Che Guevara
There is something so fascinating and thrilling about people who fought for their ideology, the ones who sought a radical change in our lives. They live on in our minds years after they were crushed and buried. Their words echo, their cause shine while their oppressors perish.
As a child I had read a book which was either written by Che or was about him. I don't remember even the content. But it had a profound impact on me. Since then the man in that beard and military uniform has been the epitome of revolution for me, the personification of courage and change.
I do lean left, but that isn't the only reason why I admire him. I don't see Castro, Lenin or Trotsky in the same light. Though I tend to blindly align to the leftist thoughts most of the times, I have always admited the flaws of the same people and thoughts deep in my mind. With Che, it is different. It is the man in him, the ideologist, the icon that I look upto. It is the courage he shown till the last moment, the principles he stood for that made him leave his ministry and fight for his cause again. No one in the entire history of mankind would stand up to him, atleast in my mind. For the very same reason, I can never buy a T-Shirt with his imprint on it.
This August when I went home, I searched for the book all over my place. But that was gone. All that I remember now is that there was another awesome book kept on its side Charithram Enne Kuttakaranallennu Vidhikkum, which also got mysteriously vanished. I don't have the faintest of idea who wrote that or of which country's struggle was that. But those were the first ever books that made my blood "boil".
Either my Dad has generously donated that as a part of the pile of books he gave for the local library or my Mom threw it off as a part of the junk during our shifting. Either way, it is a huge loss.
As a child I had read a book which was either written by Che or was about him. I don't remember even the content. But it had a profound impact on me. Since then the man in that beard and military uniform has been the epitome of revolution for me, the personification of courage and change.
I do lean left, but that isn't the only reason why I admire him. I don't see Castro, Lenin or Trotsky in the same light. Though I tend to blindly align to the leftist thoughts most of the times, I have always admited the flaws of the same people and thoughts deep in my mind. With Che, it is different. It is the man in him, the ideologist, the icon that I look upto. It is the courage he shown till the last moment, the principles he stood for that made him leave his ministry and fight for his cause again. No one in the entire history of mankind would stand up to him, atleast in my mind. For the very same reason, I can never buy a T-Shirt with his imprint on it.
This August when I went home, I searched for the book all over my place. But that was gone. All that I remember now is that there was another awesome book kept on its side Charithram Enne Kuttakaranallennu Vidhikkum, which also got mysteriously vanished. I don't have the faintest of idea who wrote that or of which country's struggle was that. But those were the first ever books that made my blood "boil".
Either my Dad has generously donated that as a part of the pile of books he gave for the local library or my Mom threw it off as a part of the junk during our shifting. Either way, it is a huge loss.
Labels: people
posted by Dew Drops at 3:16 AM
5 Comments:
You put it quite well, yes it is the man in him. He was from a upper middle class background, a professional by education, a chronic asthmatic - more than enough reasons to be a smug faced onlooker. He left all his luxuries to fight for the working class - thing to note here is lenin,trotsky,mao,charu et all fought within their nations - Che transcended the national boundaries - thats where he becomes a true communist - a true revolutionary who meant it when he cried for the workers of all lands to unite. He fought across latin america , then cuba and as you said , resigned from the Castro ministry to fight in Bolivia where he was killed.
Che and Jesus will remain important as long as there are hunters and prey.
History will Absolve me, the revolution starts now are both Castro's defense speeches in courts of law. All these speches are available in "Marxists.org"
@bvn
Thanks a lot for the link. You have no idea how much have I searched for these in both book shops and internet. SInce I was translating from Malayalam, I didn't get it right ;)
What makes Che the ultimate is the fact that he quit the Castro government building which was his own struggle. You are right, it is the true Communist in him that transcended national barriers.
left is ofcourse the way.... in my view!!!
happened to read the biography of Lenin early this year, that was simply great. Hugo Chavez is also a kind of hero, atleast in his bashing of Bush and Co. :))
Cuba presents a curious case, although the revolution was glorious in every way.
@arjun
to be frank, I don't really think left is the way. it is only an ideal, the practical way has to be somewhere in the middle.
@arjun
and ya, it very much depends on how do you define left. i was talking about the "ism"s of the world.
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