Minorities to fight for more rights in new constitution

KATHMANDU, July 1: Leaders representing indigenous people, Dalits, other backward class and minorities on Sunday said the new constitution in Nepal would not be drafted in their favor until and unless another serious conflict is waged against the "existing rulers" who belong to the higher caste.



At a conference attended by a fair number of Indian and Nepali leaders at the Royal Academy Hall, speakers warned of even an armed conflict in case their issues did not get due attention. [break]



“Even though the number of indigenous people, Dalits and minority groups constitutes 87 percent of the population, they are totally dominated by the elite class who has been ruling the country since long,” said Bishendra Paswan of the Dalit Janjati Party. “We need to even think of serious armed conflict if they show no sign of addressing our issues. The new constitution should guarantee that the new Nepal is ruled by the indigenous people rather than those elites who represent not even 3 percent of the population,” he said.



Stating that it was just the beginning of a strategic 3-month-long awareness campaign to be followed by, if necessary, an armed conflict in order to make the new constitution in favor of the 87 percent of people of the country, Paswan said that the move has been supported by the indigenous groups of numerous countries. “The struggle will go on,” he said.



Spokesperson of Indian National Congress Shakeel Ahmed said that the constitution in India was drafted by a poor family´s son Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. Something similar should happen in Nepal so that the constitution ensures justice and equality in the country, he added. “Reservation or special facilities for the backward class are essential to fill the gap between the poor and the rich,” he said.



JS Keshav, of Bahujan Party in India, urged indigenous people, Dalits and minorities to get united to get their rights. “They are not going to give it to you willingly. You have to get united and fight for your space and rights,” he said.



Meanwhile, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist leaders said despite the country declared secular for long now, that they have been quite underrepresented in every terms.

Bishnu Nepali said that among the most neglected is the Christian community. “Even the census has quite made a joke of us. Our population is far more than just 1 percent as reported by the census 2013. There is just no count of our voice at all,” she said.

The conference was organized by Dalit, OBC and Minorities Forum.

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