PATAN, NOBEMBER 2

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that Nepal Sambat is the calendar year born out of Nepali soil.

Speaking at an event organised to mark the Nepal Sambat 1145 New Year at Mangalbazaar, Patan this morning, Prime Minister Oli said that Nepal Sambat is based on Nepali originality. 'The culture of Nepal Mandal is the original culture of the world, this Sambat that began after debt repayment is our own original Sambat. Newar civilization and culture is important for the world, we must save all our languages and culture,' said the Prime Minister.

'I married into a Newari family, but I could not speak Newari. Though I cannot speak, I have love for this language. All the languages and cultures of Nepal should be protected,' he said.

On the occasion, he also shared that the government will take a decision regarding the demand for mother tongue curriculum for secondary level optional subjects.

Member of Parliament from Lalitpur-2 Prem Bahadur Maharjan emphasized that Nepal bhasa should be implemented as an optional language in the teaching at the school level and requested the Prime Minister to take a cabinet decision for this.

Minister for Labor and Employment of Bagmati Province, Prem Bhakta Maharjan, said that all three levels of the government should work in coordination to make Nepal bhasa effective as an official language of the government.