Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, July 2:

Intellectuals from the Gurung community today laid stress on the need for discouraging youth from going abroad to work as Lahure and seek alternatives here in Nepal itself. “To discourage the Lahure culture, we should seek alternative sources of income in our own country by inspiring youths to take up studies,” said Narayan Gurung, chief of the Saraswoti Multiple College. Presenting a paper on “Culture of Gurung Community” at a one-day workshop organised by Gurung Women’s Association today he said the Gurung community has been affected by the Lahure culture and their traditional culture is gradually fading away.

“With increasing migration of the Gurung population to the urban areas they are gradually forgetting their traditions,” he said, adding: “They forget many festivals and celebrate only the Lhosar.” He also said that the tradition of the Gurung communities living across the country differ and that it is necessary to bring uniformity among different cultural trends developed throughout the country.

“The Lahure culture has prevented the Gurung youth to reach the decision-making level of the state government, thus depriving the community of the privileges it deserves,” president of the Council House of Tamu Students Dil Gurung said. “We should seek alternatives to being recruited as the Gurkha soldiers.” “The culture of seeking recruitment as Gurkha soldiers has helped the community move towards prosperity but there are lots of disadvantages,” Dil added. Bagmati Zonal Administrator Dr Shekhar Gurung, Santa Bahadur Gurung, president of the National Foundation for the Development of Indigenous Nationalities also spoke.