Nepal on Thursday marked its 9th constitutional day.
A ceremony was held at Nepal Army Pavilion in Tundikhel, Kathmandu in presence of President Ramchandra Paudel, Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Lower House Speaker Devraj Ghimire among other dignitaries, to celebrate the occasion.
Apart from Nepal Army, Nepal Police, and Armed Police Force, various ethnic groups and organisations showcased their performances.
The day, also marked as National Day, is celebrated to commemorate the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal on September 20, 2015, which officially marks the shift of the country towards the republic and federal structure.
While the government’s celebrations were going on in Tundikhel, some leaders of the Madhes-based political parties and their cadres carried out protests against the constitution, carrying black flags and arguing that the day needs to be marked as ‘Black Day’ instead.
They have been demanding for years to amend the constitutions to address their demands which they claim to have been ignored when the constitution was promulgated in 2015.
There have been reports of police arresting such protestors at several places across the country.
Similarly, leaders of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which aims to abolish the federal democratic republic system of governance and restore constitutional monarchy, have also called on their supporters to mark the day as ‘Black Day’ .
Meanwhile, the government has decided to open Dharahara, the 72-metre high iconic tower in the heart of Kathmandu, to public visits, marking the constitutional day.
Earlier on September 12, the Cabinet decided to allow free entry to the tower, also known as Bhimsen Stambha, starting September 19. Though, it would be a temporary arrangement until the entry fee is decided.
Built around 200 years ago by Nepal's first Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa, Dharahara has been one of the major attractions for visitors in kathmandu.
The original 11-storied tower was destroyed in the 1934 earthquake. Then Prime Minister Juddh Sumbsher rebuilt the iconic tower, but only with nine storeys.
The tower collapsed again when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake with epicentre in Gorkha district jolted Kathmandu on April 25, 2015.
While more than 9,000 people across the country lost their lives to the disaster, more than 50 people were killed in the Dharahara premises when the tower was completely destroyed.
The reconstruction work of the iconic tower is almost complete, authorities claim.
Here are some photos of the Constitutional Day celebrations at Nepal Army Pavilion in Tundikhel taken by NBA’s photojournalist Sunil Shama.
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