter attended the first session of the party founding meeting and walked out on some differences.
It will be appropriate to look to the work of famous Nepalese heroes who, although not directly involved in political activities, have made immortal contribution to the cause of democratic struggle of Nepalese people through their invaluable work of spreading mass awareness. The most illustrious among them are Madhav Raj Joshi and his son Martyr Sukra Raj Joshi. The duo, father and son were renowned scholars of Hindu Scriptures and they led religious reformist movement opposing Hindu fanaticism, conservative interpretation of Scriptures and launched an untiring attack on caste system, so-called untouchability of “Dalits”. This was considered the preaching of anti-Rana autocracy and sermonising of
democracy; particularly the state priest considered it as a direct challenge to his authority. The Rana Government perscecuted them throughout their life, banished the father (Madhav Raj) from the country and later the Government executed the son Sukra Raj Joshi along with other political martyrs.
Newah Organization of America July 14th, 2015
