DANG: Former Minister Lokendra Bista Magar has earned a prestige of farmer nowadays. Bista, who prefers to call himself a commercial farmer, is still engaged in farming. Bista is one of the leading cultivators of ‘Dragon Fruit’ in Nepal. He is planning for third round of Dragon Fruit farming. He has earned income by importing two-stage dragon fruit.
Bista has gained new experience after coming to Dang and cultivating dragon fruit. A Maoist combatant turned farmer, Bista says that he was enjoying the farming. He says, “If anyone sees me working in the field, they would like to talk me.” Just as people used to come to visit when he was a minister, now they also come to visit while farming. Bista has made the once barren land near Ghorahi-Tulsipur road in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolis-18 of Dang green. The land is not suitable for dragon farming, as it requires sandy soil. However, Bista has given an example that if you work hard, it will give you a good income.
He has sold fruit twice before. Now he was waiting for the third time. “We could have earned more if we had worked harder on sandy soil than we have done on this land now,” he said.
Dragon fruit bears fruit from May to September-October. It is also known as ‘Queen of the Night’ as it usually bears fruit at night. So far, he has earned an average of Rs 2 million twice. It produces 28-30 quintals in one season. He says that he has earned about NRs 500,000 from selling the plants as well. Now the plants he produces are sold not only in Dang but also in other districts.
This fruit is considered to be very healthy.
Even before this, he had come into the limelight by cultivating black paddy. He came into the limelight by cultivating black paddy in Bhakunde and is also in the limelight by cultivating dragon fruit in Dang. He says that paddy is also cultivated in some areas in Dang.
Although he has completely retired from politics, Bista has not given up his political ambition. He is watching Nepali politics closely. One of the proofs of this is the expression he gives on social media. Every day he posts status in social media, particularly in facebook in which he comments on contemporary politics.
However, he says, “I am no longer active in politics, now my profession is agriculture.” Bista describes agriculture as a house of politics. He said that politics is the backbone of agriculture. “Economy is the foundation of politics, agriculture is our foundation,” he said.
He said that there was a tendency in the speech to talk of socialism but to despise the working class. He says that agriculture without politics and politics without agriculture is not possible. “I am no longer involved in active politics,” he said. “My party is this agricultural party.”
‘Politics is service’
He is against the tendency of doing lifelong politics. He says that politics is not a lifelong profession but a periodic one. He says, “Politics is not a lifelong profession, business, someone’s contract, employment, it is a periodic social service.”
Bista was a two-time minister. He has served as Minister for Health and Minister for Tourism. He is one of the 19 central members of the Maoists who started the 10-year long people’s war. “I spent 55 years in politics. I will live 20/22 more years on agriculture,” he said.
Interest in becoming a communist member
Even though he has left party politics, he is still looking for a Communist Party, which is more revolutionary and sincere.
He said that many people have been urging him to enter politics even now. But he does not want to enter in active politics.
