Nepal’s Ex-Gurkha activists intiate mass last rites of 60 K Gurkhas

Syangja: Wishing eternal peace to the departed souls of some 60,000 Gurkha soldiers who were killed and made disappeared during the Britain-led wars, the funeral rites of the dead ones has been begun en masse at Salmedanda of Phedikhola VDC-8 in the district on Tuesday.

The event is being held under the the coordination of Gurkhas Army Ex-Servicemen Organization (GAESO) and the Gorkha Memorial Trust, said GAESO’s Chairman Padam Gurung, adding the event was organized in memory of the 60,000  Gurkhas who died untimely and disappeared during the wars.
He further said as their last rites were not observed like that of other normal deaths, 18 ethnic groups join to perform it now.
The ethnic groups to perform the last rites are Gurung, Rai, Magar, Limbu, Pun, Yakkha, Sunuwar, Sherpa, Tamang, Dura, Bhujel, Newar, Thakuri, Thakali, Dalit, Brahmin, Chhetri, Hyelmo and others. These different ethnic groups are performing the last rites as per their respective culture.

The mass last rites were initiated by senior artistes Madan Krishna Shrestha and Haribansa Acharya with a floral offering to the image of ex-Gurkha soldiers.
It was also performed in a bid to give a message to the world that the British made the Nepali youths mere tools in the war.

After the event, 12 religious gurus and 12 child girls (kanya) would lay foundation stone to the tomb. RSS