KATHMANDU, JANUARY 1
Historian and cultural expert Gyanmani Nepal has been honoured with 'Rastriya Dharohar Samman' for the year 2022.
Rastriya Dharohar Sanrakshyan Pratisthan feted Nepal with the honour at the 10th International Dress and Topi Day celebration here today.
Nepal, who has been advocating for conservation of national identities such as Nepali national dress and national flag, among others, for long, was honoured with Rs 11,111 cash prize.
Addressing the programme, former Constituent Assembly chairperson Subash Chandra Nebwang said that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal wearing national dress - Daura Suruwal - during the oath-taking ceremony was one of the achievements of national dress campaign.
According to him, the national dress of Nepal carries the identity of Nepal and Nepali and given the uniqueness of the dress, anyone wearing the national dress abroad while attending events would be identified as the Nepali.
He recalled that the constituent assembly had endorsed the Nepali flag with sun and moon which symbolically mean that the sovereignty of Nepal will remain as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky.
However, former minister and Nepali Congress leader Shankar Bhandari showed concern why the provision of daura suruwal as country's national attire was removed from the constituent assembly when Nemwang was CA chairperson. Stating that the campaign to destroy uniqueness of Nepal was launched with the implementation of the Education Policy in 1972, Bhandari spoke of the need to change it.
Expressing his concern, the feted personality Nepal expressed the worry that the national heritages of Nepal were being destroyed since Nepal embraced republic system.
Furthermore, he voiced his qualm over the misinterpretation of the Vikram Sambat.
Likewise, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal's Govinda Raj Khaniya and National Women Commission's Acting Chairperson Krishna Kumari Poudel, among others, univocally underscored the need for conserving the national attire of Nepal, Hindu religion and cultures.
Also feted in the programme was youth entrepreneur Rishiram Adhikari with National Heritage Youth Motivation Award for spearheading the 'Kitab Jatra' (Book Fair) in the country.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 2, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
