Nation»
Indigenous CA members threaten fire
DHULIKHEL, JAN 25 -
Constituent Assembly (CA) members from the indigenous community have warned that they would set the new constitution alight on the very first day of its promulgation if it failed to address the concerns of the indigenous people.
Indigenous CA members have been maintaining that draft concepts of the CA’s thematic committees have failed to address the indigenous community’s concerns.
“The concept papers presented to the CA have missed out many issues and rights pertaining to indigenous peoples,” reiterated the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) adviser and UCPN (Maoist) leader, Suresh Ale Magar, addressing a two-day interaction organised in Dhulikhel to share indigenous lawmakers’ experience with international indigenous experts.
According to the NEFIN, there are 219 CA members from indigenous communities, who constitute over one-third of the 601-member assembly.
“Indigenous CA members have enough strength to stall the constitution-making process if they feel that the constitution in the making does not serve their interests,” maintained Krishna Abrader Bhatt Chan, an indigenous expert, advising the state to address indigenous concerns wisely.
Chan called on the indigenous people to unite for their empowerment, saying “Indigenous CA members should unite first. If our voices are not heard, we will have to take to the streets and burn the copies of the constitution.”
Nearly 60 indigenous lawmakers are participating in the programme, which is primarily aimed at the facilitation of the incorporation of indigenous peoples’ issues into the new constitution.
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