KATHMANDU, JULY 10
Former vice-president of Nepali Congress Bimalendra Nidhi has been awarded with 'Atal Mithila Samman' in New Delhi.
According to Nidhi's private secretariat, Atal Bharat Foundation offered the award to Nidhi yesterday. Every year, the Foundation honours people from Mithila region who contribute to the political and social fields as well as to art and culture. In 2003, then prime minister of India had listed Maithili language in the eighth schedule of the Indian constitution.
Addressing the programme, Nidhi said Nepali leaders had made important contributions to Indian's freedom movement. "There is nothing to hide regarding India's help to Nepal's political movement in the past," he added. Nepali leaders BP Koirala, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Mahendra Narayan Nidhi had extended their support to the Indian independence movement and they had gone to jail for the same.
Nidhi expressed hope that the age-old cordial relations between Nepal and India would continue in the future. He said Nepal and India needed to cooperate for development and prosperity. "When India is politically stable, it helps Nepal to remain politically stable. When India strengthens it democracy, it also helps Nepal strengthen democracy. Similarly, when India achieves economic prosperity, it also aide Nepal's effort to achieve prosperity, Therefore, Nepal and India should cooperate to achieve their goals," he said.
The programme was attended by Vice-chair of Rajya Sabha Hari Bansh, Minister Anurag Thakur, BJP leader Prabhat Jha, former minister CP Thakur, Bollywood singer Kumar Sanu, Anuradha Paudwal and actor Shekhar Suman.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 11, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
