Today Poush 27th (January 11), is Prithvi Jayanti Day. Ever since the the Nepal government abolished this day as a national holiday in 2008 and especially since the end of the monarchy that same year there is confusion on whether or not we should be celebrating this day. Detractors point out that the Gorkha King Prithivi Narayan Shah violated the rights of other ethnic groups by uniting them under his government. The argument goes that this forceful action was done out of personal ambition and lacked any benevolence on his part. Additionally, they say that the subsequent monarchy that ruled Nepal for 239 years was oppressive and demeaning to different sub-cultures within Nepal.

While one can look at all of these arguments and choose to agree or disagree, one point is absolutely clear. Without Prithivi Narayan Shah there is no Nepal. There are many possibilities in the manner in which the different states would have evolved without unification in 1769. One possibility is that all the different states would have been absorbed into the expansive British Empire. These states would then have emerged as a part of India in the mid 1900s. The other possibility is, while some of the the little states would have been left alone, others would have been absorbed outright into the Empire. Those left alone would have little means of surviving as an independent state (see Sikkim) and over time would most likely would have ended up a part of India.

Now mind you, I personally don’t view any of the these possibilities as a bad thing. Contrary to how most people think, there is nothing inherently wrong with being a part of India. Some even think that being a part of the British Empire would have been better for Nepal. Again these are points of heated debate and I welcome your thoughts. However, none of these outcomes would have resulted in what we have today. Because of Prithivi Narayn Shah, we have a claim to an independent identity apart from the vast nation that is India. There is something to be said for having a homeland that is distinctly yours and a sovereign state that is able to act in your best interest. We have a claim in the community of nations just like any other state. This gift is very precious regardless of what these detractors say.

While I do acknowledge that the dynasty that Prithivi Shah founded did not fulfill its mission to serve the Nepali people, they did enable us to emerge as a state. So, say what you will about not celebrating, but you will need to accept the fact that without him there is no Nepal as we know it today. For me that is reason enough to celebrate national unity day.

photo credit: Photoctor