Who am I ?

How would I introduce myself at this age of 60 +… As a politician with transformative mindset? As a mother with womb-full of class, gender, ethnic, regional and marginal issues? As a grandmother with full aspiration to make the grandson as gende-sensitive and environment-sensitive as possible! And as a political wife who nudges her political husband to be a statesman! Meanwhile follow my life line to know more about myself!

My life is a rainbow of all the tendencies, being born at the heart of Kathmandu, Nepal with political family background! Around the age of 8, I was already chirpy, being the youngest among seven children I had scars on both my shins jumping, running and summersaulting (some are still with me). In Kanyamandir High School, Kathmandu I was one of the leaders who would lead bunch of my classmates to complain why teachers came late in the principal’s office.

After the death of my mother (I was then 10 yrs old) , my sister Timila Yami Thapa (www.timilayamithapa.com) takes me to Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, in India (IIT,Kanpur), where she was studying electronic engineering. I am admitted to Central School at the age of 11. Here I become jack of all trade master of non, getting certificates after certificates for being a good singer, an athlete but I was an average student. Amidst all the toppers in IITK girl’s hostel I was a girl child growing in their laps.

At the age of 16, I reach Delhi School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in New Delhi to do bachelor of Architecture. I get cultural shock to see a hostel where girls and boys shared everything except bed and bathroom. I meet Baburam Bhattarai who introduces me to my late father Dharma Ratna Yami (www.dharmaheera.com) and mother (Heera Devi Yami) as political parents.

I eventually become not only political but get entangled into political marriage with him (1981). I become cultural secretary, treasurer and eventually general secretary of All India Nepalese Students Association. I also join Nepal Ekta Samaj, the oversea worker’s front belonging to the banned Nepal Communist Party Masal. Eventually I become a member of NCP(Masal).

At the age of 22, I come back to Kathmandu to join Institute of Engineering (IOE) as a lecturer in Pulchowk. I am elected as treasurer in Nepal Engineer’s Association  (1985-87). However I am more known in street as a rebel against the king than as a lecturer. I am repeatedly arrested: in 1990 alone I am arrested thrice for being anti-monarchist. I am not allowed to be recruited as a permanent staff in IOE, under Tribhuvan University for nearly 10 years. In fact pressures came directly from the palace IOE to kick me out of the job. Luckily every time I am imprisoned it coincided with holidays. Since I did not miss my classes the authority in the institute stood by me. I am also involved in thwarting the first beauty pageant held ever in Nepal, immediately after the first Jan-andolan in 1990. I am selected as ‘woman of the year’ (1990) along with Krishna Prasad Bhattarai as a ‘man of the year’ (1990) ( who later on became the Prime Minister of Nepal in 1990) by the then prestigious and popular magazine ‘Antarashtriya Manch’.

At the age of 26, I become a mother giving birth to a daughter Manushi Yami Bhattarai. Along with my 8 years daughter I go to New Castle Upon Tyne University in UK to do Masters of International Housing Science (MIHSc) in 1993. Studying in a capitalist country UK, I became more communist when I come back to Nepal after completing my studies. I am already in touch with RIM ( Revolutionary International Movement) and Save Gonzalo movement in both London and Dusseldorf in Germany.

In 1995 I came back to Kathmandu to join my teaching in IOE Pulchowk. I again am arrested twice: I am arrested for showing black flags to Hillary Clinton when she visited Kathmandu. The second time I am arrested for fighting against dictatorial actions of ruling United Marxist Leninist Party (UML). I was elected as a President of All Nepal Woman’s Organization (Revolutionary) (1995-97), the mass front of CPN (unity center).

At the age of 37 in 1996 I go underground, leaving behind 13 years of my teaching job in IOE, joining People’s War (1996-2006). I also leave behind my daughter Manushi at the age of 10 with my sister in Kathmandu. I thus become  whole timer for the first time. Within 10 years span of PW I worked as member of Prachanda’s Central Head quarter secretariat followed by being a member of Overseas Bureau of CPN (Maoist) party, a head of women’s department, a member of International Department and finally worked as the secretary of the People’s Power Consolidation Department in Rolpa, the bastion of PW. From being a district party member I rose to become a central committee member and then politburo member within the Maoist Party during 10 years of underground PW period. I along with Baburam Bhattarai and some of our comrades are taken disciplinary actions for six months when we questioned some of the dictatorial tendencies in the Party leadership. We all are disarmed and demoted to merely general party members in the year 2004. In 2006 we come over-ground after promulgation of comprehensive peace process in 2006.

At the age of 48, I become Minister of Physical Planning and Works in 2007 followed by Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation in 2008 and also followed by Minister of  Land Reform and Management in 2011. In August 2011, Baburam Bhattarai becomes a Prime Minister of Nepal while I am a member of legislature.

In 2015 we leave the Maoist party to form a new party by the name Naya Shakti Nepal in which I am one of the members of head quarter. Once again in 2017, I am detained and taken to police custody after our party took demonstration in front of election commission office for denying our party symbol ‘Eye’ in order to participate in local election under the PM Prachanda. In 2020 I become vice president of the People’s Socialist Party, Nepal.

In 2020, I become a grandmother to a boy Yugeen amidst COVID epidemic period.

I started as jack of all trade when I was around 16 but now after 60’s I am trying to be jack of all trade and master on inclusive issues particularly on gender issues.

Meanwhile ……

Awards: ‘Best Sports Woman Award’, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India 1980.

‘Woman of the year’ Antar-rashtriya Manch Patrika (International Forum magazine), Nepal 1990.

Figured in ‘Top Ten Women of Nepal’, Bimochan (Monthly Magazine), Nepal 2005

Publications:

‘Adha Akash Adha Dharti’, ed. By Hisila Yami, Sita Sharma, Durga Neupane, Prerana Mahila  
Parivar , 1991. 

‘Squatter settlement in Nepal’, editor, Hisila Yami, 1990

‘Adhikar: Demystification of Law for Nepali Women’, Hisila Yami, Sandhya Basnet Bhatta,  
Tulsi Bhatta, Prerana Mahila Parivar, 1993.

‘Marxbad ra Mahila Mukti’, Hisila Yami and Baburam Bhattarai, Utprerak Publication, 2000.
-Second Edition, Two – Line Publication, 2006

‘People’s War and Women’s Liberation in Nepal’, Hisila Yami Purbaiya Publication 2006.
(Translated into Italian, Indian Languages) – Second Edition , Janadhwani Publication, 2007

‘Janayuddha ra Mahila Mukti’, Hisila Yami, Janadhwani Publication, 2006.

‘Hisila: From revolutionary to first lady’, Penguin Random Publication 2021

Articles Written in Many National and International Magazines.

Countries visited:

India, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Netherland, Brussel, Luxemburg, United Kingdom, United States of America, France, Italy, Germany, Egypt, Brazil, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iran, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Vatican city, Hongkong

Timeline of Hisila Yami

1991 Founder Member of Women Security Pressure Group.