Introduction

The ancient records of Nepal reveal various eras such as Kaligat Sambat, Bikram Sambat, Shanka Sambat, Mandev Sambat, Nepal Sambat etc., but only Bikram Sambat has cultural, administrative & formal recognition. Thus, the Nepali New Year is celebrated every year on Baisakh 1 st in accordance with the Bikram Sambat (BS) calendar. The Bikram Sambat is about 56.7 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar. This means our Nepali New Year 2082 BS falls on 14 April 2025 AD (Roughly corresponds to mid-April in the Gregorian calendar).

Although there is no consensus among historians or scholars as to when, why & who established this calendar, since it is based on Bikram Sambat, it is attributed to the legendary King Vikramaditya of Ujjain, who established it after defeating the Sakas. Some have even said that this calendar was introduced by the King of Nepal. However, in the absence of concrete evidence, who, why & when introduced Bikram Sambat are subject to some debate.

The tradition of celebrating New Year on this day is not limited to Nepal only. This day is also celebrated in some other Asian countries, including some parts of India such as Punjab, Kerala, Odisha, Bengal, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, etc., Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and the like. Laos and Cambodia celebrate this New Year for three days because our New Year celebrations are rooted in the solar calendar, specifically linked to the sun’s entry into the Aries constellation.

According to some historians, the practice and origin of Bikram Sambat in Nepal were introduced in the pre-medieval period but it has been formally in practice since the time of Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. Notwithstanding the historical background, the practice of celebrating the New Year on Baisakh 1 st has given Nepal a distinct identity on the world map in that Nepal is probably the only country in the world which has given cultural, formal and administrative recognition to Bikram Sambat.

Bikram Sambat & It’s Cultural Significance

The Bikram Sambat calendar is unique to Nepal and marks the passage of time through the lunisolar system which closely aligns with Nepal’s agricultural cycle. Celebrated in mid- April, this festival traditionally marks the end of spring and the beginning of the harvest season. For farmers, it is a time to embrace new opportunities, celebrate the fruits of their labor and look forward to a season of prosperity. The New Year celebration also symbolizes the rejuvenation of life; the essence of renewal in the country’s agricultural and social rhythms. However, the significance of the Nepali New Year extends beyond farming practices. The calendar and its associated festivals embody the nation’s rich cultural heritage, national pride and historical continuity. In many ways, Bikram Sambat is deeply woven into the collective consciousness of the people, binding them together across ethnic, linguistic and regional divides.

A Look Back at 2081

Overall, the year 2081 was not good for the Nepali people. Many systems of the country were weakened and destroyed by the political syndicates. The major political parties and their responsible leaders and leaderships did not perform their duties as per the law because of which any versality, creativity and forward thinking were never shown in them. Rather, some peoples representatives, from ward members to mayors and from MPs to Deputy Prime Minister, who were directly elected were found to be involved in crimes and sent to prison. Additionally, from entrepreneur Arun Chaudhary, a Nepali Congress MP and brother of Nepal’s first and only billionaire Mr. Binod Chaudhary, to the chairman of Kantipur Media Group, a leading media conglomerate, no one escaped arrest but were soon released. Similarly, a former DIG (Deputy Inspector General of Police) was also found involved in the crime and was sent to jail.

While investigations against influential figures in the country and leaders, cadres and supporters of the ruling party remained extremely weak, opposition party leaders, cadres and supporters were investigated and sent to prison without following due process of law and some are still in detention. This represents an abuse of the ruling party or coalition government power or misuse of state power. It is also surprising that apart from the Nepali Congress, dozens of associations and organizations affiliated to various parties, including the ruling party UML itself, protested on the streets and still doing so.

Another dark side of the year 2081 was that the government sacked Mr. Kulman Ghising, MD of the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) from the Council of Ministers after asking for clarifications five times, which led to massive protests in the Parliament and on the streets.

