Bijukchhen’s 'Letters From Jail' launched

By A Staff Reporter,Bhaktapur, July 21: Narayan Man Bijukchhen 'Rohit', Chairman of Nepal Workers and Peasants' Party, has brought out a new book titled 'Letters From Jail'. 

The book is English translation of his celebrated book 'Jail Ka Chithiharu' in Nepali published in 2012. The English translation is done by translator Anu Raj Joshi. Joshi is son of culture expert late Satya Mohan Joshi.

The book launched on Friday contains 25 letters Bijukchhen had written to his wife Shova Pradhan from Nakhu jail during 1988-1989, at the end of Panchyat era.

"The Panchyat System tried to supress the people's political movements and often created conspiracy against political leaders and activists. Meanwhile, Rohit and dozens of cadres of then Nepal Workers and Peasants' Organisation were sent to jail owing to state-hatched conspiracy and unfair trial," Publisher Bal Bikash Secondary School has written in the preface of the book. "The aim of the then Panchyat government was to supress and eliminate Nepal Workers and Peasants' Party and halt rising communist movement during its infancy."

A primary level teacher, Pradhan was pregnant then and had only four year old son Subeg and old mother-in-law at home. Her brothers-in-law and many activists of the party were compelled to go underground. 

The police with their heavy boots pounding and baton-charging broke through her front door. They came to her home repeatedly to threaten and confiscate books and belongings, without keeping the records in the presence of locals or the civil witnesses. During the time, she was totally helpless and extremely terrified to face the situation.

In that critical time, Bijukchhen wrote those letters to her, just to make her not lose hope and patience. Through the letters, he wanted to inspire, sympathise, guide and educate her the political toughness during the difficult days. The letters express his love towards family and talk to the heart that could rarely take place while at home due to his hectic political life. In the letters, he had written about his involvement in communist movement, literature and intellectual activities. In course of that, he has remembered a number of interesting incidents of past days.

The letters contain many memorable quotes such as, "We are in jail, but our family and children suffer the most--- mentally, physically, socially and culturally."

Published by Bal Bikash Secondary School, the book features cover design by Damodar Suwal and art by Bikash Tamakhu. Unveiled in the crowded presence of bibliophiles, writers and intellectuals in Bhaktapur, the book is priced at Rs. 400.