First cancellation mark affixed on postage stamps commemorating Sukhani martyrs

Kathmandu, March 5: Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR), Devraj Ghimire, affixed the first cancellation mark on postage stamps featuring the images of the martyrs of Sukhani Movement in Jhapa.     

It may be noted that the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology had, on February 27, 2025, decided to issue postage stamps in commemoration of these five martyrs, and the Department of Postal Services published them accordingly. They are each of denomination Rs 10.     

On March 4, 1973, five leaders associated with the 'Jhapa Rebellion-arrested by the then Panchayat state system- were shot and executed in broad daylight at a jungle in Sukhani in Jhapa after being brought from Chandragadhi in Jhapa district under the pretext of shifting them to another prison in Ilam district. They are Ramnath Dahal, Biren Rajbanshi, Netra Ghimire, Krishna Kuinkel and Narayan Prakash Shrestha.     

The government had, on March 2, 2016, decided to recognise them as martyrs.

 On the occasion, Speaker Ghimire said it was indeed a significant and historic move to publish the commemorative postage stamps in honour of the martyrs of the Sukhani movement. "It is an honour to those who attained martyrdom in the Sukhani forest of Jhapa for the freedom and rights of the citizens." The programme was organised by the Department of Postal Services. 

Officiating Secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Gajendra Thakur, said the stories of bravery demonstrated by the five martyrs will always be in our memory with the publication of the commemorative postage stamps. The contents incorporated in the postage stamps are expected to contribute significantly to research and studies, he added.     

Department's Director General Manmaya Bhattarai (Pangeni), Nepal Philatelic Society's Chair Kedar Pradhan, and a member from the Sukhani Martyrs Memorial Foundation, Gehanath Paudel, were present on the occasion.     

Bishweshwara Dahal, spouse of Ramnath Dahal, and Jeevan Ghimire, spouse of Netra Ghimire, were honoured on the occasion. (RSS)