The government, nonetheless, has decided to commemorate the sacrifice and contribution of martyrs in different ways. [break]
The government has for the first time adopted a set of tough standards that needs to be met to qualify for the honor of martyrdom. A meeting of the political committee of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal on Monday endorsed the standards on the basis of a report prepared by the high-level taskforce headed by Modanath Prashrit.
First, to be eligible for martyrdom one must have fought for truth and righteousness, says a report in possession of Republica. And such a fight must not have served his/her own personal vested interest so that the person to be honored with martyrdom will be seen as someone having a common appeal among masses. Second, one will be called martyr only if he/she chooses death over life when offered the choice between the two. "Only those who meet these conditions deserve to be honored with martyrdom," the report says.
The government had formed the taskforce last year amidst criticism that title of martyrdom was abused with people killed by criminal groups or during communal fights or even in road accidents being conferred the honor. It was a custom to demand martyrdom and a purse of Rs one million for people killed one way or the other in the post April movement Nepal.
MARTYRDOM CRITERIA
- Must have fought for righteousness
- No personal interest in the cause
- Deliberate choice of death over life
The government was then compelled to confer the honor to such people as political parties bowed down to the pressures from relatives or support groups that launched indefinite strikes and protests.
The government has also endorsed another recommendation of the taskforce that a martyr´s family should not be given money in lump sum. According to the report, giving cash in lump sum is against the very spirit of martyrdom. But the report adds that the government should support such families if they are in need of any help. More importantly, the government should construct parks, publish postal stamps, build schools and university in the name of martyrs to honor their sarcrife.
Following the endorsement of the report by the cabinet, the government has formed a taskforce to formalize the procedures to implement the report, said a senior official at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
kiran@myrepublica.com
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