Ganga Lal Shrestha (

Devanagari Devanagari ( ; in script: , , ) is an Indic script used in the Indian subcontinent. It is a left-to-right abugida (a type of segmental Writing systems#Segmental systems: alphabets, writing system), based on the ancient ''Brāhmī script, Brā ...

: गङ्गालाल श्रेष्ठ; 1919 –h 28 January 1941) was a Nepalese revolutionary who was executed by the autocratic Rana regime. He is honoured as one of the four

martyrs A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' Word stem, stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In ...

of the Nepalese revolution. He was a member of the clandestine political organisation named

Nepal Praja Parishad The Nepal Praja Parishad (Nepali language, Nepali: नेपाल प्रजा परिषद) was the first attempt to form an organization to lead the revolution against the Rana dynasty in Nepal. Led by Tanka Prasad Acharya, the group wa ...

that started a movement in 1939 to remove the Rana

oligarchy Oligarchy (; ) is a form of government in which power rests with a small number of people. Members of this group, called oligarchs, generally hold usually hard, but sometimes soft power through nobility, fame, wealth, or education; or t ...

and establish democracy in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

Early life

Ganga Lal was born to father Bhakta Lal and mother Mohani Kumari

Shrestha Śrēṣṭha () is a Nepali surname, which means "most excellent” or "great” in Sanskrit. It is one of the eponym surnames used by those belonging to the caste of Shresthas who own Bogati and Damais and are at the epitome of status prior to ...

in a well-to-do family. Bhakta Lal worked for the government and was stationed in

Ramechhap Ramechhap Municipality is a municipality in Ramechhap District in Bagmati Province of Nepal. It was established on 2 December 2014 by merging the former village development committees Old-Ramechhap, Okhreni and Sukajor. At the time of the 2011 ...

where he was the chief of the Revenue Office. After returning to

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

, he renounced his share of the ancestral property at Chhetrapati, and bought a house in Pyaphal next to

Kathmandu Durbar Square Kathmandu Durbar Square (Nepal Bhasa: येँ लायकु/𑐥𑐾𑑄 𑐮𑐵𑐫𑐎𑐹, Nepali: हनुमानढोका दरबार; ''Basantapur Durbar Kshetra'') is a historically and culturally significant site in Kathma ...

. Ganga Lal lived in this house with his family and wife Hasana Devi (1918–2011). Ganga Lal went to

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

with his uncle to study. Returning to Kathmandu, he enrolled in

Durbar High School Durbar High School () or Bhanu Higher Secondary School, opened in 1854 is the oldest English education school which publicly established English education system in the country. in Nepal located near Rani Pokhari, Kathmandu whereas the first schoo ...

. He is believed to have been an intelligent student and secured first division in the

Matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...

examination. After the examination, he was admitted to Trichandra College where he studied science.

Political career

Ganga Lal was an excellent public speaker. He was an active member of organisations that sought to oust the Ranas and establish democracy in Nepal. He had been a member of Mahabir School, whose aim was to fill the students with patriotic feelings. He was arrested briefly in 1939 for giving a lecture in

Asan Asan (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It borders the Seoul Capital Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 400,000. Asan is known for its many hot springs an ...

, Kathmandu. After he met Dashrath Chand, he became involved in Nepal Praja Parishad and its activities. Gangalal

Martyrdom

The secret Nepal Praja Parishad was exposed by one Ramji Joshi in return for a cash reward of Rs. 5,000. This led to the arrest of many of its members on 18 October 1940. On 19 January 1941, the Ranas sentenced Ganga Lal, Dashrath Chand, Dharma Bhakta Mathema and Shukra Raj Shastri (although he was not involved in Praja Parishad), to death. On 28 January 1941, Ganga Lal was taken to Shobha Bhagwati on the bank of the

Bishnumati River The Bishnumati River (also known as Bisnumati River)(Nepal Bhasa:, ), is a river flowing in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal that originates at Tokha on Shivapuri Mountain, north of Kathmandu. It flows through the western part of old Kathmandu cit ...

where he was shot dead along with Chand by Nara Shumsher Rana. The other two, Mathema and Shastri, were hanged. Ganga Lal was allowed one last meeting with his family the day before he was executed. They went to the jail and he was brought out of his cell with shackled hands and feet. The emotional reunion stirred his youngest brother Pushpa Lal Shrestha to dedicate himself to fight for democracy and equality. In 1949, he founded the

Communist Party of Nepal The Communist Party of Nepal (), abbreviated CPN, was a communist party in Nepal from 1949 to 1962. It was founded on 15 September 1949 to struggle against the autocratic Rana regime, feudalism, and imperialism. The founding general secretary ...

which played a key role in removing the Ranas. The Rana dynasty was eventually overthrown in February 1951, and democracy was established in Nepal. The Ranas ruled Nepal from 1846 until 1951. During this time, the Shah king was reduced to a figurehead and the prime minister and other government positions were hereditary.

Jang Bahadur Rana Jung Bahadur Rana, , was born Bir Narsingh Kunwar (1817-1877). His mother, Ganesh Kumari, was the daughter of Kaji Nain Singh Thapa, the brother of Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa from the prominent Thapa dynasty. During his lifetime, Jung Bahadur eli ...

established the Rana dynasty in 1846 by masterminding the

Kot massacre The Kot massacre () took place on 14 September 1846 when then Kaji Jang Bahadur Kunwar and his brothers killed about 30-40 civil officials, military officers and palace guards of the Nepalese palace court including the Prime Minister of Nepal ...

in which about 40 members of the nobility including the prime minister and a relative of the king were murdered. Tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious persecution characterised the Rana rule. The 104-year Rana regime has been called one of the darkest periods of Nepalese history.

Legacy

Ganga Lal is remembered as one of the four martyrs of the revolution that brought down the Rana regime. Every year on 30 January, Nepal celebrates Martyrs' Day to honour them. In 1965, Nepal's Postal Services Department issued a commemorative postage stamp featuring the portraits of the four martyrs. Ganga Path, a road in central Kathmandu, has been named after him. Shahid Gangalal National Heart Center is a specialist hospital in Kathmandu. Ganga Lal's statue is installed on Shahid Gate, a monument to the martyrs of Nepal.

External links

Martyrs of Nepalप्रजातन्त्र छिप्पींदै गयो , शहिदहरु भूलिँदै गए

References