In the league of Che Guevara | In On The Act

A revolutionary is motivated by love and not by hate. If I were to act under the influence of hate, I would only be a mercenary.
– Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

One born under the Dragon sign, is brave, say Chinese wisemen, a seeker of ideals; he fears no death, is respected and gifted with a unique talent. On 14 June, 1928 in Rosario, Argentina, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara was born in the year of the Dragon. A favourite pin-up boy, Guevara's life and ideals are romanticised by all and misunderstood by many.

In Nepal, his ideals are possibly misconceived in terms of our political context, where revolution means destruction, where comradeship means gangster mentality and where social workers (i.e., the YCL) mean self-declared vigilantes. With all of these, Che Guevara wearing a cap with a red star on it could leave a bad taste in our mouth. But, he doesn't only represent victory through bloodshed.

Che is celebrated for his spirit, and not just for his political stand. His beliefs were idealistically pure, like any other philosophy. As Che said once, 'I do as I think and am loyal to my convictions.' That's why he was born an Argentinian, became a Cuban freedom fighter, died the death of a Bolivian martyr, and is 'the' South American hero.

Che was a humanist. Being a medic, he opened small hospitals with the help of farmers and served them for free. Sometimes he himself went to the fields and cut crops along with the farmers even when he was already the industry minister in Cuba. He lived his life helping people, and not just planning guerrilla strategy. That's why he was called Che, which means friend. Today we know him as Che Guevara or friend Guevara, not commandant, politburo member, or general secretary.

How many Ches do we have in our political scenario? We only have big brothers, either of this or that camp. How many Ches do we have who are not only compassionate to the people of foreign lands but seek brotherhood with their own land? Instead, we only have foreign funded NGOs and INGOs. He rightly said that revolutionists are incited by love; a love for freedom and for the right to live as human beings. And, he was right when he said that a revolutionary fighting under the influence of hate is a mercenary, a mercenary of propaganda, of dogmatic leaders.

Che Guevara is not just the property of communists alone, he is everyone's Che. He belongs to all the people who believe in freedom and equality. Even though freedom and equality are the spirit of the American Declaration of Independence, ironically, he was killed by the CIA-backed Bolivian army in 1967, in the jungles of La Higueras. Hence, think twice before you adorn a t-shirt with his face on it, try and understand the spirit he lived with, the convictions that he had and the solidarity he fought for.