The government launched the campaign "Janata Ko Sambidhan, Jantakai Majh" on Monday with the aim to familiarize the general public with the new constitution and dispel misconceptions especially among the marginalized communities that the new statute discriminates against them. The campaign will continue till January 5, 2016.Inaugurating the campaign in the capital on Monday, Prime Minister Oli said that the new constitution has guaranteed equal rights to all and that there is no reason for anyone to harbor misconception that they have been discriminated against.
"There is a misconception among the Madhesi people that the constitution has discriminated them, which is not true. So, with the aim to clear up such misconceptions and end an impasse, the campaign has been launched," said he.
He said that not a single clause of the constitution has discriminated against any particular community. "Rather, it has ensured special rights to the marginalized, minorities and backward communities. Our constitution has guaranteed proportional and inclusive representation. Then, how can the new constitution be discriminatory," said Prime Minister Oli.
Similarly, former Constituent Assembly chairman Subas Chandra Nembang said that the campaign launched by the government will form the basis for implementation of the new constitution. "The government should have launched the campaign earlier. Better late than never, it has launched the campaign. It is necessary to inform the public about the new constitution because it is their right to know how their representatives have drafted it," said he.
Stating that the constitution is amendable, he appealed to the agitating Madhesi parties to return to parliament instead of staging protests and resolve their dissatisfaction through dialogue.
The government is launching interactions in all 75 districts, municipalities and village development committees during the month-long campaign for informing the public about major provisions in the new constitution.
Politicians, incumbent and former ministers, lawmakers, civil society members and intellectuals will participate in the programs that will be organized in the district headquarters across the country as part of the special campaign and inform the public about the constitution and clarify all kinds of misunderstandings about it.
Likewise, municipalities and village development committee offices will also hold interaction programs with locals, political leaders and other stakeholders on major provisions of the new constitution as part of the special campaign.
UCPN (Maoist) Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who was also present in the inauguration function in the capital, said that genuine demands of the Madhesi, Tharu and other communities should be addressed but the demands which affect national unity and sovereignty should be and will be criticized.
"We want cordial relations with our neighbors, India and China, and we expect cooperation from them," said he.
Though the government launched the campaign from Monday, government authorities have expressed concerns to launch the campaign in eight districts of the Tarai that have been seeing unrest for the past three months.
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