REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Feb 19: Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has said that the peoples´ revolution that ousted the 104-year long Rana oligarchy in 1951 is the mother of all revolutions in Nepal. Speaking at a function at the Nepal Army Pavilion on Thursday to mark the 65th Democracy Day, Koirala said the historic revolution in 1951 had ushered in the dawn of democracy in Nepal.
REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Feb 19: Prime Minister Sushil Koirala has said that the peoples´ revolution that ousted the 104-year long Rana oligarchy in 1951 is the mother of all revolutions in Nepal.
Speaking at a function at the Nepal Army Pavilion on Thursday to mark the 65th Democracy Day, Koirala said the historic revolution in 1951 had ushered in the dawn of democracy in Nepal.
“Although there were many obstructions in the course of institutionalizing democracy, our country continued moving ahead. It never had to backtrack. Therefore, I have taken people´s revolution in 1971 as the mother of all revolutions,” said the prime minister.
Koirala said the 1971 movement attaches special importance to Nepali people as the revolution not only ended the Rana oligarchy but also helped Nepal´s democracy and society to enter the modern age. At the outset of his speech, Koirala paid tributes to BP Koirala, who spearheaded the people´s movement in 1951 and to all the martyrs who laid down their life for democracy.
Koirala said negotiations are under way to institutionalize the achievements made through various people´s movements over the years. While lauding the support and goodwill of international community, Koirala said genuine support and goodwill of all friendly countries is necessary to institutionalize the achievements of past movements.
On the occasion, Koirala also assured that the new constitution would guarantee the rights of all groups of people. He also asked the agitating parties to rise above their partisan interests for the cause of national unity.
The Democracy Day function was attended by President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, Vice President Paramananda Jha, Acting Chief Justice Kalyan Kumar Shrestha, deputy prime ministers Bam Dev Gautam and Prakash Man Singh, other ministers, chiefs of various constitutional bodies and senior government officials, among others.
Before the start of the Democracy Day function, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Ministers, ministers, CA members, high government officials, academicians, intellectuals and members of the civil society assembled at the Sahid Gate and marched through Khicha Pokhari, Juddha Salik, Indrachowk, Bhotahity, Ratna Park before entering the army pavilion.
325 democracy fighters honored
Nepali Congress (NC)´s sister organization Nepal Democracy Fighters´ Association (NDFA) on Thursday felicitated 325 democracy fighters amid a special function held at the NC headquarters in Sanepa.
Those felicitated on Thursday included 101-year old Mani Sundar Bajimaya and 100-year old Hem Raj Timilsina and Bhumishwar Sapkota, according NDFA Spokesperson Bal Krishna Dahal.
"The felicitation is to recognize the contribution they made to the Nepal´s struggles for democracy," said Dahal.
According to Dahal, the democracy fighters will be taken on a tour from Bir Hospital to Pashipatinath, Bauddhanath and Sundarijal Museum on Friday. The democracy fighters will have their lunch at the museum. They will then be taken to Bhaktapur and Patan Durbar Square. Prime Minister Koirala is scheduled to host a dinner reception for them in the evening.
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