Modanath Prasrit

Modanath Prasrit, also Modnath Prasrit (Nepali: मोदनाथ प्रश्रित; born 20 June 1942)^[1] is a Nepali writer, politician and political activist. A long time member of the Nepali communist movement,^[1] he became the Minister of Education^[1] in 2054 BS (A.D. none). His writings reflect his communist ideology. His book Devasur Sangram (Translation: War between Gods and Demons) is particularly noted for its challenge to Hindu orthodoxy.

Modanath Prasrit
मोदनाथ प्रश्रित
Modanath Prasrit
Born	Modanath Paudel (1942-06-20) 20 June 1942 (age 82) Harrabote, Khidim, Arghakhanchi, Kingdom of Nepal
Nationality	Nepali
Education	Master's Degree (Nepali), Acharya (Ayurveda)
Occupation(s)	writer, poet, politician, political activist, social commentator, cultural commentator, Ayurvedic Practitioner
Parents	Ghanashyam Paudel (father) Balikadevi (mother)
Awards	Madan Puraskar, 2023 B.S. Ujjwal Kirtimaya Rashtradeep (second class)
Writing career
Nickname	Prasrit
Notable works	Maanav (Long Poem) Aamaka Aansu (Collection of poems) Devasur Sangram (Epic) Golagharko Sandesh (Long poem)
Member of Parliament[1]
In office 1994–1999
Constituency	Rupandehi Area 3
Minister of Education
In office 2054 BS – 2055 BS
Monarch	Birendra
Prime Minister	Man Mohan Adhikari
Personal details
Political party	Nepal Communist Party
Other political affiliations	CPN-UML (until 2018) Nepali Congress(until 2019 BS)

Biography

Prasrit was born Modanath Paudel on 20 June 1942, in Khidim, Arghakhanchi, to Ghanashyam Paudel and Balikadevi.^[1] He has Master's degree in Nepali language and a title of 'Acharya' in Ayurvedic Medicine.^[1] He was awarded the Madan Puraskar for Nepali literature in 2023 B.S. (1966–67 A.D.) for the epic Maanav. He has continued to publish a prolific list of works in literature and socio-political commentary since then. Prasrit was an important intellectual figure in the Nepali struggle for Democracy during the Panchayat rule.

Political views

Modanath Prasrit is generally considered a "progressive" writer, although some within the movement claim he has joined the "reactionary" camp in recent years.^[2] He has surprised many with his stance for reinstating Nepal as a Hindu nation, reverting secularism,^[3] while also opining that there was no justification for a Hindu state in the first place.^[4] He has also shown a soft spot for traditional Hindu poets like Bhanubhakta Acharya^[5]

List of works

He has published a total of 2 epic poems, 2 long poems and 235 poems and songs in total. In addition, he regularly contributes his social, cultural and political commentary on newspapers, magazines, talk shows and conferences.^[1]

Type	Year (BS)	Title
Collection of poems	2019	Aamaka Aansu[1]
Long poem	2020	Buba khai?[1]
Long poem	2023	Maanav[1]
Epic	2030	Devasur Sangram[1]
Long poem	2039	Golagharko Sandesh[1]
Collection of poems	2039	Sahidko Ragat[1]
Collection of songs	2049	Jaba chalchha huri[1]
Collection of songs and poems	2058	Sankalit Rachana[1]

Awards

In 2014, he was awarded the Ujjwal Kirtimaya Rashtradeep (second class), a national honour, by a cabinet decision, for his contributions to society.^[6]