Mulugeta Asrate-Kassa

By Dr. Abarru Gebeda

Apri 12, 2006

I am a history buff and know the background of Ato Mulugeta, the grandson of Ras Kassa and the nephew of the celebrated heroes, Degazmatch Aberra and Asfawossen Kassa, who were brutally murdered by General Tracchia on December 21, 1936. Grazianni’s telegram to Lessona, the Italian Under-Secretary of the war read: “Situation in Selale Liquidated!”

The two brothers were nightmares to Grazianii, giving him a perennial headache during the war, day and night. Addis Ababa was completely at a standstill during those days, the brothers expected to obliterate the Italians. Their incredible bravery and scarifies for their country, which begs for our modern Ethiopian writers to delve into our past (where a plethora of amazing heroic stories awaits), can give us some clues to what family Mulugeta is related to.

Today, after reading his articles and his messages, and observing his unwavering positions on the fundamental issue of democracy, I can’t avoid the notion to gallop to the past and find traits of spunk, the same spunk his uncles possessed at one invidious point of our history, showing us the definition of valor.

I don’t think Ato Mulugetta should lower himself into a fist fight, with the likes of Fekade Shewakena, whose pen is turgid, whose ideas spindle-shanked, whose motives questionable, and whose intelligence…read his bloated essays.

Leave Mr. Shewakena alone and let him blabber! Intelligent Ethiopians at some point will come to their senses and see for themselves who he really is and will figure out whether to read his bigoted diatribe is worth it or not.

And there are plenty like him out there!

I have nothing more to say, except to raise my hat to you, Ato Mulugetta. I see you through the prism of history, and I think, little by little, you are beginning to look like your gallant uncles whose blood has “poured on the Piazza of Ficche”, as the excited Tracchia’s cable indicated to Grazianni.

I hope you live a million years to continue showing us what democracy is all about. Ethiopia needs you just as she needed your great uncles in the past.

Thank you.

Email: Abarrugebeda9@yahoo.com