Participants of an event organized in Palpa have emphasized that the Magars themselves should work to preserve their own language, costumes and culture. They said that they are facing a challenge to preserve their existence from society as they are forgetting their language, wearing costumes and even forgetting their cultures.

This was stated by the leaders of the Magar community participating in the 15th district convention of the Nepal Magar Association District Coordination Committee Palpa held in Rai, Mathagadhi Rural Municipality-3, Kaseni, Palpa.

‘We should not be ashamed to say that we have not been able to preserve our own language, costume and culture,’ said Dal Bahadur Birkatta, central co-chair of the Nepal Magar Association, ‘Therefore, the Magar community should work to preserve its own culture itself, it cannot be preserved by someone else.’

Saying that in recent times, language, costume and culture are being forgotten in the name of modernity, central co-chair Birkatta said that the younger generation should be made aware of such issues and that it should be taught from the family. He said that the identity of the Magars is their language, costume, customs and culture.

Pratiksha Gaha Sinjali, central member of the Nepal Magar Association, said that the identity of the Magar community is known through language, costume, behavior and the customs and culture followed by their ancestors. ‘These foundations are invaluable assets that set us apart from other ethnic groups,’ she said, ‘Language is our soul, which expresses our feelings and thoughts.’

DB Thapa, the provincial president of the Nepal Magar Association, said that the costumes of the Magar community reflect a glorious history. He said that costumes do the work of cultural identification.

Constituent Assembly member Leela Somai Magar said that culture and tradition are life values ​​and traditions given by ancestors. ‘Culture and culture should be passed down from generation to generation,’ she said.

Tulsa Rana, another Constituent Assembly member, said that although languages, costumes and cultures are recognized in the modern era, they are slowly disappearing. ‘Preserving them is not only the duty of all the Magar community, but also an obligation,’ she said.

Advisor to the District Coordination Committee of the Federation of Indigenous Peoples of Nepal and Chairman of Mathagadhi Rural Municipality, Yama Bahadur Chidi, said that people should learn to speak their language, wear costumes and pass on their culture and traditions to the new generation. District President of the Federation of Indigenous Peoples, Gam Bahadur Thapa, said that until 30-35 years ago, the Magars of central and eastern Palpa were unable to speak any language other than the Magar language (Nepali) clearly. He said that when guests who did not speak the Magar language came from outside, the locals could not even drink water because they did not understand Nepali. “Even other ethnic groups in the same village could speak the Magar language clearly,” he said, “That is why they used to talk to the Magars in the Magar language.”

Provincial Secretary of the Nepal Magar Association, Tej Bahadur Gharti, said that even though Palpa is a district with a Magar majority, the Magar Association has the responsibility to pass on the costumes, language and culture.

According to the 2078 BS census, the total population of Palpa is 242,423. Of this, the number of Magars is 52.6 percent, or 127,450, of the total population of Palpa, said Shanti Zhendi Thapa, outgoing president of the Nepal Magar Association. Only 34.3 percent or 43,715 people out of the total number of Palpali Magars speak the Magar language. 83,735 Palpali Magars do not speak their Magar language.

A tableau rally was taken out on the occasion of the convention with cultural costumes. The rally, which started from the Sarai Magar Museum, Fulbari with flags and chanting various slogans, went through Khare and Sarai Bazaar.

Representatives and observers from all 10 local levels of Palpa, district working committees, fraternal organizations and local residents participated in the convention. Magar students, Magar cultural, Magar women, Magar youth and Magar ex-military/police organizations participated in the convention.

The first central general convention of the Magar Association was held on Falgun 15, 2039 BS. Dhan Bahadur Rana, a central member of the association, said that Nepal Magar Association is a large umbrella organization that brings the Magar community together.