KATHMANDU,

Cultural expert, development planner, and noted human rights activist, Dr Chaitanya Subba passed away on Tuesday. He was 75. 

People from various walks of life including renowned cultural experts in the country have expressed deep sorrow over the untimely demise of Dr Subba, who also worked as an invited expert at Nepal Academy. They have maintained that his death has left an unbridgeable vacuum in the field of culture, human rights, and development planning in Nepal.

Born in 1946 AD, Dr Subba was the founding president of the Social Democratic Party. He was also a former member of the National Planning Commission and former chairman of the Adivasi Janajati Pratisthan. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, and two sons. 

Dr Subba was admitted to TU Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj for treatment for heart problems. He passed away while undergoing heart surgery at the hospital. His last funeral rites were performed at Pashupati Aryaghat on Wednesday.

According to his daughter Srijana, Dr  Subba had been suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes for a long time. 

Bhagiraj Ingnam Limbu, who is a winner of the prestigious Madan Puraskar, said that the demise of Subba, who spent his final years in the study and research of Yakthung Mundhum and the philosophy and teachings of Yuma Samyo, has caused an irreparable loss, especially to the indegenous nationalities in general and the Limbu community in particular. Dr Subba's explanations of Mundhum and other articles are public.

Dr Subba was one of the leading intellectuals to advance the movement of indigenous nationalities in a planned manner, according to Amrit Yonjan Tamang. He is remembered for his contributions to the nation from political and administrative areas and to the Janajati community from both academic and cultural sectors.

For the first time, a tribal clause was included in the three-year plan of the National Planning Commission at the initiative of  Dr Subba. "Dr Subba's demise has caused a big loss to the entire tribal community," Tamang said. 

Of all the books that Subba authored, the one titled "The Culture and Religion of Limbus" is considered to be very popular. This book documents in detail the Limbu culture. He also authored a number of research articles on the culture, religion, and philosophy of the Limbu ethnic group.