Tinkune Incident at the Year-end

A tragic and unimaginable incident that occurred towards the year-end captured the attention not only of Nepal but also of the world, in which two people, including a journalist, were killed and more than hundred twenty were injured, who are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Kathmandu. This unimaginable incident took place during a protest program organized by the United People’s Movement Committee led by Mr. Navaraj Subedi and Mr. Durga Prasai who was designated as the ‘People’s Commander’ of the protest. Mr. Subedi has been placed under house arrest following the incident, while Mr. Prasai was arrested from Jhapa on Thursday and sent to 12 days of police custody following a court order on Friday.

In the wake of this protest, the government arrested hundreds of people, including former head of the BBC Nepali service and senior vice-president of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Mr. Rabindra Mishra, and general secretary Dr. Dhawal Shamsher Rana, who is an MP, are now facing various charges, including treason and are on remand. In this regard, seeing Mr. Mishra handcuffed while being produced in the court can be termed as governmental abuse of power transcending the rule of law.

Surprisingly, even the media outlets claiming to be mainstream media continued broadcasting ready-made information without playing the role of an impartial media outlet in this incident. However, as the truth gradually began to emerge, the government is not yet ready to form a judicial commission to conduct an impartial investigation into the Chaitra 15 (March 28) Tinkune incident, as demanded by opposition parties and various human rights organizations. In fact, the use of excessive or provocative force by the state is believed to have turned the protests into violence, even leading to arson and vandalism in the area.

In this regard, the letter sent by KMC Mayor Balendra Sah to former King Gyanendra Shah demanding compensation following the damage caused to public property and environment during protests was also ridiculous in the eyes of the laws. Similarly, irrespective of the background, conduct and character of former Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Ravi Lamichhane, it is not at all justified for the country to rush to arrest him following the Tulsipur High Court, Butwal Bench Order. In fact, due process of law wasn’t applied in his arrest that can be stated as a kind of legal terror by the Nation. Additionally, the question asked by the DSP who went to arrest him, what his last wish was, was another example of abuse of authority.

Conclusion

Now we should try to make the year 2082 a very different and memorable year from the previous years. For this, our country should encourage and invest in researchers to continue research and exploration related to Bikram Sambat and to promote and publicize the cultural, social and other dimensions of Nepali societies related to its importance worldwide. As our tradition of celebrating New Year on this day is not limited to Nepal only, if the government moves forward with the right strategy with clear policies and detailed plans, we can make our country Nepal a center of culture for people from different countries of the world who celebrate Baisakh 1 st as the New Year.

With the celebration of the New Year, especially our political parties and their leaders and leadership should also start thinking and doing innovative work for their respective societies and ultimately the country, as nepotism, favoritism and corruption have crossed the line long back. False cases should not be made against the opposition to suppress them. Responsible parties should never give a clean chit to those who have committed serious crimes by including them in the government.

Likewise, instead of rewarding public servants who are doing good work, ministers and the entire cabinet, who are trapped by interest groups, should not dismiss those deserving public servants from their posts. The major political parties and their leadership must give a new message that the news that has been circulating in the past years regarding horse-trading of Ambassadors, officials of various commissions, MPs, ministers, judges and so forth should not happen under any circumstances in the new year. Similarly, the past trend of politicizing crime and criminalizing politics must be completely stopped in the new year 2082 B.S.

The prominent leaders of all political parties, including the Prime Minister should not use overly optimistic and attractive words and provocative speeches but should instead engage themselves in improving the living standards of the Nepali people so that their lives and property can be secured, and they can become self-reliant. Likewise, it must be said with sadness that the role of the media is no less in destroying or destabilizing the entire system of Nepal. If the mediawas unbiased, factual and truthful, then the country would not have to face such a dire situation. In fact, impartiality and objectivity are the core responsibilities of journalists so news should
always be balanced and objective. No journalist can create events or facts on their own. But journalists and media houses in Nepal have largely failed to play a balanced and objective role.

Also, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Sah, who is the number one choice among all leaders in Nepal through social media, must also make any decision in accordance with the law and with common sense. When writing statuses on Facebook, he should choose polite words and only express statements that can be acted upon and work together with the people, not adopting the behavior and working style like the king and the royal family. In essence, our country Nepal is being plundered by kleptocrats for a long time so such activities should be stopped and they should be brought to justice this new year 2082 BS.

Happy New Year 2082 to Everyone!

Keshav Gharti Magar