Article written by Dhan Kaji in Smritigrath
I was 13 years old and Heera Devi was only seven years old when my mother Heera Maya passed away.
Sister suffered from GANDHAMAL (T. B glads).
Even after several operations in the seven gland around neck and chest, arm pits she suffered for 9 years. In her body the gland could not be cured. Even though she suffered however she continued studying Jagat Lal master of Masan Gally, Keltole. She became thin also. Her body used to be stinking and she didn’t look like recovering. I couldn’t bear to see her sufferings and went around seeking help from people. I went to work with Bhaju Ratna Kansakar business merchant and begged him to help her. The merchant took her for treatment at Calacutta. The doctor didn’t see any survival because her sking around glands had many holes and damaged. Still I didn’t loose hope. After treatment at Calcutta she was sent to Kalingpong. She had to be massaged in sun light also and within one and half years she recovered.
I brought her back to Nepal. She would give her life to people who are suffering through critical painful problems. She fiercely fought against Rana regime however she was a daughter of famous business merchant, uneducated family, with lot of wealth, believed Ruler as GOD, She was a true revolutionary and would go around convincing people with affluence and those with lot of problem the necessary to understand the need to remove Rana regime.
When I went to Lhasa I met Dharma Ratna and his father at the business centre of Dhaman Sahu, a business merchant. Pandit Rahul Sanskrityan was also in that same business cente. Dharma Ratna and Rahuljee were great friends then. I don’t know the reason when I found his father dead by shooting himself at his chest. Newars around that locality suggested Dharma Ratna to sue Dhaman merchant to recover the money due to his father, however, refused to take the advice saying “ I am not going to run after money”. He returned to Nepal during the regime of Juddha Samasher J B Rana. He started a shop at Bhota Hiti, Asan Tol for selling soap. The Rana regime discovered that that shop was infact being used as a secret meeting center for Sukra Raj Sastree , Gangala etc and he was arrested. He went to jail to serve 18 years term. However he was released after six years. After the jail sentence and release his family sent proposal for Heera Devi for marriage. The proposal was out rightly rejected by her family members saying “ his family has no house, he is staying at his mother’s step mother’s house, he does not believe in idol (god) and is NASTIK and a poor person”. Father, elder uncle and younger uncle from our joint family offered her to spend more than ten thousand if she agreed to get married to another they had arranged for her. She shouted back at them telling them that she will not decide based on money and will go ahead marrying Dharma Ratna. In the year B.S. 2004 she got married to Dharma Ratna without informing her family. She was banned from entering her house. In B. S. 2000 I was legally separated after property separation and I allowed her to enter my house. Only after Dharma Ratna became minister all the relatives including her family allowed her to be integrated. After getting married to Dharma Ratna she underwent very bad life testing days. Being the daughter of a rich business man she didn’t give up in front of adversaries in life.
She had to lead life eating only “NHAYEKAN KWATI” a wild grass she would collect from her neighboring field. . She used to teach children of butchers, used to get buffalo bones from them and make soup and live on that soup. She didn’t have sufficient food to eat while she was pregnant and delivered daughter Dharma Devi and son Vidhan. Leave alone going through massaging after her body after delivery she suffered a lot instead. Dharma Ratna had to go under ground because his objectionable political activities. During odd hours he came and meet at my residence Heera Devi facing all the risk in disguise dress as farmer carry big earthen pots on his back. She worked as chairperson of Mahila Sangh then and was arrested while she delivered speech at Indra Chowk. I went to deliver her both children at police custody. She was locked for four days and was tortured in order to extract information about secret activities of underground political activists. She was also taken to the official place (PATANGINI) of Juddha Samsher where large numbers of arrested people were handcuffed with thick metal chain. She was tortured in front of them asking her to cooperate in disclosing all the detailed activities and places of operations of all those hand cuffed prisoners. Nara Samasher snatched her two babies threatening her to beat up badly. They told her” speak out the truth, we will offer you high level post”. She was offered large some of money also however even after the offer of money and threats she replied with very serious mind. She continued her duty of helping all the activists who were fighting to over throw Rana regime. She also was helping Ganesh Man Singh in under ground activities. It is very difficult to write all the amount of efforts she had contributed in over throwing Rana regime.
The credit goes to Heera devi for the political career growth of Dharma Ratna . He became minister after eighth day of birth of Timila. The army general Keshar Samsher came to meet the old degraded house of her grand step mother. Whenever Tribhuvan traveled to villages he took Dharma Ratna with him.
Because of starvation and working on very risky vulnerable conditions she suffered from heart disease and Asthama and left this world at early age. After her health went bad after convincing Dharma Ratna she handed over the property given to her by grandmother of Dharma Ratna to his brother Sangha Ratna. Now that house is running a lodge called “ Himalayan lodge”.