A man with an enchanting smile, Navin Jirel, 23, has seen a great deal of upheavals in life. A former Maoist combatant, originally from Jiri, Jirel joined the fighting squad at the tender age of thirteen. He has recently come up with a book titled “Bhisan Dinharu,” an account of his life as a guerilla warrior and his experiences at the cantonment in Chitwan. Currently an undergraduate student, a social worker and a political activist, Jirel talks about his life and adventures with The Week.
What was your childhood like?
I was born in Jiri. My father used to work at the National Sports Council. I lived a happy life until my mother passed away. Suddenly, things changed. My siblings were sent off to live with my father’s sister and I had to live at my uncle’s place in Sindhupalchowk. [break]
Bijay Rai
What made you join the Maoist fighting squad?
I was only thirteen when I joined. Actually, I had already passed the eighth grade in Sindhupalchowk. I returned to Jiri and wanted to continue my studies and enroll in the ninth grade. But since I did not have the certificates of the district level exams, the school refused to enroll me. I was already frustrated with the societal situation. This became the final straw. I wished to change the structure of Nepal. And I saw this revolution as the only way to make it possible.
What was the life of a Maoist combatant like?
It was a life that I had chosen for myself. I had not gone home when they decided I was too young or even when my father came to take me back. I was determined to bring about a drastic change and the path before me was crystal clear. I had no particular mentor or guide except my own heart. All I knew was that I could not sit down and take all the injustice that was happening.
What made you write a book about your experiences?
I used to write a lot of poems and scripts for radio plays. As far as the book was concerned, so much was already being discussed, analyzed and written about us, our ideologies and lifestyle. There were teachers, students, researchers, reporters and academicians who wanted to know and find out more about us. So, I thought if others could write about us, why couldn’t we write about ourselves?
Could you elaborate more about the book?
The book is titled “Bhisan Dinharu.’ It is divided into three parts. The first part talks about my bittersweet childhood. The second portion is all about the People’s War and how significant a role it has played in my life. There is a spectrum of life, death, friendship, revolution, dreams, beliefs and hopes portrayed in it. It’s about missing home and the thin line that separates victory from defeat. It also deals with my marriage and divorce. The third chunk is about my days at the cantonment in Shaktikhor. They, in reality, were more difficult than those that I spent in the forests.
What is most interesting about this book?
It comes from a former Maoist combatant. There have been many myths circling around about us; about how we look and think, what we eat and where we live. But since I have been at the eye of the storm, my perspective is very different from that of those who have just heard, read or researched about us. There are interesting instances in this book where I talk about our life as guerilla warriors and also about how we used to disguise ourselves as different people to blend into the crowd during the days of revolution. I have presented my angle of the story of the royal massacre and the constituent assembly.
What is it that you miss about the life as a rebel?
I’m here today because I was there at some point of time. It has molded me into who I am right now. I miss my friends the most. We used to divide all our duties and responsibilities. We were a huge family that ate, fought, lived and died together. It was a bond unlike any other.
Was physical exertion and pain the worst part of it?
No, what we were fighting for surpassed the pain inflicted by physical wounds. However, there was this one time when something broke my heart. In 2005, I was severely injured at Bandipur attack. I walked all the way across the border to India where I was informed that I could not be admitted due to the lack of money. It was painful to learn that my life which I had offered to a great cause was at peril simply due to insufficient funds. I somehow managed to get treatment but this incident left behind a bitter taste. Also, my journey back home from India was a fiasco. I was weak physically and mentally. I even had to face humiliation time and again due to my physical condition. And for the first time, I felt that I was lacking energy.
What do you feel about the current situation of the ex combatants?
People often say that we fought a battle of arms. But I insist that it was a battle of ideologies. After being a guerilla warrior for so long, it’s rather difficult to come back and reacquaint oneself with society. We have certain knowledge regarding war strategies, arms and weapons. We’ve all gone back to live in our villages and are scattered all over Nepal. But those memories of the battles and the rebellious sparks continue to live inside us. The chain of command is physically broken but it’s difficult to stop living a life that you are used to living for so long. For that, psychological integration is more necessary than ever.
What are your future plans?
I want to continue with studies and politics. I am also affiliated with Jirel Workers’ Society and the construction of Jirel Museum in Jiri. It was a long and meaningful journey from the forest to the cantonment. There were good times as well as bad times. But it was all in the past. We have paved a path for a major political process. I want to be a part of it and help build the nation by doing my bit.
younitya@gmail.com
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