State re-do: SRC members try to woo chairman
Members of the State Restructuring Commission (SRC) are trying to woo the commission’s Chairman Madan Pariyar, whose vote will be crucial in deciding the issue of political priority rights. In order to win his favour, commissioners on both the sides—those advocating for an 11-state model and those in favour of a six-state model—have pitched for a separate Dalit state, which Pariyar has strongly demanded. However, Pariyar holds no ‘strong opinion’ on the issue of priority rights.
This attempt seems to be part of the commissioners’ move to get their views on priority rights passed. Nominees of the UCPN (Maoist) and the Madhesi Morcha are for the rights, while those from the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML oppose them. A note of dissent presented by three members—Ramesh Dhungel, Sabitri Gurung and Sarbaraj Khadka—on the number of provinces has led to a map being prepared wherein a possible state for Dalits has been conceived. Besides six definite states, the proposed map includes a provision for the seventh one—a Dalit state. Based on cluster areas where Dalit population is high, or in a majority at the VDC level, three possible states have been identified—one in the Eastern Tarai (near Saptari and Siraha), another in the Western hills (near Parbat) and the other in Far West hills.
Meanwhile, an 11-state model, including a separate Dalit state was adopted through a majority in the commission. However, those advocating for the model—members proposed by the Maoists, Morcha and one from the UML—have not been able to finalise the map due to differences over delineation of borders of the states. Even their proposal has envisioned a Dalit state.
These 11 states are to take shape based predominantly on ethnic lines. The five members have failed to reach consensus despite extensive discussions. The members of the group, which registered a note of dissent advocating a 6/7 state-model, have drawn out a map where four states will have access to both northern and southern borders. Two states in the Tarai will have access to only a stretch of the southern border. The latter two states are said to have been agreed on by the three members in light of the residents of the Tarai region’s rigid demands for states only along the southern border.
Posted on: 2012-01-26 08:55
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All of them discussed the issue. The result was the same...and we have committed to continue discussions on the issue till midnight.
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