Jibaraj Ashrit

Jibaraj Ashrit
Personal details
Born	August 1944 Harewa, Nepal
Died	May 16, 1993(1993-05-16) (aged 48–49) Dasdhunga, Chitwan
Nationality	Nepali
Political party	CPN UML

Jibaraj Ashrit (August 1944 - 16 May 1993) ^[1] was a Nepali communist revolutionary. He was part of the Mukti Morcha Samuha. ^[2] He died in a vehicular accident (suspected assassination) in Dasdhunga, Chitwan on 16 May 1993 while travelling with another communist leader, Madan Bhandari. ^{[3] [4]} He was the head of Organisation department of CPN UML at the time of his death. ^[5]

Career

Ashrit entered politics as a student. ^[1] He became a member of Communist Party of Nepal in 1964–65. ^[1] He was a political prisoner between 1969 and 1972. ^[1] He was known for his skill in building an organised movement, and was CPN UML's Chief of Organisation Department at the time of his death. ^[6]

Views

Jibaraj Ashrit was a strong advocate of ending all forms of casteism and worked to empower women and increase their participation in active politics. ^[1]

Personal life

He was born in August 1944 (18 Shrawan 2001 BS) in Harewa, Gulmi District. ^[1] He was married to Maya Gyawali. ^[5]

Death

As CPN UML's Chief of Organisation Department, he was travelling the country in 1993. While travelling with party Secretary Madan Bhandari, from Pokhara, where he was participating in the party's Kaski District Conference, to Chitwan, where the district conference of the Women wing of the party and other programmes were scheduled, he died in a vehicular accident at Dasdhunga of Kabilash VDC, Chitwan. Although ruled an accident, many, including prominent politicians of Nepal Communist Party (NCP), consider the deaths as unresolved case, and are known to accuse political rivals of the murder of Ashrit and Bhandari via a conspiracy that was covered up during the investigation. Their driver, who had survived the accident, was gunned down in Kirtipur, years later.^{[ citation needed ]}

Legacy

In 2010, Jibaraj Ashrit Foundation was established in Deepnagar, Butwal, with the goal of raising awareness about and preserving the memory.of his life and contributions. ^{[7] [1]} In 2019, Jibaraj Ashrit Museum built by the foundation with six of the eight million rupees granted to it by the Ministry of Culture opened for the public. Among the attractions were reported to be his writings, clothes and other items owned and used by him, biographical documentaries on him, as well as Rs 1,300 found on his person after his death and a 10-band radio gifted to him by Pradeep Gyawali. ^[8]

See also

• Madan Ashrit Highway

References

1. "जीवराज आश्रितले सुन्ने रेडियो". HimalKhabar. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
2. Mitra, Subrata Kumar/Enskat, Mike/Spiess, Clemens. Political parties in South Asia. Westport: Praeger, 2004. p. 306.
3. "A Death Heavier than the Himalayas". www.marxists.org. Retrieved 2015-10-28.
4. Anonymous (May 24, 2009). "UML Leader Accuses Maoists of Having Assassinated Madan Bhandari" . Retrieved February 18, 2018.
5. "दासढुंगा दुर्घटनाको तेइस बर्षपछि आश्रित पत्नी मायालाई घर". दासढुंगा दुर्घटनाको तेइस बर्षपछि आश्रित पत्नी मायालाई घर. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
6. "मृत्युपछि आश्रितको गोजीमा भेटिएको १३ सय..." मृत्युपछि आश्रितको गोजीमा भेटिएको १३ सय... Retrieved 2019-11-17.
7. नागरिक. "जीवराज आश्रित सङ्ग्रहालय सर्वसाधारणका लागि खुला गरिने". Nagarik News. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
8. "बुटवलमा जीवराज आश्रित संग्रहालय". ekantipur.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2019-11-17.