“Respect is important. I earned it and always cherished it,” says Ligal, an atheist, the source of whose faith lies in social work.
However, it is not without reason that people revere the old man. Ligal, who lives in Bishalbazaar, Tansen, has set up scholarships for the needy and deserving students in 18 schools here, apart from contributing personal funds to build gardens, parks, historic monuments, and rest houses for visitors. [break]
Interestingly, being an atheist does not deter Ligal from contributing funds to renovate temples, either.
Living with his grandson in his old age, the biggest source of satisfaction to Ligal is people´s appreciation of his social contributions.
“I will have no grievances when I die. I know people will remember me,” he said. “But were there a way to wind back the clock and get younger, I would still do a lot that needs to be done,” added the spirited old man.
Young at heart
Ligal is remarkably active for his age. He is seen making rounds of Tansen bazaar every day leaning forward on his walking stick. And the old man is too observant not to notice damaged roads and drains during his daily tours of the bazaar.
After the daily inspection, Ligal heads straight to the Municipality Office to inform officials about things that need to be repaired or constructed.
The respect and popularity he commands here puts him in a position to demand clear-cut answers to his questions such as: Will the municipality do something about the problem? If yes, when? If not, why?
And if officials answer that the needful cannot be done due to lack of funds, he blurts out, “In that case, you mobilize labor. I will bear the cost.”
With this simple approach to development, Ligal hasn´t just built roads and drains with his own money, but has gifted people here with temples, rest-rooms, gardens, parks, and statues, apart from the View Tower atop Srinagar hill, and the welcome gate.
But Ligal doesn´t just contribute funds to such projects. He likes to personally inspect the work and give instructions.
“I feel like Tansen is my own property, and I am its protector,” says Ligal.
Worst Day in Life
The most painful days in the life of Ligal came after January 31, 2006 when Tansen suffered massive infrastructural and cultural losses during the course of Maoist insurgency.
The Tansen palace, the famous Tansen gate, government offices, and sections of Tansen bazaar were completely damaged. The damages left Ligal desolate for a week.
He then led a personal campaign to reconstruct the Tansen palace and personally contributed Rs 30,000 for the purpose.
Ligal´s love for social work dates back to the Panchayat era when he was also elected as deputy chief of the Panchayat.
Back then, he contributed to building roads and setting up drinking water plants in Tansen, apart from building a massive rest-house in the town.
For his age, Ligal has revolutionary ideas. Ligal does not spend money in conducting annual rituals for his ancestors. He boycotts rituals of making offerings of valuables to the deceased, and urges people to take good care of parents while they are still alive. As for himself, he donates money saved by skipping such rituals to social cause.
Of Ligal´s seven children, two died while they were still young. His wife died some 12 years ago. None of his five living children stay with him.
Humble Roots
Ligal wasn´t always a giver. He worked for daily wages for 18 years, when he should have been studying. But he thinks fondly of his former employer, who gave him employment as well as shelter for 18 years.
With earnings from his 18 years of labor, he started selling chocolates and eventually groceries in Tansen. He invested his earnings on land and fortune favored him. However, he wasn´t content with money alone. He pursued social work while doing business.
A big fan of BP Koirala, who met him several times while visiting Palpa, Ligal erected a statue of Koirala at his own expense in Bishalbazaar. These days, the place is known as BP Chowk.
Decorated with several state awards, Ligal says the secret to his productive life is his judicious choice of company. “Had I chosen the wrong people and spent my life drinking, smoking and gambling, who would have known me?” he questions.
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