Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 20:

Various leaders of Tamu (Gurung) community today said that they cannot support active monarchy and the monarch should represent all Nepalis irrespective of any religion.

"Active monarch is not what we need in the 21st century," said Dr Om Gurung, general secretary of the Nepal Indigenous and Janajati Federation. Gurung was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the third national convention of the Tamu Chhonjha Dhin (TCD).

Gurung also said that the convention should bring out a clear vision whether the Tamus (Gurungs) are for democracy or not. He also demanded the government to let the people know the whereabouts of the founder general secretary of the federation, Suresh Ale Magar.

"Monarch should be common to all Nepalis. Our faith to the monarch has been blurred since the monarch expressed that he is the emperor of Hindus," said Dil Tamu, president of the Nepal Tamu Students Chhonjha Dhin. He demanded Multilingual University instead of the existing Sanskrit University.

He warned the government not to undermine the power of the Indigenous and Janajatis saying that they can do more than what the Maoist and the five major political parties are doing from both jungle and the streets. "The government should recognise not only Tamu language but all the languages of Indigenous and Janajatis," he said. Inaugurating the ceremony Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa said the government alone cannot accomplish all the works to uplift the Indigenous and Janajatis and therefore the role of the organisations like TCD is crucial. The three-day meet will discuss on the ongoing political situation besides choosing new leadership. Some 1,100 Tamus from 41 districts are participating in the convention.