KATHMANDU: Preparations are underway to celebrate Tsum Centenary Non-Violence Festival in the Tsum Valley of Gorkha to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its declaration as a non-violence zone.

According to the main organising committee, this festival would be organised from April 19-22 in Chumnubari Rural Municipality. On the day of Buddha Jayanti in 1977 BS, the Avatari Lama Dukpa Lama Sarp Dorje had made a collective commitment to the people of his homeland, the Tsum Valley, to follow the principle of non-violence. Since then, the northern Tsum Valley has been consistently maintained as a non-violence zone.

In the year 2077 BS, it has completed 100 years of the declaration of a non-violence zone. However, the centenary festival could not be held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nima Lama, chairman of the main organizing committee of the festival informed that it was going to be organised with a view to contributing to the recognition, continuity, dissemination and protection of biological diversity in the area of non-violence. 'We believe that this festival will further strengthen the social and cultural unity of all people living in Tsum Valley,' Lama, who is also the chairman of Tsum Nubri Rural Municipality, said.

The committee has requested Prime Minister Puspa Kamal Dahal to inaugurate the festival. The PM is also a member of parliament, who won the election from Gorkha. Chairman Lama said they had sought the commitment of the head of government in the non-violence campaign that the people of Tsum Valley have embraced for 100 years. Tsum Valley, which borders China, is famous worldwide for its distinct identity. The people of this valley have promised not to kill animals and to stay away from honey hunting, among others. Even the police personnel here do not kill animals for meat. Foreign tourists visiting the valley also do not eat meat and all the hotels here are vegetarian.

The estimated budget for this festival is around Rs 2.26 million, according to Lama. Since the area is frequented by tourists, it has good hotel facilities. The organisers are expecting tens of thousands of visitors. About 1,500 foreign tourists visit the Tsum Valley every year, according to the statistics prepared by Nepal Tourism Board.