Kathmandu - Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane has issued a greetings message on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami 2083, expressing hope that this year's Bada Dashain, being observed amid disaster and mourning, will bind Nepali society more firmly in unity. In the message released on the day of the country's biggest festival, the RSP chair paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the disasters and extended condolences to the bereaved families.
The greeting stood out for its sombre tone. Rather than limiting himself to the customary exchange of festive wishes, Lamichhane acknowledged that this year's Dashain had to be celebrated at a time of calamity and grief, with many citizens losing their lives and thousands of families left homeless and displaced. His message, as reported by Nagarik News and Pradesh Khabar, placed the suffering of affected families at the centre of the festival greeting.
A Dashain Observed Amid Calamity and Grief
Bada Dashain is traditionally Nepal's most joyous season, when families reunite, elders bless younger relatives with tika and jamara, and cities empty out as people travel back to their hometowns and villages. This year, however, the festival has coincided with disaster, and the festive atmosphere has been shadowed by loss.
Lamichhane's message took note of this altered reality. He observed that the festival this time fell at a moment of calamity and mourning, with many Nepali citizens losing their lives to the disasters. According to his greeting, thousands of families have been left homeless and displaced, a situation that has kept a large number of people away from the familiar settings in which the festival is usually celebrated.
For those affected households, the rituals that define the season, from receiving tika from elders to sharing festive meals with relatives, are beyond reach this year. By acknowledging this openly in a public greeting, the RSP chair reflected a mood in which celebration and sorrow are running side by side across the country.
Tribute and Condolences at the Centre of the Message
Festival greetings from political leaders are normally centred on prosperity, happiness and good fortune. Lamichhane's Vijaya Dashami message instead opened with remembrance and solidarity. He paid heartfelt tribute to those who lost their lives in the disasters, and he extended condolences to the families who have been bereaved during the festival period.
That choice gave the greeting a distinctly solemn character. At a time when large numbers of citizens are grieving or displaced, the message signalled that the compassion traditionally associated with Dashain should extend, above all, to those in distress. It also aligned the festival's message with the immediate needs of a society confronting tragedy.
Hope for Unity and Dedication to the Nation
At the heart of the message was a call for togetherness. Lamichhane expressed the hope that Bada Dashain, even in a year shadowed by calamity and mourning, will bind Nepali society more firmly in unity. The greeting thus treated the festival not only as a religious and cultural occasion but as a moment for the country to draw closer together.
His message also carried a wider wish for the nation. "May we attain the wisdom to dedicate ourselves to the welfare of the nation and the people," the greeting read. The line linked the festival's symbolism of the victory of good over evil to a collective resolve to serve the public good in a difficult hour.
In summary, the key points of the RSP chair's Vijaya Dashami 2083 message were:
- Greetings extended to Nepalis on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami 2083
- Tribute paid to those who lost their lives in the disasters
- Condolences offered to the bereaved families
- Acknowledgment that the festival was being celebrated amid calamity and grief, with many lives lost and thousands of families homeless and displaced
- Hope that Bada Dashain will bind Nepali society more firmly in unity
- A wish that all may attain the wisdom to dedicate themselves to the welfare of the nation and the people
The Festival and Its Place in Nepali Life
Vijaya Dashami, the main day of the multi-day Bada Dashain festival according to the Bikram Sambat calendar, is the most widely celebrated festival in Nepal. It is marked by family gatherings, blessings from elders, and one of the largest annual movements of people across the country as workers and students return home. Greetings messages from senior political figures, including party chairs and former government office holders such as Lamichhane, have become an established feature of the day.
Against that familiar backdrop, this year's greetings have carried a more reflective character, and the RSP chair's message is a clear example. By pairing festive wishes with tribute, condolence and a call for unity, it captured a season in which the country's greatest celebration is unfolding alongside profound loss.
As Nepal observes Vijaya Dashami 2083, Lamichhane's message expressed the hope that the occasion will ultimately reinforce the bonds holding Nepali society together, and that the festival's spirit will translate into a renewed dedication to the welfare of the nation and its people.
