Martyrs and Living Martyrs of the People’s War in Nepal

In Nepal, the Maoists’ armed wing (PLA) developed as a collective of martyrs-to-be, whose example was disseminated as soon as they fell through tributes, poems and ceremonies. Its dynamic relied on self-sacrifice rather than any heroic prowess, and acquired a strong power of attraction in that it fu...

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Main Author: Marie Lecomte-Tilouine
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre d’Etudes de l’Inde et de l’Asie du Sud
Series:South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/3018
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author Marie Lecomte-Tilouine
author_facet Marie Lecomte-Tilouine
author_sort Marie Lecomte-Tilouine
collection DOAJ
description In Nepal, the Maoists’ armed wing (PLA) developed as a collective of martyrs-to-be, whose example was disseminated as soon as they fell through tributes, poems and ceremonies. Its dynamic relied on self-sacrifice rather than any heroic prowess, and acquired a strong power of attraction in that it fundamentally asserts that anyone, whether illiterate, poor or of the lowest status, is of ‘priceless’ value, and can contribute to the project to change the order of things by putting their lives at stake. The People’s War also brought about a wave of ‘Living Martyrs’, who survived the war and who are now busy recording their past experiences. They combine all the ingredients in terms of pathos and achievement to become historical figures and models for the future, while fallen immortals have already lost their individualities and play a collective and anonymous role.
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spelling doaj.art-daa95911c76c4a1d9bfe3612b4ca88bb2024-02-12T15:38:45ZengCentre d’Etudes de l’Inde et de l’Asie du SudSouth Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal1960-6060410.4000/samaj.3018Martyrs and Living Martyrs of the People’s War in NepalMarie Lecomte-TilouineIn Nepal, the Maoists’ armed wing (PLA) developed as a collective of martyrs-to-be, whose example was disseminated as soon as they fell through tributes, poems and ceremonies. Its dynamic relied on self-sacrifice rather than any heroic prowess, and acquired a strong power of attraction in that it fundamentally asserts that anyone, whether illiterate, poor or of the lowest status, is of ‘priceless’ value, and can contribute to the project to change the order of things by putting their lives at stake. The People’s War also brought about a wave of ‘Living Martyrs’, who survived the war and who are now busy recording their past experiences. They combine all the ingredients in terms of pathos and achievement to become historical figures and models for the future, while fallen immortals have already lost their individualities and play a collective and anonymous role.https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/3018NepalPeople’s WarfightersMaoismmartyrdom
spellingShingle Marie Lecomte-Tilouine
Martyrs and Living Martyrs of the People’s War in Nepal
South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal
Nepal
People’s War
fighters
Maoism
martyrdom
title Martyrs and Living Martyrs of the People’s War in Nepal
title_full Martyrs and Living Martyrs of the People’s War in Nepal
title_fullStr Martyrs and Living Martyrs of the People’s War in Nepal
title_full_unstemmed Martyrs and Living Martyrs of the People’s War in Nepal
title_short Martyrs and Living Martyrs of the People’s War in Nepal
title_sort martyrs and living martyrs of the people s war in nepal
topic Nepal
People’s War
fighters
Maoism
martyrdom
url https://journals.openedition.org/samaj/3018
work_keys_str_mv AT marielecomtetilouine martyrsandlivingmartyrsofthepeopleswarinnepal