Here’s The Inspiring Story Behind The Symbol Of Liberation & Fight – Che Guevara

Perhaps no revolutionary is better known than Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara.

An innocent face with dreamy eyes and a hat with a star symbol on it. That is the ever-lasting image of the greatest rebel of the 20th century.

He was not born a revolutionary. He grew up in a middle-class family and lived an ordinary life until he died. No matter which corner of the world you go to, you will hear about Che Guevara. Not a lot of people however ‘know’ about him and even less know the facts that I am about to mention. So, read on.

Born to an Argentine family, Che travelled extensively around  South and Central America and witnessed the plight of the lower classes.

A period of his life is immortalised in the Motorcycle Diaries. Remember?

 

Deeply moved by the poverty, illiteracy and oppression, he realised there is a need for a revolution and resolved to fight for a better world.

From that point  on, he laboured to uplift the working class from Cuba to Guatemala and eventually different parts of the world.

 

It was in 1955, that he was introduced to Cuban revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro and joined his war against the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista.

He played a major role in developing military tactics as well as training and educating guerillas.

 

He helped Castro consolidate power and arranged for the USSR to position missiles within Cuba

…thus setting off 1962’s Cuban missile crisis.

 

After the overthrow of Batista, Guevara became the head of the National Bank as well as served as Minister of Industry.

But, when his policies began to cause rifts with other Cuban leaders, he decided to spread revolutions in other parts of the developing world in 1965.

 

During his tenure, he stressed the importance of literacy.

He set up schools and educational institutes in the rural areas. He emphasized the importance of education which helped the literacy rate rise from 60% to 96%. The illiterate masses were transformed into literate ones.

 

He visited China and the Soviet Union and he is in a way responsible for the Soviet-Cuban relationship.

Later, he resigned from his governmental duties to resume his work as a revolutionary abroad.

 

He went on an official tour of Asia, Africa and Europe to establish diplomatic and trade relations with Cuba.

He visited Havana, celebrated his birthday in Madrid and then flew to Delhi via Cairo. Prime Minister Mr Jawaharlal Nehru welcomed Che Guevara in his Teen Murti residential office.

 

After an ill-fated stint in the Congo, he briefly returned to Cuba before making his way to Bolivia.

Fighting against the military government was his main goal. But the superior training of the Bolivian army and poor relations with local communists saw his suffering a string of defeats.

 

In 1967, he was surrounded and forced to surrender to the army and was executed the next day in Bolivia.

It was only in 1997 that the Guevara’s body was found, located near a Vallegrande airstrip. After confirmation report by the forensic anthropologist, his remains were laid to rest, with military honors, in a specially built mausoleum.

We see Che Guevara everywhere in India – on posters, shirts, tattoos and frames hanging in our bedroom because we crave for something that is ‘super cool’ (without even knowing it’s legacy).

But, the fact is, he is a symbol of liberation and fight all over the world.

Not only did he inspire thousands to rise against tyranny, but eve after 38 years, his vision still continues to fight many a revolutionary.

Like Nelson Mandela said, ‘Che is an inspiration for every human being who loves freedom’.

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