Message of Prithvi Jayanti
Promoting Culture Of Unity

By Yuba Nath Lamsal

THE nation is celebrating 281st Prithvi Jayanti and National Unity Day today to pay tributes to His late Majesty King Prithvi Narayan Shah the great, who made untiring contribution to create a united and strong Nepal by unifying several tiny principalities. This is the day that should persuade all of us to bury our personal and partisan interests and rekindle our commitment to work together for the common cause of the nation and the people.

Historical

Nepal had been divided into many small principalities ruled by chieftains. Their rulers were fighting and conspiring against each other for their petty interests. At about the same time, British colonial power had been taking control over weak and bickering states in the Indian subcontinent one after another. Against this background, the creation of a strong and unified Nepal was the historical need to protect its national identity.

His late Majesty Prithvi Narayan Shah was a visionary Monarch who saw the danger hovering in the sky of Nepal, which, if unchecked in time, may eliminate sovereign identity of Nepal. Prithvi Narayan Shah came forward to fulfil this historical needs bestowed upon him and initiated the process of unification. He laid the foundation of a modern Nepal and his successors completed the job of further expanding and consolidating the process of Nepal's unification.

All Nepalese people are grateful to him and celebrate Prithvi Jayanti as the Unity Day to express their gratefulness. Prithvi Narayan Shah not only unified Nepal but also gave a vision and directives for the rulers and people of Nepal, which are equally relevant even today.

Apart from unifying and creating a united Nepal, King Prithvi Narayan Shah's contributions are manifold. Democracy, people's will and welfare were the basis of governance. History tells us that he used to take every decision based on the consent and suggestions of the people, which can be called direct democracy in the present political terminology. The selection of Kalu Pandey as the Kazi (prime minister) is an example of democratic system of governance during that time. The King organised a gathering of people and proposed the name of Biraj Bhakheti for the appointment of Kazi. The meeting of the people instead suggested Kalu Pandey's name for the position. The King then changed his mind and appointed Kalu Pandey in the chief administrative position as per the will of people.

His late Majesty Prithvi Narayan Shah used to adhere to people-oriented rule. He, in his popular Dibyopadesh (directives) declared corruption as a serious social crime and said that those who gave and accepted bribe were the enemies of the state.

One important vision he has left is related to the conduct of Nepal's foreign policy. He has metaphorically described Nepal as a yam between two boulders.

This means the strategic and sensitive position of Nepal between two Asian giants-India and China. The founder of Nepal has clearly spelled out the need and compulsion of Nepal to maintain equidistance and friendly relations with both its powerful neighbours. Nepal's foreign policy vis-à-vis its neighbours is based truly on the guidelines of His late Majesty Prithvi Narayan Shah and is likely to remain unchanged even in future.

Another most important thing we all must understand and follow with seriousness is the message of unity. He has described Nepal as a "Char Jaat and Chhatis Barna Ko Phulbari"(garden of four castes and 36 sub-castes). This implies that the state and people must recognise the existence of each and every ethnic group and respect them and their culture. This alone creates a broad and strong national culture and strengthens Nepal's nationalism.

Nepal is a diverse country in terms of geography, ethnicity and cultural practices. This ethnic, linguistic and cultural mosaic is the national culture of Nepal. This diversity is the unique feature and wealth of Nepal. This unity in diversity that has safeguarded, promoted and strengthened Nepal's nationalism and national identity throughout the history.

The culture of seeking and creating unity in diversity is more important today than ever before. The country is passing through a difficult phase of history. Violence and terrorism have damaged the image of Nepal as a peaceful Shangri-la. People are not safe and secure even at their own homes. The country's economy is ruined. Conflict has reached such a dangerous point that it has divided, destroyed and devastated much as for as the conntry is concerned.

This situation did not arise all of a sudden. Leaders and policy makers failed to understand the gravity of the problem and identify the root cause of the crisis, and demonstrated little willingness and seriousness to nip it in bud. This helped the situation to further flare up, which has reached the present dangerous situation.

In such a crucial juncture of history, the nation and the people are looking for a culture of unity and amity. This culture of unity alone narrows the division in the society, dispels misunderstanding and creates a conducive atmosphere for working together for the progress and prosperity of Nepal.
The message of Prithvi Jayanti and National Unity Day also should be democracy, unity, peace and harmony. This day should guide all of us to develop the culture of democracy and unity. Violence, conflicts and confrontation have never served the broader interest of the people anywhere in the world. We must shun violence and animosity and forge a sense of consensus and compromise in order to solve all burning problems of the nation and the people.

People's Welfare

If we strictly and sincerely follow the Dibyopadesh of His late Majesty Prithvi Narayan Shah and his style of governance, the fundamental problems the nation is facing at present can be solved to a large extent. The late King Prithvi Narayan Shah had strong belief in the strength of people and his overall concern was the will of people and their welfare. Accordingly, people always took Monarchy as their protector and savior. This feeling nurtured the intimate relation between the people and the Monarch, which must be promoted and strengthened.

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