Lalitpur, February 14, 2006 The leaders of Janajati community today demanded the government declare Lakhan Thapa Magar, who was killed by the autocratic Rana regime for rebelling against their rule, the first martyr of the country. “At a time when the indigenous nationalities in Nepal are fighting for a democratic republican set up against the autocratic monarchy, the contribution of Lakhan Thapa, who was executed for standing upto the autocratic Rana regime, should not be forgotten,” Dr Om Gurung, general secretary of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), said. Speaking at a function organised to celebrate the 129th birth anniversary of martyr Lakhan Thapa, Dr Gurung said even if the state is yet to recognise Thapa Magar as the first martyr, he is the first Nepali martyr nevertheless. President of Nepal Sherpa Association, Kripasur Sherpa, said all the indigenous nationalities recognised Lakhan Thapa Magar as the first martyr of the nation even if the country denied it. Addressing the same function, Chiranjivi Wagle, who was one of the ministers when Thapa Magar was declared a martyr six years ago, said the then government had declined to recognise Thapa Magar as the first martyr only because a few of the erstwhile ministers were suspicious if Thapa Magar was indeed the first Nepali martyr. The erstwhile government had allocated Rs 7 lakhs to establish Thapa Magar’s statue at his birthplace in Gorkha. The president of the Rastriya Janamukti Party, M SThapa, and Gore Bahadur Khapangi also expressed their views at the same function. Colleges gear up for FSU elections Kathmandu,February 14, 2006 All constituent campuses of Tribhuvan University (TU) have intensified their preparations for the Free Students Union (FSU) elections scheduled for February 28. The FSU election schedule varies as per the conveniences of individual campuses. The eight student unions affiliated to various political parties are planning to contest the FSU elections in a friendly environment so as not to weaken the eight student unions’ alliance. Ram Kumar Basnet, vice president of the All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU), said discussions were underway at the central level of the political parties not to let the election get in the way of the eight-party unity. All the student bodies will be fighting for a democratic republic in the forthcoming FSU elections, he said. The fact that 95 per cent of the students voted for a democratic republican order in the mini-referendum held in some campus proved the youths are in the favour of a republic, he said.