Kathmandu, January 19:

The Nepal Tamang Ghedung (NTG) today said no investigation would be launched to look into physical status of 16-year-old Ram Bahadur Bomjan, who has been meditating under a Peepal tree for the last eight months, reportedly without food and water.

“Meditation is not a subject to be investigated. Instead of disturbing him, we should let him achieve his goal,” said Parshuram Tamang, vice-president of the United Nations Permanent Forum for Indigenous People. Tamang was also the member of the seven-member team that visited the site at Ratanpuri VDC of Bara district, where Bomjan has been meditating. “Many foreigners wanted to investigate into his health conditions.”

During the press conference organised here today to make the observation report public, Tamang said: “Lamas and Tamang usually mediate under the guidance of a teacher. Being a Lama practitioner, Bomjan has been meditating without any teacher.”

He said the team headed by Lama Ralu Rimbochhe had called on the local and regional administrations not to disturb his meditation.

An 18-member management committee has been managing the devotees of Bomjan. Each member of the committee gets Rs 2,000 every month as salary, he said. “The committee showed it had collected Rs 300,000 in donations.”

“While we watched him meditating from very near, we saw him breathing as usual. Despite meditating for eight months, Bomjan is in good health,” Tamang told the conference.

Former president of the Ratanpuri VDC Buddhi Man Tamang said Bomjan had studied in Bodhgaya and Dehradun of India for few months before setting out for meditation. He had fled home to meditate at night. “Nobody has seen him moving or eating anything.”

Meanwhile, president of the NTG, Mahendra Jung Tamang, greeted the people on the occasion of Khee Lhosar 2842, which falls on January 30. Various programmes will be organised in Basantpur to mark the Lhosar, he said. A 1001-member main organising committee has been formed under the leadership of Mahendra Jung Tamang.