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VOL. 28, NO. 24, March 20, 2009 (Chaitra 07 2065)
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Silent Cry
The contribution made by Ludwig F. Stiller, who passed away at the age of 81 years, will always be remembered whenever the history of Nepal will be discussed
By KESHAB POUDEL
When Ludwig F. Stiller, S.J. came to Nepal in 1951 as a teacher in St. Xavier school with an aim to impart quality education to Nepalese, he might not have thought that this country would ultimately become his home where he would spend the rest of his life.
Along with contributing in education sector, Stiller’s contribution to the history of Nepal is immense in which he showed his love and affection to his adopted motherland.
Stiller died at the age of 81 last week and his body was buried here. However, the contribution made by him to enrich the history of Nepal will be alive for a long time to come.
“My greatest thanks are due to the villagers of Nepal, They inspired me continually with their steadfast approach to life, their wit, their kindness and the religious roots they have sunk so deep. They have been companions on my journey of questioning the past and comrades on trails in the hills and in the terai. No book will ever do justice to them. But I have tried,” writes Stiller in the preface of his book Nepal: Growth of a Nation published in August 1993.
In his revised edition of the Rise of the House of Gorkha published in 1995, Stiller writes very important period of Nepal’s history. Stiller highlighted the crisis period after the death of Prithvi Narayan Shah till the period of Rana Bahadur Shaha and Bhimsen Thapa. With accompanying documents, Stiller put the history of unified Nepal and pain and agony faced by the country in proper perspective.
Similarly, Silent Cry is another interesting book which was about the crucial period after Anglo-Nepal War of 1814. This book presents very crucial period of Nepal’s quest to survival as an independent country.
Published by Tribhuwan University, The Letters from Kathmandu: The Kot Massacre is Stiller’s another important book with so many valid documents enclosed. He has also written a book on Development Planning and In the light of Prithvi Narayan Shaha’s Dibya Upadesh.
All his books highlight the strength of Nepal to remain as an independent nation. He observed people’s aspirations and Nepal’s own capability to withstand all kinds of oppressions. “Despite momentary lapses, however, Prithvi Narayan Shaha’s system proved itself strong enough to withstand the shock of military defeat and sustain the Nepali state in its struggle to maintain its independence against the tide of encroaching British imperialism,” writes Stiller.
After completing his first part of life in education, he spent his second leg of life dedicating to publishing the books with solid documents collected from various libraries in India as well as in Britain.
Since last few years, due to his weakening health, this man lived quietly in Sanepa. Being a first scholar to receive Ph.d in history from Tribhuwan University in Nepalese history, Stiller’s contribution to his new found motherland Nepal will be remembered forever.
Although he was born in the United States, Stiller dedicated all his life to Nepal acquiring Nepalese citizenship. He has physically died but Nepalese people will remember him as a great historian who showed Nepal’s strength. If some of his books, which are now out of prints, are reprinted, it will be a great way to remember him.
