Kathmandu,
Jan. 4: Speakers at an interaction on Nepali nationalism and Prithvi Narayan
Shah stressed the need of celebrating the 27th 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 292nd
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.
Comments