The nation observed the National Democracy Day with various programmes on Wednesday in commemoration of the Nepali people's success in overthrowing the 104-year-old autocratic Rana rule. The nation ushered in an era of democracy through a successful revolution on Falgun 7, 2007 B.S. (February 19, 1951). The Nepalis became liberated from the clutches of cruel Rana oligarchy. The day holds a lot of significance when it comes to exercising people's fundamental rights. A nation's meaningful socio-economic transformation is possible only in a democratic system of governance. Under the rule of the Ranas, people had to experience a life full of nightmares. They were denied even basic human rights such as right to expression and education. They were also deprived of economic opportunities as the family members of the ruling class had captured all resources and wealth.

In his message delivered on the Democracy Day, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli called on one and all to get united to achieve the goal of a national prosperity and people’s happiness. Terming the 7th of Falgun 2007 B. S. as the beginning point of the bright era in the history of Nepal, the Premier said that the day marked the commencement of the democratic governance. He expressed his heartfelt condolences to all the known and unknown martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for a noble cause of people’s freedom. The country is now on the way to become a developing nation by 2022 and achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The Gorkhapatra Corporation (GC), as part of marking this important occasion, started bringing out the Kohalpur edition of Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal from Wednesday itself. The readers of the three states will be able to read the publications early in the morning. It is a coincidence that the public media has begun publishing its Kohalpur edition of two pioneering dailies targeting the readers of State-5, Karnali State and Sudurpaschim State in the same week of the third year of the formation of the Federal, State and local governments. The incumbent government is the first one formed after the first three-tier elections were held in line with the federal republican constitution drafted by the people's representatives. It may be recalled here that the GC launched its eastern Nepal edition from Biratnagar of State 1 from the Constitution Day (September 20) last year. The country's oldest publication house is also planning to launch its publication soon from Chitwan or Nawalparasi of central Nepal.

With the gradual expansion of its infrastructure to different parts of the country, the GC aims to prominently reach out to people of all strata and classes and disseminate authentic information about the public issue to them. The GC management seems to be determined to upgrade the quality of all its publications -- Gorkhapatra, The Rising Nepal, Muna, Yubamanch, Madhupark and Gorkhapatra online as per readers’ interest and expectations. The publications will serve as a medium to provide regional reality, objective information and the knowledge in order to serve the interests of young generations, students and teachers of schools, colleges and universities. It is striving to make all its publications easily available to people belonging to different age groups and walks of life from across the nation. The move to expand the reach of the state-owned dailies is milestone in further enhancing their credibility as well as the qualitative growth of the Nepali media.