Kathmandu, Jan. 12: On the special occasion of the 278th Prithvi Jayanti and National Unity Day, a talk programme was organised under the auspices of the Prithvi Jayanti Celebration Committee here this afternoon.

Speaking as Chief Guest Vice-Chancellor of Royal Nepal Academy Mohan Koirala said that the annual Unity Day has special significance among the people.

“The words of wisdom of His late Majesty King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great bequeathed to the nation after the unification of the country still has immense practical value,” he said.

Talking about the freedom to exercise one’s language, religion and belief after the re-establishment of multi-party democracy in Nepal, Koirala however cautioned “We should never stumble to maintain the unity of Nepal, the unifier of which was late King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great himself.”

Member of the Academy and convenor of the talk programme Chitra Ranjan Nepali opined that late King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great’s contribution in unifying tiny states into one Nepal must always be remembered as it saved the country from going into the hands to the British.

Life Member Krishna Chandra Singh Pradhan said that His late Majesty King Prithvi Narayan Shah the Great would always be remembered and revered by the Nepalese people.

Another Life Member of the Academy Dr. Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha said that the nation will always unite at times of national crisis mentioning the stirring up of nationalistic feelings after the Indian media incorrectly mentioned Gajendra Tamrakar as one of the hijackers of flight IC 814.