KATHMANDU, MAY 22 -
In a clear departure from their earlier stance, Nepali Congress lawmakers representing ethnic, indigenous and other minority communities have said federalism based on single ethnic identity is not their demand.
An example of further flexibility on part of the NC janajati lawmakers, the shift in stance has come against the backdrop of three prominent indigenous lawmakers of the party—Indra Bahadur Gurung, Jeep Tsering Lama and Ramkrishna Tamrakar—holding parleys with senior leaders Sushil Koirala, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ram Chandra Paudel, Ram Saran Mahat and Prakash Saran Mahat. The “secret” meetings were held prior to the party’s meeting in the Parliamentary Party Office on Tuesday. Most of the lawmakers present in the meeting were one on their realisation that the Maoist party was trying to capitalise on the current situation brought about by various ethnic movements and that the Maoists were organising an ‘ethnic orchestra’ primarily to their benefit, sources attending the meeting said.
Talking to the Post after the meeting, lawmaker Lama said they ‘’sought identity alone and not in any way an ethnic state”.
“The party leadership should understand our feelings and problems. We are ready to accept states carved out on multiple identities like Magarat-Tamuwan and Gandak or Limbuwan-Khumbuwan and Sagarmatha, to name a few,” Lama said.
Understandably, Lama’s and the other janajati lawmakers’ “problem” could be a fear of how indigenous communities of their respective constituencies would react. Man Bahadur Mahato, an NC lawmaker from Kailali said, “Considering our difficulty, the party should act in such a way that will save our faces.”
The NC janajati lawmakers’ dilemma can be best seen in their “soft tone” before the party’s senior leaders and their “high tone” amid cross-party janajati leaders and lawmakers, a source said.
In a much softer undertone than that of Lama’s, lawmaker Ramkrishna Tamrakar said they were never against the party’s line and that they will never go against it. “Senior leaders of the party are very positive about our issues and we are ready to go for states based on common identities,” said Tamrakar. Only a few days ago, the NC’s janajati lawmakers had signed on a paper presented to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, demanding that the states be restructured on the basis of single ethnic identity. The lawmakers had even hinted at the possible approach of crossing the floor in case parties resorted to voting in the CA. Of the more than 40 lawmakers representing the ethnic, indigenous and other minority groups in the NC, more than three dozen of them had signed the paper. Given the janajati lawmakers’ shift, divisions within the cross party alliance of the indigenous lawmakers are bound to happen, a source said.
In a clear departure from their earlier stance, Nepali Congress lawmakers representing ethnic, indigenous and other minority communities have said federalism based on single ethnic identity is not their demand.
An example of further flexibility on part of the NC janajati lawmakers, the shift in stance has come against the backdrop of three prominent indigenous lawmakers of the party—Indra Bahadur Gurung, Jeep Tsering Lama and Ramkrishna Tamrakar—holding parleys with senior leaders Sushil Koirala, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ram Chandra Paudel, Ram Saran Mahat and Prakash Saran Mahat. The “secret” meetings were held prior to the party’s meeting in the Parliamentary Party Office on Tuesday. Most of the lawmakers present in the meeting were one on their realisation that the Maoist party was trying to capitalise on the current situation brought about by various ethnic movements and that the Maoists were organising an ‘ethnic orchestra’ primarily to their benefit, sources attending the meeting said.
Talking to the Post after the meeting, lawmaker Lama said they ‘’sought identity alone and not in any way an ethnic state”.
“The party leadership should understand our feelings and problems. We are ready to accept states carved out on multiple identities like Magarat-Tamuwan and Gandak or Limbuwan-Khumbuwan and Sagarmatha, to name a few,” Lama said.
Understandably, Lama’s and the other janajati lawmakers’ “problem” could be a fear of how indigenous communities of their respective constituencies would react. Man Bahadur Mahato, an NC lawmaker from Kailali said, “Considering our difficulty, the party should act in such a way that will save our faces.”
The NC janajati lawmakers’ dilemma can be best seen in their “soft tone” before the party’s senior leaders and their “high tone” amid cross-party janajati leaders and lawmakers, a source said.
In a much softer undertone than that of Lama’s, lawmaker Ramkrishna Tamrakar said they were never against the party’s line and that they will never go against it. “Senior leaders of the party are very positive about our issues and we are ready to go for states based on common identities,” said Tamrakar. Only a few days ago, the NC’s janajati lawmakers had signed on a paper presented to Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, demanding that the states be restructured on the basis of single ethnic identity. The lawmakers had even hinted at the possible approach of crossing the floor in case parties resorted to voting in the CA. Of the more than 40 lawmakers representing the ethnic, indigenous and other minority groups in the NC, more than three dozen of them had signed the paper. Given the janajati lawmakers’ shift, divisions within the cross party alliance of the indigenous lawmakers are bound to happen, a source said.
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