We mourn the death of senior CPIML leader Comrade Moti Mahto who hailed from Gaunaha in Western Champaran District. He passed away on the night of 21 August 2020 due to a heart attack. He was about 70 years old.
In the 80’s Comrade Mahto waged an intense struggle for people’s relief from feudal oppression in his ancestral village of Manwa Parsi in Narkatiyaganj, for which he had to undergo a sentence of life imprisonment and his three brothers had to leave the village. About 4 acres of land belonging to the four brothers were captured by feudal powers and their homes were demolished. His wife was forced to flee and took shelter at a relative’s house in Pipara village in Gaunaha. Here she worked for wages and supported her 3 year old son. Around that time Comrade Moti Mahto came into contact with the CPIML. After serving his life sentence he started living in Pipara village where he joined the struggle for housing land for the poor. He became a member of the CPIML in 2005 and from then onward to his dying breath he played an important role for the Party. He was a focal point of hope and struggle for the poor against the feudal powers of the village. During every election, whether Lok Sabha, Assembly or Panchayat, his home used to function as the regional office of the Party and he took full responsibility for the stay and food of Party workers. He was loved as ‘Moti Chacha’ by the Party cadres.
Many people lose confidence and get broken during long periods of struggle by small losses or jail periods. But Moti Chacha never stepped back from his principles throughout his life even in the face of great hardship. He was always committed to carrying forward the fight for freedom for the poor. Recently, after a spirited struggle of about 35 years, he had got back his land in his ancestral village. He is ‘Moti’ not just by name; he is a true pearl in the people’s struggle for rights, justice and dignity. He will always shine bright as a pearl for CPIML cadres and remain a source of inspiration.
Red Salute to Comrade Moti Mahto!
