The government came under fire for not organising any formal programme to celebrate the 62nd Democracy Day (February 19, Sunday), though several parties and organisations organised events to mark the day.

Though the day was declared a public holiday and around 500 prisoners received amnesty, the Ministry of Home Affairs, did not organise any event, as it did not receive direction from the government to mark the day, according to Shankar Prasad Koirala, MoHA spokesperson.

Apparently, Democracy Day was not deemed important enough to celebrate as Loktantra Diwas falls on April 24.

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai did not even bother to issue a message, unlike prime ministers in the past.

President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, in his Democracy Day message, remembered the day as the beginning of modern Nepal after a century-long dark age of injustice and autocracy.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress yesterday condemned the government decision not to celebrate Democracy Day. Issuing a press statement the Congress warned the government not to repeat such acts in future. “The Unified CPN-Maoist-led government did not celebrate the day demonstrating its autocratic nature,” a Congress statement added.

Meanwhile, NC President Sushil Koirala, in a separate statement, appealed to political parties and people to be involved in a nation building campaign through unity, coordination, cooperation and mutual support, stressing the need to institutionalise democratic values, peace and human rights for a prosperous Nepal.

Source: The Himalayan Times