At an interaction programme organized by the Newa De Dabu (the Newar National Forum) here today to deliberate on the new constitution from the viewpoint of indigenous community, they shared that the 11 articles in the new national charter were against the indigenous communities and nationalities.
Similarly, 29 provisions were discriminatory and 49 provisions attempted to marginalise the people from indigenous, Madheshi, Women and marginalized communities.
Shankar Limbu said that since five provisions in the new constitution were highly favouring a single caste, it is imperative to revise it.
He was of the opinion that the new constitution treated the indigenous groups of people the second class citizen and the Dalits as the third.
Nanda Kandangwa argued that the national charter could not be considered the best in the world for it treats some 10 marginalised castes as the second class citizen.
Demanding the amendment of some 100 prejudice-laden provisions of the new constitution, Kandangwa stated that the western styled democracy would not secure the rights of one and all in the multilingual country like Nepal.
The Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities classifies 59 indigenous groups recognized by the government into five categories as 'endangered', 'highly marginalized', 'marginalized, 'disadvantaged' and 'advantaged' although the census in 2011 identified 126 different ethnic groups, over 123 languages spoken.
At the programme, Chairperson of the Newa De Dabu, Nareshman Tamrakar informed that the Organization has spearheaded a special campaign in the Kathmandu Valley to secure the rights and welfare of the indigenous nationalities, Madheshi and engendered communities. RSS
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