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| Photo : Rohit Parajuli |
Syangja, Nov. 20: Wishing eternal peace to the departed souls of
some 60,000 Gurkha soldiers who were killed and made disappeared during the
Britain-led wars, the funeral rites of the dead ones has been begun en masse at
Salmedanda of Phedikhola VDC-8 in the district on Tuesday.
The event is being held under the the coordination of Gurkhas Army
Ex-Servicemen Organization (GAESO) and the Gorkha Memorial Trust, said GAESO's
Chairman Padam Gurung, adding the event was organized in memory of the
60,000 Gurkhas who died untimely and
disappeared during the wars.
He further said as their last rites were not observed like that of
other normal deaths, 18 ethnic groups join to perform it now.
The ethnic groups to perform the last rites are Gurung, Rai,
Magar, Limbu, Pun, Yakkha, Sunuwar, Sherpa, Tamang, Dura, Bhujel, Newar,
Thakuri, Thakali, Dalit, Brahmin, Chhetri, Hyelmo and others. These different
ethnic groups are performing the last rites as per their respective culture.
The mass last rites were initiated by senior artistes Madan
Krishna Shrestha and Haribansa Acharya with a floral offering to the image of
ex-Gurkha soldiers.
It was also performed in a bid to give a message to the world that
the British made the Nepali youths mere tools in the war.
After the event, 12 religious gurus and 12 child girls (kanya)
would lay foundation stone to the tomb.
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