The Nepal Weekly 
March 28, 2023
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has pledged to establish a research academy for the development and promotion of Newar community’s civilization, culture and history.
He said that such an academy will be of all Nepalis not only of the Newar community. He was addressing a programme organized Saturday by World Newah Organization Nepal Chapter in Kathmandu. The event was organised on the occasion of 6th World Newah Day.
The PM stated that he has a deep respect to the relentless struggles carried out by the Newar community for the development of their language, literature and arts.
During his speech, he recalled the efforts he made to ensure the recognition of Nepal Sambat, the calendar as a national calendar during his first prime ministerial stint.
Saying that the Newar community had key and historical roles in the nation building, the PM added that the Newar community has made crucial roles to spread Nepal’s status as a sovereign nation in the world stage.
PM Dahal also stated that the Newar ancestors have vital contributions in the development of heritages like temples, monasteries, inns, public places, festivals, jatras etc.
Likewise, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Narayan Kaji Shrestha urged all for further enriching Nepal’s language, culture for the overall transformation of the Nepali society.
Also speaking at the event, Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh said that the promotion of Newar cultures has helped significant contributions for Nepal’s tourism development.
On the occasion, Chairman of Newah De Dabu Pabitra Bajracharya, Chairman of World Newah Organization Nepal Chapter Surendra Bhakta Shrestha and others expressed their views on the cultural richness of this community as well as the community’s contributions to the areas of arts, culture and literature.
During the event, Prime Minister Dahal honoured renowned poet Durga Lal Shrestha, historian Triratna Manandhar, former ambassador Kedar Bhakta Mathema, tourism entrepreneur Karna Sakya, industrialist Rup Jyoti and senior photo journalist Natikaji Maharjan and others.
The Newars (also spelled Newahs to suite the real pronunciation) are the inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding towns and settlements. They are spread all over the country in including Palpa, Bandipur, Dolakha, Bhojpur, Dharan and many places in minor numbers. The Newars have created historic heritage and civilisation.They have developed a division of labour and a sophisticated urban civilisation. They have continued their age-old traditions and practices and pride themselves as the true custodians of the religion, culture and civilisation of Nepal. The Newars are known for their contributions to culture, art and literature, trade, agriculture and cuisine.
The Newars have been consistently ranked as the most economically and socially advanced community of Nepal. Nepal’s 2011 census ranks them as the nation’s sixth-largest ethnicity/community, with 5 per cent of total population throughout the country. They are also migrated in the USA, Canada, UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand etc. Their presence in Sikkim and Darjeeling in India is more significant.
Unlike other common-origin ethnic or caste groups of Nepal, the Newars are regarded as an example of a nation community with a relict identity, derived from an ethnically diverse, previously existing polity. The Newar community within it consists of various strands of ethnic, racial, caste and religious heterogeneity, as they are the descendants of the diverse group of people that have lived in Nepal Mandala since prehistoric times. Historical evidences say that Lichhavis and Mallas ruled the Newar territories which ended with its conquest by the Gorkha kingdom in 1768.
The Newah People, mainly residing outside Nepal, feel the need to come together in a united way, in solidarity with our fellow compatriot, committed to the basic democratic values in-order to give back and help as much as we can, the country, culture and people we love, who have given us so much of our identity and history as a people, our name and our face. The unwavering will and desire of the Newah people to be a part of this larger human community whose obligation is always to lend a helping hand and strong shoulder of support to alleviate sufferings and struggles, and to remove all Asorts of socio-political dominance and injustice from this world and promote full and unhindered basic human freedom, socio-economical prosperity, cultural and intellectual development in all arts and sciences for the Newah people and people of Nepal.
World Newah Organisation has chapters in different countries.
