Nepal and India are the only two pious Hindu countries in the world. These Hindu countries are bordered in between Kailash-Mansarowar in the north and Hinda-Mahasagar in the south, which is popularly known as the original place of the Hindu and Hinduism. Hinduism educated us in global brotherhood, humanitarianism and respectful coexistence among different peoples.
I strongly believe that Hindu philosophy can guide the entire world for humanitarian values and norms. Hinduism is our identity, Hinduism is our dignity, Hinduism is our life. It is our pride that we are part of it.
About 950 years ago, the Muslims invaded India. Their aim was to conquer, convert, destroy and loot. Due to their notorious attacking they were successful. At that time, Muslims burned many Hindu temples and erected mosques on top of the burned out temples and in other locations also.
In the time Muslims ruled India, the English imperialist East India Company invaded India with Christianity. They came first as traders, secondly with Bibles and third with the sword where they were building their own military force, secretly, to take over India and they were getting help from Great Britain to do so, and they succeeded. In this situation, the King of Gorkha – Prithvi Narayan Shah kept virgin more than 54 small Hindu states unifying sovereign United Hindu Kingdom Nepal. We Nepalese people are celebrating the Unity Day and the memorial Birthday of the unifier Prithvi Narayan Shah on 11th January, 2015 (27th Poush 2071 BS).
The people of Nepal and India always had cordial relations due to the cultural and religious resemblance. They should know that if instability persists in Nepal, it could be a bastion of terrorism posing a threat to the whole world. When India was more than 25 nations, before Muslim and British period, at that time, India was not called ‘Hindustan’. Being the majority Hindu people in these Indian states, the British named it ‘Hindustan.’ But, before 250 years ago, the great King Prithvi Narayan Shah expressed – “Nepal is true Hindustan” That is the reality of History.
This year India has witnessed the historical victory of nationalist patriotic power as a democratic practice in the world’s largest democracy. We heartily congratulate Prime minister Sri Narendra Modi, a visionary leader. We believe Indo-Nepal relations will find new dimensions with this new government in India.
We are against any interference. But we always seek positive support and developmental cooperation.
At this time, we are in crisis. All Nepali people want India to be supportive in reinstating our lost pride – Hinduism and constitutional monarchy. The Nepalese monarch always had goodwill with India. The fact is that the Nepalese monarchs held special right for carrying out ritualistic worship in many Hindu shrines and temples in India. Then, India’s Hindutva also can be dignified.
Prithvi Narayan Shah, the unifier of Nepal is the pride of Nepal. Before 292 year, the greatest hero Prithvi Narayan Shah was born in Gorkha. Since 1768, ‘Nepal’ became a common shelter for all Nepalese people. This is the mother land for all Nepalese people spread around the globe. It was almost 100 years before Germany and Italy were unified and the restoration of the Meiji dynasty was restored that Prithvi Narayan Shah had unified 54 small fiefdoms to build a large, expanded and strong Nepal. It is remarkable that the American citizen never forgets the history of Gorge Washington, who gave freedom to their people from the British imperialism and unified the United States of America after almost 30 years from the Nepalese unification (1768).
The British Empire, spreading in Asia, after getting a hold in India had eyed the mountainous region i.e. Nepal. It was not an easy task to fight against the British imperialistic force in the mid 18th century. As, the culture, the religion and the nationality was in a danger, which compelled Prithvi Narayan Shah to unify the Greater Nepal, including the many small Hindu states and protected Buddhism and other religions too. Prithvi Narayan Shah had kept the originality of mountainous Nepal by holding the Moon-Sun depicting flag to wave, which obliged all the Nepalese in the world. The creator of this nation, Prithvi Narayan Shah pointed out in His golden Message – “This is not the nation gained by my trifle efforts, this is the garden of all class of flowers, and may all be aware of this.”
So, it is our duty that each and every citizen of Nepal is the equal owner of this country.
Nepalese who disrespect Prithvi Narayan Shah are never a patriot and almost everybody hates them with curse.
It was a matter of regret that after the uprising of 2006, the so-called revolutionaries – the Maoists – mobilized from RAW and EU, smashed the statue of the Prithvi Narayan Shah, and insulted him and called off the birth anniversary of the late king as a day of national unity. Some destructive group had vandalized the glorious statue of Prithvi Narayan Shah in Pokhara and replaced it with the statue of Lakhan Thapa. Is there not any place in Nepal for Lakhana Thapa?
The Gorkha King declared ‘Kathmandu’ as the capital and ‘Nepal’ as the Kingdom and but not Gorkha. Prithvi Narayan Shah not only brought caste – and ethnicity-based states under the umbrella of Nepal, but also laid a solid foundation for the modern state. Nepal was a “yam between two boulders” suggesting the need for a delicate balance of relationship between its two big neighbors, a fundamental rule of Nepal’s foreign policy even now. Prithvi Narayan Shah’s warning that “bribe givers and takers are both enemies of the nation” is a quote that many Nepalese repeat today, pointing fingers at their new “leaders.”
Looking back in history – After the capturing of Kirtipur, an English Platoon of 2,400 under the leadership of Killok was chased away from Sindhuli with support from Ram Krishna Kunwar and Dev Narayan Magar and others. Then, Prithvi Narayan Shah came to Kathmandu, in course of creating a greater Nepal. After winning Kathmandu he sat on the royal throne at Hanuman Dhoka with the help of Jhyagal Gurung after receiving a ‘Tika’ from Kumari (Shakya living Goddess). To maintain the pride of this place, he did everything that could be done to create a greater Nepal. With the support of all different castes including Magar, Gurung, Sherpa, Bahun, Chetri, Kami, Damai, Sarki etc. Prithvi Narayan Shah contributed to extend this nation – Tista in the East, Kangada in the West and Ganges in the South.
Prithvi Narayan Shah’s policy of ‘Rights of inheritors over the land’ – (Jagga Mathi Raitiko Adhikar) has heralded a tremendous influence over the people. The culture, tradition, religion, religious rituals, language and attire of all ethnic groups of the nation was accepted as common property for co-existence after the unification. Nepali language had become extensive among people of other castes, so it was transformed as the government’s official language and common language of use among the Nepalese. Instead of Gorkha, the name – Kingdom of Nepal was proclaimed. There were no forcible acts to this effect. Prithvi Narayan was the common leader of all Hindus and Buddhists, castes and tribes.
A strong unitary sovereign nation was created with the involvement of the indigenous people. The indigenous people accepted the existence of the unitary state to remain protected from the danger posed by our northern and southern neighbors. The culture remains intact that ties the indigenous tribes together to survive in harmony, and the Nepalese common language which is understood by all.
The world famous national flag is Nepalese ethnic groups’ story of pride. From the unification, the attractive national attire is Nepalese people’s identity.
It is notable that the very exercise of Nepal as an independent country was made possible only because of geographical situation of the region by Prithvi Narayan Shah alongside the committed, dedicated and trusted ministers and generals belonging to the various origins.
Surprisingly, Nepal was able to stand its ground as an independent, unique and powerful multi-ethnic state situated in the lap of the Himalayas, even in such a vulnerable situation where the extreme colonial encroachment in South Asia was rife. People of different ethnic backgrounds seemed to have united under the umbrella of the newly emergent Nepal. In many cases, a practical policy, offering dependent states to smaller friendly principalities was adopted by the great king Prithvi Narayan Shah.
Dirgha Raj Prasai is a former Member of Parliament in Nepal, who writes from Kathmandu. Contact him through NewsBlaze.