Thawang Declaration Issued at Progressive Music Festival Calls for Combating Negative Music

Kathmandu. The Nepal Sangeet Tatha Natya Pragya Pratishthan Kathmandu organized Progressive Music Festival recently held in Thawang, Rolpa, has issued a 9-point Thawang Declaration calling for the need to identify the web of music spreading negative messages in society. The 9-point declaration prepared after the festival held on Baisakh 19 and 20 has been made public by the Pratishthan in Kathmandu. According to Kushma Mahara Pragati, former member secretary of the Pratishthan, the declaration was finalized and made public after a workshop of progressive musicians from across the country participating in the Progressive Music Festival-2083, organized by the Nepal Sangeet Tatha Natya Pragya-Pratishthan and co-organized by Rolpa Kala Sahitya Pratishthan, with the slogan 'Progressive Melodies, For the New Generation'. According to her, the declaration has proclaimed to strive in a planned and strong manner to break the web of music that gives negative messages, is obscene, vulgar, and crude, which has spread nationwide. The declaration states that all artists will make individual, collective, and institutional efforts to make Nepal's progressive creations simple, popular, and of high quality, and will remain committed to playing a creative role in bringing about change for the nation and the people, in favor of good governance and prosperity. It is stated in the declaration that efforts will be made to utilize the science, technology, and information communication currently developing to make the country prosperous, in music and various dimensions of human life, to attract the new generation towards the country and the people and to ensure their significant participation, and to seek participation of progressive musicians and their creations in various state bodies to make the state's work people-oriented and accountable. The issued declaration mentions taking a stand in favor of national independence against all forms of foreign interference. Expressing gratitude to those who played an important role in successfully organizing the Progressive Music Festival, they have pledged that progressive musicians will play an even stronger role for the country and the people in the future. Mahara said that the role played by progressive artists in the various phases of movements for the progressive change of Nepali society has been remembered.