When he spoke his face shone with such sincerity and enthusiasm that you couldn't help but be captivated by his charisma. I never heard a single bitter or angry word spoken by him about anyone in spite of his so called "chucha" reputation. Here was a man driven by ideas and willingness to implement them come what may — ideas that were path breaking by any standards. A handsome man with a disarming smile, who was of above average intelligence, well read and traveled, Madan Tamang always saw the positive side of all things in life and was dedicated to bettering not only his own but everyone else's life around him if he could. Yes, that was what I remember of Madan Tamang, or Madan uncle as I knew him.
In another era, another political set up he would doubtless be the same, or even more. The man who has been cowardly murdered by a group of neo-fascists of the GJMM was much more than those aspirants to power can ever aspire to be. Madan Tamang was not only well educated but was perhaps one the finest native sons of the soil, and much before those cowardly assassins or their provocateurs ever made noises about their supposed understanding of the need for active politics of self-determination and development, he had a very clear and realist's vision of what was needed and how it had to be done.
I remember shortly after the time Subash Ghisingh had been rendered powerless and driven away from the hills for good, most probably in the early 2000s, when he visited our flat in Calcutta on one occasion, in a conversation about the future of the "Gorkhaland" movement, he told me very clearly that the options were not restricted to just statehood, but perhaps even a merger with Sikkim. Above all he recognised the importance of the alienation that the people of the hills felt being a part of West Bengal. But one should not get this wrong: he was committed to the cause of statehood much more than anyone before or after him. What he said was meant to be the last option in the way of a demand at a time when the political climate was such that people had all but given up hope of the formation of a separate state. He would rather prefer a merger with Sikkim than a compromise in form of a Hill Council under the West Bengal administration. Indeed Madan Tamang did not belong to a breed of provincial politicians bent on exploiting people's ethnic sentiments just for their personal goal but looked at aspirations of self-determination of a community which has a distinct and unique cultural identity.
The cowards have murdered the last brave Gorkha of his generation and perhaps many many more to come. I wonder what he might have been thinking bleeding to death after the fatal blow of the assasin to his neck. Did his spirit soar above the unfortunate congested town that Darjeeling has become today right back to his very own part of the hillside at Rhododel and then high above to Meghma where he grew Oolong tea in perhaps one of the highest tea gardens of the world?
It was always a great feeling to visit Madan uncle's idyllic house Rhododel, a stone mansion set in a large property occupying the better part of the hillside in the outskirts of Darjeeling town. Whether it was sipping freshl Oolong tea or taking a walk down to the nursery and the small cottages which he rented out to guests from all over the world, like (he said laughing) "a burnt out siftware developer from Microsoft Word team who wanted to try out yoga for inner peace", it was always his presence that made the place so special. He knew much about flora and fauna of the Eastern Himalayas than anyone I know personally.
Had Gorkhaland been a state, this man should have been at the top. He had taste, and more importantly he had a vision. He knew and said as much: that the Darjeeling hills are so rich in natural resources that economic development should be based on factors such as social empowerment through agriculture and diversified industry coupled with environmental conservation rather than only large scale commercial exploitation of land by the tea corporations and tourism. He was above all an idealist, ethical to the core. Bravery in thought came to him naturally because he looked at truth in the face. Now that is the mark of real courage. Since his college days he had been active in politics demanding self-determination for the populace of Darjeeling hills whose fate has been wrongfully left in the hands of cynical politicians in the corridors of power in the Writers' Building at Calcutta, yet another example some people think of the injustices that was part of the old colonial policy of divide and rule by the Brits.
Perhaps the real reason of his murder was his courage to disagree with anyone, even with politicians in his own party or those in alliance with powerful external forces. As long the administration followed a policy of suppressing the real cause of the Gorkhas with brute force, Madan Tamang was not really a threat to them, but in an odd way, their ally. With the new policy to let the neo-fascist GJMM goons to rule the roost in the hills, it was uncomfortable for the administration to allow such vocal opposition to GJMM's rhetoric. With his keen understanding of the political mindset of our leaders Madan Tamang realised the West Bengal government and other political forces of the plains, left, right or centre are all opposed to letting go of Darjeeling as an entity "inside" the state of West Bengal (Darjeelingta amader). At the same time, Madan Tamang was hell bent on exposing the next wave of impostors after Ghisingh having fully realised that the Bimal Gurungs, Roshan Giris and other such opportunists of the world would sooner or later settle with some kind of power sharing arrangement with the state and the centre. That represented to him yet another blow to the people's aspirations. As an idealist who clearly had to hack his way through the jungle of corruption and treachery he lashed out without any restraint and that proved to be his end. Here was the Gorkha spirit, the brave soldier charging against all the odds without fear of his life as the deadly bullets whizzed past him. Here we are today who don't understand or recognise his sacrifice. Nor do we do anything against those cowards who continue to spread lies and slander against such a great man.
Wistfully I begin to wonder about what a great statesman he would have been. If there's any portfolio he could have taken up at the provincial, state or even the national level, it would doubtlessly have been environment. But this age has not been favourable to him in his short life. He lived a full life for sure, trudging the mountainside he loved so much and when he came down to the plains, I can almost see him in his smart outfit — blue flowery printed shirt and light beige trousers — taking us to his favourite restaurant and leisurely enjoying every moment of a dinner. But somewhere back in his mind I know he is worried about the fate of political prisoners like his own elder brother for whose freedom he left no stones unturned.
Madan uncle, they have killed you, those cowards, but you will live forever in our hearts and minds. Good night, sweet prince. Never again will you be able to provide the people with your visionary leadership that was so much the need of the hour. But your legacy will live on in the common aspirations of all freedom loving Gorkhas and all freedom loving human beings in this world.
