The Importance of Studying History and the Ilam Literary Festival 2083
19 Baisakh, Ilam – We want to build a better future, but why do we look back to the past? Why is it necessary to study history? Addressing this question posed by Sujit Mainali, Warid Vaidya from Ilam stated, “The key point is that history helps us understand ourselves. Knowing who I was and where I came from is extremely important.” Vaidya, a former head of Mahendra Ratna Multi-purpose Campus and an author and historian of the book ‘History of Ilam,’ expressed this view during a session that began with a discussion on the history of the Eastern hills. The fifth edition of the Ilam Literary Festival 2083 focused on the theme “The Story of Our Roots, A Discussion on Our History,” where Vaidya participated alongside writer Mohan Mainali.
Mainali added, “To move forward, sometimes we must take a step back and see what’s behind us. We must study history to make life easier. History should be made a compulsory subject in schools.” He further noted, “If we had studied the history of water well, there wouldn’t have been issues with the ‘short route from Jhapa to Ilam through Belase.’” Mainali, the Madan Puraskar-winning author of the book ‘Mokam Ranmaidan,’ emphasized that history is an essential subject to study.
The discussion also touched upon the theme of ‘Himalpari, Himalwari’ (Mountain and Hills), along with Nepal-China relations, which was addressed by journalist Sudhir Sharma. “The present is a continuation of history. Without understanding history, it’s difficult to comprehend current realities. Although Nepal’s documented history is not very old, China possesses written materials from much earlier,” Sharma explained. He stressed that policymakers and citizens alike must study history to guide the country on the right path. As the author of ‘Bhikshu, Byapar ra Bidroh’ (Monks, Trade, and Rebellion), Sharma emphasized that a thorough study of history is indispensable to avoid repeating past mistakes and to formulate strong national policies.
Journalist Deepak Sapkota, also part of the panel discussion, argued the significance of history as a subject. Speaking on the first day of the festival about “Digital Masubhat and We Journalists,” editor-in-chief Basanta Basnet highlighted the necessity of reading and promoting history education. On the second day of the festival, Satendra Jawegula held a discussion with Dr. Yogendraman Shrestha, Purna Gautam, and Tanka Gautam about the challenges surrounding the education bill. Likewise, Dr. Hem Bhandari led a discussion on borderland literature with Vinita Kshetri, Krishna Baral, and Gyanendra Yaksos. The second day also featured a poetry recital program.
Development of Ilam through Orange Economy and Green Economy: On the second and final day of the Ilam Literary Festival 2083, Nishkal Rai, Member of Parliament from Ilam-1, shared perspectives on the concept of “Developing Ilam through Orange Economy and Green Economy.” He emphasized that Ilam is not just about scenic beauty but also rich in culture and civilization, stating that sustainable resource use without harming nature constitutes the green economy. Although green economy initiatives have begun, Rai suggested that Ilam must focus on tourism development through the orange economy going forward. “Our culture, traditions, music, and art are also economic assets. It is not only tea production but also its story and brand now—these stories must be marketed,” he explained. Rai pointed out that tourists come seeking not only places but experiences and indigenous narratives, making storytelling tourism necessary to promote. He expressed that Ilam needs to leverage creative economy or orange economy to market its offerings effectively.
Mentioning that Ilam has a solid foundation for eco-tourism, Rai noted that selling culturally connected experiences can help extend tourists’ stay. “Implementing orange economy practices could increase tourism in Ilam by two to four times,” he projected. The two-day Ilam Literary Festival concluded successfully with various discussions, literary readings, and award presentations covering topics such as poetry, tourism, and narrative writing.