Kathmandu, May 28: Speaker Taranath Ranabhat honoured distinguished individuals from different fields at a function organised by the Chhimeki Samaj here today.
Those honoured on the occasion were Ramhari Sharma (politics), Madan Mani Dixit (journalism and writing), Puspabhakta Malla (engineering), Mitranath Devkota (education), Chandra Bahadur Sharma (music), Dr Thir Bahadur Singh (veterinary), Shyamdas Vaishnav (literature), Bhairab Bahadur Thapa (dance), Mrs Uma Pandey and Mrs Indira Sapkota (social service) and Mrs Krishna Tamrakar (news reading and production of programme).
Similarly, Mrs Dhana Lama (master of ceremony), Y. P. Lohani (table tennis), Amritman Shrestha (football), Siddhantaram Joshi (acting), Nirmal Devkota (upliftment of the deaf and mentally retarded), Ashesh Malla (drama writing), Ramkrishna Dhakal and Phatteman Shrestha (singing), Umabhakta Malla and Kuber Baidya (health services), Laxmi Kapali (gardening) and Yadav Kharel (film development) were also honoured on the occasion.
On the occasion, Speaker Ranabhat said honouring of various distinguished persons from different fields who contributed to the country’s development and social change is an exemplary task.
People have grown disappointed as the leaders who risked their life for the sake of democracy and development got more involved in hoarding wealth and building palaces than thinking for the masses.
Stating that absolute poverty is growing in the country, the country is getting poorer and poorer, and corruption and exploitation are on the rise weakening the whole fabric of democracy, he warned that nationality will be in danger if efforts are not made to end discrimination on the basis of langauge and religion and narrow down the gap between the rich and the poor.
It is only justice and observation of the laws that can ensure good governance in the country, Mr Ranabhat noted that the people want the commitment and determination expressed by the Prime Minister to control corruption and maintain peace and order put in practice.
Janabad or people’s democracy is not possible through the killing of a farmer’s son by the son of another farmer or of a Nepali by another Nepali, he added.
The speaker also called on the Maoists to renounce violence and murder and become active for the sake of the people and democracy.
Royal Nepal Academy Vice Chancellor Mohan Koirala presided over.