KMC pays tribute to martyr Dharma Bhakta Mathema

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, Jan. 28: The Martyr Week Organising Committee of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) held a memorial assembly at Sifal on Tuesday, the site where martyr Dharma Bhakta Mathema was executed, to commemorate his sacrifice for Nepal’s democratic movement on the anniversary of his martyrdom.

Participants recalled Mathema’s unwavering commitment to democracy and his historic declaration, "I consider my birth meaningful as I have been able to offer this mortal body at the altar of the motherland. Receiving the death penalty is my good fortune."

The memorial was held at the site where KMC upgraded the area in 2019 with infrastructure development and a full-length statue of the martyr. Earlier, a bust installed in 1996 had been relocated due to road expansion.

Offering floral tributes, Sunita Dangol, coordinator of the Martyr Week Main Organising Committee and Acting Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, said the programme aimed to ensure that future generations would not have to endure the oppression, inequality, and cruelty experienced by citizens under past regimes. 

Pointing out Mathema’s role in the democratic struggle, she said that despite serving as a physical trainer to King Tribhuvan, Mathema dared to challenge autocratic rule. “He could have lived a life of privilege, but instead chose to sacrifice everything for civil liberty. Because of such sacrifices, we enjoy freedom of expression today,” she said.

Ward No. 7 Chairman Bimal Hoda said the martyrs’ dreams would only be fulfilled through the institutionalisation of good governance and the rule of law. He added that a master plan had been initiated to preserve the site where Mathema was martyred.

Former Tribhuvan University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Kedar Bhakta Mathema stressed the need to include the ideals of martyrs in school curricula. “If younger generations fail to understand these ideals, human rights and civil liberties will repeatedly come under threat,” he said.

Naresh Bhakta Mathema, Chairman of the Mathema Guthi, said that although Mathema came from an influential family with access to the royal palace, he prioritised citizens’ freedom over personal comfort, proving that politics can be driven by selflessness.

Born in 1909 in Om Bahal, Kathmandu, Dharma Bhakta Mathema was arrested in 1940 for anti-regime activities. On January 27, 1940, at the age of 31, he was executed by hanging at Sifal. His sacrifice remains a defining chapter in Nepal’s struggle for democracy.