Call for celebrating Pous 27 as National Unity Day gains steam

Kathmandu, Jan. 4: Speakers at an interaction on Nepali nationalism and Prithvi Narayan Shah stressed the need of celebrating the 27^th of the Nepali month Pous as the National Unity Day and declaring the day a national holiday in commemoration of the contribution made by the late king Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great in the unification of the country.

The interaction was organised by the National Unity Day and 292^nd Prithvi Jayanti (Birth Anniversary) Citizens Celebration Committee.

Leaders of the CPN-Maoist, the CPN (UML), the Unified CPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and the Rastriya Janamorcha, expressing their views on the occasion, said that his dictum that Nepal is a garden of four castes and 36 sub-castes is the present reformed form of federalism.

The speakers stressed the need of celebrating the birth anniversary of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the unified of the nation, at every household.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ram Kumar Shrestha said that the government was positive as regards giving a public holiday on the birth anniversary of the late king.

He also said that although there was plan to reinstate the statute of the late king within Pous 27 [January 11 this year], it was not possible this time due top technical reasons.

The Minister for Culture advised the political parties to focus on constitution writing this time unlike the last time when they wasted valuable time in the game of installing and dismantling governments. He also said that the political parties should expedite the development works with utmost urgency after formulating the constitution.

UCPN (Maoist) politburo member Hemanta Prakash Oli said the late king fought a long-term war against countries with colonialist and expansionist policy for protecting the Nepali nationalism and the UCPN (Maoist) also waged a long-term People's War for the same reason.

Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala said that the history should not be forgotten in the name of change, hailing the late king Prithvi Narayan Shah as an immortal personality.

CPN-Maoist politburo member Kul Prasad KC said that the late king was the creator of a new history and his role in building and protecting the Nepali nationhood was significant. He pointed out the need of building solidarity among the people against colonialists for the protection of nationality.

Leader of the Rastriya Janamorcha Bishnu Thing said that the role of Prithvi Narayan Shah and history should be revisited, warning that federalism would lead the country towards disintegration.

General Secretary of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, Chandra Bahadur Gurung, demanded restoration of monarchy in the country and giving a public holiday on Pous 27 every year as the national unity day. He also said that since the agenda of federalism has been rejected by the people, there was a need of formulating a democratic constitution that also gives space to constitutional monarch.

CPN (UML) leader Raghuji Panta said that a true republican never understood history in the wrong light. Prithvi Jayanti should be celebrated as a national festival as the late Prithvi Narayan Shah was the builder of the nation, he added.

Chancellor of Nepal Academy Bairagi Kainla, senior cartographer  Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, coordinator of the committee Ramesh Dhungel, campaigner  Bharat Basnet, Prof Dinesh Raj Panta and academician Jagaman Gurung, among others, spoke on various aspects of the life and contribution of the late king and said he was a true here and a builder of the nation.