By Dirgha Raj Prasai
I am highly saddened by the article of the Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai with an attempt at insulting Nepal published in Kantipur daily on 4 February, 2010. Dr. Baburam Bhattarai writes, “Feudal regime is unilateral. Prithvi Narayan Shah had started the feudal state structure. Prithvi Narayan Shah used to measure Khas-Arya castes in higher level whereas the other castes as people of lower level. The state created by Prthvi Narayan is based on caste and class exploitation.” With this, he sent a message that formation of separate states of castes would accelerate development process. He presented a controversial and false opinion against the concept of sovereign Nepal. Laden with such opinion Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, born in Gorkha, has shown a path for the agenda harbored by the RAW and CIA, by forgetting the Nepali spirit and blowing the pride of national unity and at the same time searching the path of nation’s disintegration. This has degraded himself. So it is a misfortune for Technocrats to indulge in national politics without studying the identity of the nation. I suggest Mr. Baburam Bhattarai not to scribe articles on national politics without reading Prithvi Narayan Shah’s divine message (Divya Upadesh).

Every body bears love for the nation. The next day after Dr. Baburam Bhattarai’s article was published; an article by veteran journalist Yuvraj Ghimire was also published. “The nation had been defended by fighting with Muslim and Christians. It is misfortune for the nation to feel that nationality and democracy could not be preserved by digging a grave for the nation’s culture and history. Prithvi Narayan Shah’s relevance has increased in the time of demand for ethnic states and increasing trend of disintegration. Nationality will not strengthen by scolding Prthvi Narayan Shah and his dynasty. Nor will the Maoist remain a people oriented force. The condemned history, culture and condemned value cannot take care of social, political and national integration”- 5 February 2010 (22 Magh, 2066 Bs). Capital after studying both the articles in equal terms the opinion of Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, known as a qualified writer seems extremely controversial. I am saddened. It would be beneficiary for Mr. Baburam-jee, to walk by holding the nationalist line, without acting like he is filing a case against my article ‘Deshdrohiharuko Birudha Khando Jogaun’ published in Tarun weekly. Will it suit any Nepalese to topple the statue of nation’s creator, insult him time and again and worship foreigners by breaking with the established conventions of the nation? Isn’t it an attitude corresponding with Lendup of Sikkim?

Prithvi Narayan Shah came to Kathmandu in course of creating a greater Nepal after acquiring a blessing from a Magar girl. After winning Kathmandu he sat on the royal throne only after receiving a ‘Tika’ from Kumari (Shakya living Goddess). To maintain the pride of this place, he did everything that could be done to create a greater Nepal. With the support of all difference castes including Magar, Gurung, Sherpa, Bahun, Chetri, Kami, Damai, Sarki etc. Prthvi Narayan Shah extended the nation to Tista in the East, Kangada in the West and Ganges in the South. To forget his act that saved the nation from desecrated by preserving its pride would be a shameful thing for Nepalese regardless of their party affiliations. He sat on the royal throne on the day of Indra Jatra with the help of Jhyagal Gurung. An English Platoon of 2,400 under the leadership of Kalloka was chased away from Sindhuli with the support from Ram Krishna Kunwar and Dev Narayan Magar and others.

Prithvi Narayan Shah’s policy of ‘Rights of inheritors over the land’- (Jagga Mathi Raitiko Adhikar) has heralded a tremendous influence over the people. The culture, tradition, religion, religious rituals, language and attires of all ethnic groups of the nation was accepted as a common property for co-existence after the unification. Nepali language had become extensive among people of other castes, so it was transformed as the government’s official language and common language of use among the Nepalese. Instead of Gorkha, the name-Kingdom of Nepal was proclaimed. There were no forcible acts to this effect.

The appointment letter given to army Chief Kasiram Thapa by Jayaprakash Mall was written in Nepali language. Shankarman Rajbanshi has mentioned in many of his articles and books that Senbanshi kings from Tista in the East to Western Rapti used Bikram Sambat and Nepali language as the official government language. It is understood that the Nepali language turned into intra-caste language since then. As the smaller states lying east and west of the Unified Nepal were followers of Hinduism and Buddhism-this contributed support in unification of Nepal. Muslims that remained from the time of Malla Era and Muslims brought from Banaras by Prithvi Narayan Shah to make weapons were free to practice their religion under the protection of Shah Kings.
Prithvi Narayan Shah after his visit to Banaras in 1743 and after witnessing the injustice subjected to Indian Hindus by English people understood their mechanism ‘Business, then Bible and then sword’. Prithvi Narayan Shah after capturing the Valley chased away Kepuchin the Christian father (Padaris) whom King Jaya Prakash Malla had kept for his security. This is true. But other religious followers were not bothered.

Nepal is an origin place for Hinduism and Budhism. Prithvi Narayan Shah was committed to protecting the pride of Hinduism and Budhism with a firm belief in co-existence. Prithvi Narayan Shah, the unifier of Nepal is the pride of Nepal. It was almost 100 years before unification of Germany (1868), Italy (1868), and the restoration of the Meiji (Japan, 1868) in which America was also under British dependency, that Prithvi Narayan Shah had already unified (1768) 54 small fiefdoms to build a large, expanded and greater Nepal. But after the movement of April 2006 and the party leaders Congress, UML and Maoists came to power they smashed the statue of the great King, contempt and insulted him and called off the birth anniversary of the late king as a day of national unity. Why?

Prithvi Narayan Shah promoted the identity of this nation by acknowledging various tradition, rituals, culture, religion, language and ethnic attires of various ethnic groups as the national treasure after the unification of greater Nepal. Those who accuse him of creating a feudal state cannot be anything less than traitors of this nation. After the unification of the state the rituals, cultures, religions, language and attires of all the ethnic groups were adorned as the common treasure of Nepal. Then Prithvi Narayan Shah directed the sort of diplomacy to be adopted to protect the nation from China in the north and India in the south. Why are some the Maoist leaders moving against national unity & sovereignty? The patriotic Nepalese will not tolerate such attempts to destroy nationality of Nepal. They will unite to defend this nation. This is an hour of test for patriots. It is time to fight to save the nation.