Nation pays tribute to a visionary and builder 

Kathmandu: The life-size statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah in front of Singha Durbar brought people from Head of the state down to ordinary Nepalis, to pay homage to the late King,  a visionary and executioner of the idea of modern Nepal.

President Ram Chandra Poudel, Prime Minister Sushila Karki , Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, former Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire and Rastriya Sabha chief Narayan Dahal, were among the first to place wreaths on the statue on the occasion of the late king’s 304th birth anniversary. The government announced the day as a Public holiday and the National unity day.

The Nepal Army that observed the day with its personnel following Gorkha-Kathmandu trail  matching  the route that the late King had trudged  along with his army and warriors while setting out on a successful unification mission over 280  years ago bringing into existence a unified country 282 years ago.

Two former Chiefs of the Royal Nepal Army–Gen Pyar Jung Thapa and Gen Rajendra Chhetri– however, represented their institution and placed the wreath at the statue.

The GP Koirala led government in 2006 with Congress leader K P Situala as the Home Minister had stripped the late King the status of a unifier, his birth day as a national unity day  . The statue, venue of people pouring in today, was vandalised by the Maoists . But subsequently the statute was rebuilt and installed in the same place under public initiative.

The government at the pressure of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party which refused to give up its agenda for a Hindu Kingdom even after 2006, did celebrate the day as Prithvi Anniversary intermittently, after few years. but never restored the day as ‘national unity day’ in the national calender. RPP has however, continued to observe the day in that capacity every year , and today was no exception.

Prime MInister Karki attended the ocasion hosted by the RPP at Bhrikuti Mandap. While diplomats representing different missions and people from different walls of life were present on  the occasion, key leaders from Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, Maoists, and others which were part of the decision to denigrate the late King were absent. The school syllabus approved by these parties; government has even presented the late king as a ‘military expansionist’.

RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden donated blood in the camp organised by the Party. This was 93rd time he donated the blood so far.

Earlier , Large number of people, social and cultural organisations , ethnic groups marched in procession, some in their indigenous attire and musical instruments,  to  pay their homage . Many of them chanted slogans in favour of the Monarchy’s return.