In Kathmandu, today marks the 29th anniversary of the initiation of the ‘People’s War’ by the then CPN (Maoist). The Maoists had commenced the conflict by attacking security posts in four different locations across the country on 1st Falgun, 2052 B.S. Prior to the attacks, they had publicly announced the beginning of the ‘People’s War’ through a poster.
The poster with the slogan ‘Marching Forward on the Path of People’s War’ was the first visual representation of the ‘People’s War’ created by Ramchandra Piyal, an artist from Chitwan. Piyal had not anticipated that the design he made would symbolize the onset of such a significant conflict in the country. He mentioned that he only had an inkling that something major was about to happen but had no detailed information beforehand.
Despite being a supporter of the Maoist party, Piyal was not officially affiliated with their organization at the time. Even today, he remains uninvolved with any Maoist-affiliated groups. The Maoists had distributed a revolutionary magazine called Navachetana from Chitwan to Kathmandu before the onset of the ‘People’s War in 2052. The magazine also featured cartoons published in the Janadesh Patrika.
Regarding the creation of the poster, Maoist leader Gunaraj Lohani had requested Piyal to design it. Lohani had urged Piyal to create the poster 15 days before the commencement of the ‘People’s War’. The process involved initial conceptualization followed by the actual artwork depicting militia members in combat gear with flags in mountainous terrain.
After three days of work, the poster was ready. Piyal had painted the design on canvas in Kanbhaas and then sent the original artwork to Lohani for approval. However, due to the lack of information on the creator’s identity and address on the poster, Piyal feared potential repercussions for his involvement in the creation.
In a candid conversation, Ramesh Khatri, the representative of Kansai Nepal News, expressed his opinion on the matter. He acknowledged Piyal’s pride in being associated with a significant historical event like the ‘People’s War’. However, he also highlighted Piyal’s discontent with the outcome not aligning entirely with his envisioned impact. Khatri noted a sense of dissatisfaction in Piyal’s sentiments, indicating that while he takes pride in his contribution, he remains somewhat disheartened by the final outcome.
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Author: MAYA | HARUTO
Posted at: February 14, 2025 12:03 am
