At an interaction on ´Identity on Federalism: Your Questions, UCPN-Maoist´s Response´, organized by the Revolutionary Journalists´ Association, Susnari, at Itahari on Wednesday, former prime minister and vice-chairman of the UCPN-Maoist, Dr Bhattarai said time had come to compulsorily amend the issue of federalism based on single ethnic identity that the party raised earlier. [break]
"Although the aspiration for the adoption of independent federal state system with the end of centralized system has been developed, it would be disastrous to Nepal if it adopted the Russian model of federalism," he said, adding that although China got success in some provinces on ethnic majority in its northern belt, the ethnicities and lingual communities in minority were suffering discrimination. So, time has come to adopt special measure to federalize Nepal, he added.
Moreover, he said although the UCPN-Maoist initially advocated for single identity-based federalism in course of raising the political agenda, it is time to change the political agenda as per the time need. "For Nepal´s holistic development, a different kind of federalism should be adopted," he stressed.
Reminding that Nepal homes diverse ethnic and lingual communities with different cultures, leader Bhattarai said in the places lacking the stronghold of any ethnicity, special model of federalism for the equal development and economic prosperity of all ethnicities and lingual communities was essential.
However, he accused the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML of lacking even an a b c of federalism thereby obstructing the implementation of federalism.
Before leader Bhattarai furnished views on federalism, people, including leader of Nepal Samyukta Party, Dambar Budhathoki, PABSAN Chairman Dil Kumar Ban, independent leftist leader Dambar Khatiwada, civil society member Rajesh Shrestha, intellectual Lekhnath Ghimire, general secretary of Federal Limbuwan Morcha, Padam Adhikari, Keshav Bhattarai of Abhiyan Nepal and indigenous leaders put forth queries about UCPN-Maoist´s stand on federalism.
Dr Bhattarai´s views have shown U turn in his party´s stand on federalism. The UCPN-Maoist had long been advocating for single-ethnicity-based federalism, which then opposition parties- Nepali Congress and CPN-UML has dubbed the main reason behind the unceremonious death of the Constituent Assembly in 2013.
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