Kathmandu: The nation is observing Martyr Day today with a series of programs organized throughout the country to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of the country and its people.

Martyr Day, dedicated to the memory of individuals who laid down their lives for liberty, freedom, and democracy in various historical periods of Nepal, is marked by week-long programs from Magh 10 to 16 every year.

Since 2012BS, the Kathmandu municipality has been coordinating programs in honor of the martyrs, a tradition that continues to this day.

In the pursuit of democracy, civic rights, and liberty, notable figures such as Shukra Raj Shastri, executed by the autocratic Rana regime at Pachali, Kathmandu on Magh 10, 1997; Dharma Bhakta Mathema at Siphal, Kathmandu on Magh 13, and Ganga Lal Shrestha and Dasharath Chanda at Shova Bhagawati, Kathmandu on Magh 15 of the same year, are remembered and commemorated.

A morning rally, starting from Shanti Batika, Ratnapark to Lainchaur, is a key event for the day. The Kathmandu Metropolis has confirmed the attendance of the Prime Minister, ministers, high-level officials of the Nepal government, and a march-past by security bodies. The event will conclude at the Martyrs' Monument in Lainchaur, where both known and unknown martyrs will be honored.

However, concerns linger among the public that the aspirations of the martyrs have not been fully realized.