Bijaya Dashami is the biggest festival of Hindus in Nepal. Of late, foreign missions in Nepal are competing with each other to practice ‘cultural diplomacy’.
In recent years, China and US seem to have overtaken India in terms of the promotion of cultural diplomacy. Foreign ambassadors extending greetings to Nepalis on the occasion of festivals like Dashain, Tihar, Teej, Holi, Shivaratri and Basanta Panchami etc while also enjoying the festival have become a common sight these days.
Heads of state of different countries have been greeting Nepal and Nepali people on the occasion of different festivals. Some are extending greetings on their own, while others are sending messages through their missions in Nepal. Many envoys have started extending Dashain greetings from the day of Ghatashapana this year.
US and Chinese ambassadors have been offering Tika to their staffers on the occasion of the Dashain festival. The Australian ambassador is the latest addition to this club. China may be looking for cultural proximity with Nepal as its shares borders with its South Asian neighbor and also because of geopolitics.
Similarly, the US and Australia have their own strategic moves. Further, these countries host a significant number of non-resident Nepalis. The celebrations of Nepali festivals and social media posts by foreign envoys are helping in the promotion of Nepali festivals in their respective countries.
Here we are talking about the Dashain greetings sent by the US, the second country to formally establish diplomatic ties with Nepal after the United Kingdom 75 years ago.
Nepal and US signed formally established diplomatic relations by signing an agreement of commerce and friendship on April 25, 1947. Later in February, 1948, Nepal and the US agreed to open their legations in each other countries. Nepal’s ambassador to the UK, Commanding General Kaiser Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana, was also accredited to the US. He submitted his letter of credence to President Truman on February 19, 1948. Similarly, US ambassador in New Delhi Henry F Grady submitted his credence to King Tribhuvan on May 3.
During 1947/48, Truman was the US President, while King Tribhuvan was Nepal’s head of state. Independence Day, National Day and Constitutional Day etc are important celebrations for any country. But since Nepal was never colonized, it doesn’t celebrate Independence Day. In 1948, then Prime Minister Padma Shumsher promulgated the Government of Nepal Act. But other Ranas didn’t like the promulgation of the law. Nepal wasn’t celebrating any important days till 1948. After the introduction of democracy in 1950, Nepal started celebrating Falgun 7 as Democracy Day in 1953.
With the establishment of diplomatic ties with Nepal in 1948, the US was looking for an occasion to extend greetings to Nepal from the head of the state level. It is customary to extend greetings after the establishment of diplomatic ties. Nepal extended greetings on July 4 on the occasion of US Independence Day. But the US didn’t get any other occasion to extend greetings other than Bijaya Dashami festival. The ‘country profile’ of Nepal prepared by the US also included ‘Bijaya Dashami’ as the national festival of Nepal.
After establishing legations in each other countries in February, 1948, US President Truman sent his greetings to King Tribhuvan on the occasion of Bijaya Dashami. The Bijaya Dashami was celebrated on October 12 that year. On that day, US President Harry S Truman, on behalf of the American people, sent a message of greetings to all Nepali citizens through King Tribhuvan of Nepal. (The Indian Express October 14, 1948)
The message was important because that was the first occasion a foreign head of state greeted the Nepali head of state on the occasion of Bijaya Dashami. Though Nepal established diplomatic ties with the UK ahead of the US, there is no information on such greetings sent by the British monarchs.
US President Truman greeted the Nepali people on the occasion of Bijaya Dashami for five years between 1948 and 1952.
