CPN (UML) chairman KP Sharma Oli has said that the Nepal Sambat is a festival carrying Nepal's unique identity. 

Extending best wishes on the occasion of the Nepal Sambat New Year 1138 on Friday, the UML chairman said, "Nepal is a country with original culture and identity. The Nepal Sambat is also an example of this. This Sambat is Nepal's original calendar." 

On the occasion, UML chair Oli also recalled Shankhadhar Sakhwa, the initiator of the Nepal Sambat calendar. 

"We Nepalis are rich in culture. The 125 ethnic groups living in this country and the 123 languages spoken here are Nepal's assets. It is the responsibility of the government to protect and preserve all the communities living in Nepal," chairman Oli added. 

Saying that Nepali politics will enter a new era after the federal parliament and province assembly elections are held on November 26 and December 7, 2017, the UML chairman expressed the belief that this election would be of help in establishing economic and development agenda in the country by taking the national politics towards stability.