Karnali Utsav (Karnali Festival) is a three-day idea festival organized by the Hriti Foundation every year in Surkhet, the capital of Karnali. This open debate is focused on the sustainable economic development of Karnali, socio-cultural identity and the road map for building a prosperous Karnali. The festival is being supported by the Karnali State Government, various local level governments of Karnali and the corporate sector.
Karnali Utsav (Karnali Festival) is a three-day idea festival organized by the Hriti Foundation every year in Surkhet, the capital of Karnali. This open debate is focused on the sustainable economic development of Karnali, socio-cultural identity and the road map for building a prosperous Karnali. The festival is being supported by the Karnali State Government, various local level governments of Karnali and the corporate sector.
Hriti Foundation, Surkhet, a non-profit making NGO has successfully completed 3 day (3-5 March 2020) the first edition of Karnali Festival in the Provincial center of Karnali Province, Birendranagar Surkhet.
More than 60 speakers participated in the festival having more than 15 sessions. The speakers were writers, policy makers, politicians, sociologists, politicians, critics government officials and public personalities, who discussed in the panel issues of Karnali like art, literature, culture, history, politics, tradition, health, trade, employment, prospect and challenges of Karnali province. The festival has been remarkable to explore the prospects of Karnali province for its development and prosperity.
Hon. Minister of Forest and Environment of Nepal Government Mr. Shakti Bahadur Basnet inaugurated the festival on the premises of Bulbule garden at Surkhet. He told that such a programme would help to promote language, culture, art and history of Karnali province. He added that the festival would be the milestone to recognize the Karnali in national level and supportative to look for the prosperity of Karnali province.
Similarly, Minster of Internal Affair of Karnali Province Mr. Naresh Bhandari presented his paper about the beautiful prospects of Kanali province. Further, he said that the geographical challenges of Karnali would offer quality contribution to the development of tourism. He appreciated the Karnali Festival and gave the vote of thank to the organizer.
Mrs. Bimala KC, Minister of Agriculture, Land, and Co-operative Karnali province, Mr. Dal Rawal, Minster of Social Development Kanali Provience, Mr. Nand Sing Budha, Minister of Tourism of Kanali Province were attended the festival and shared the ideas about the prospects and development of Kanali province. Similarly, Mrs. Kantika Sejwa, Mayor of Tila Municipality Jumla, Mr. Dev Kumar Subedi, Mayor of Birendranagar Municipality Surkeht, Mr. Kabindra Kuumar KC, Mayor of Simta Municipality Surkeht, Mr. Khem Raj Oli, President of Gurash Rural Municipality were the panelist to discuss the various issues of local level government and interrelationship between federal government, provincial government and local level government. Their discussion on various issues has served as a bridge to connect leaders and public in a single forum. Thus, the event participants felt that the festival has helped narrow the gap between leaders and public.
The discussion incorporated to the contemporary socio-economic, cultural and historical as well as technological issues of Karnali and beyond the province. Experts on journalism, sociology, science and technology, language and culture and political science talked about multiple issues and contexts facing the Karnali province and country as well.
The first day session was about the discussion of Karnali civilization and the relationship of three level governments. The experts of respective sectors have discussed about the ancient Khas Karnali civilization and recommended the ideas for the promotion of it for the local identity of Khas people in Kanali province. Similarly, the speakers of next session in the first day talked about how to make effective relationship among the three tiers of government for the prosperity of the Kanali province and country as well. At closing of session of the first day programme, national level poets recite their poetic creation, GAZAL known as the GAZAL SAAJH appealing to the leaders for the reformation of society.
The second day session was about the discussion of integral migration of Karnali regions, its tourism potentialities, art, literature, customs and tradition of Karnali regions etc. The experts of second day scratched the prospects of Karnali region and recommended the policies to the stakeholders for the reformation of them. The second day was closed with the poetry recitation by the famous poets of Khas poets of Karnali and Nepal as well.
The third day, there was the discussion in the issues of gender equality, food security, health situation, and life style of Namadic Raute people (Raute is only one nomadic group of Nepal who lives in the jungle of the Karnali province). The third day sessions discussed on the aforementioned sessions and recommended the policy to the provincial government for the betterment of them.
Mr. Dal Rawal, Minister of Social Development of Karnali Province formally closed to the Karnali Utsab with his remarkable vote of thank to the organizer, speakers of the sessions and participants. He argued that the infrastructure development alone could not be considered the base of development. Furthermore, he added that the festival has given the great contribution to know the prospects and challenges of Karnali province and find out the new direction of its development and prosperity.
