Speaking at an interaction program on Saturday, retired Lt.Gen.C B Gurung said that it will take some years to bring the number of Madhesis in the army up to 10,000.[break]
“The government should begin the work immediately so that the number of Madhesis will reach 10,000 in the coming years,” Gurung said.
He said that it is possible for Madhesis to get to NA leadership positions in the next 35 years.
Gurung, however, argued that the NA is a national institution, and all people should follow certain rules and regulations concerning it.
Similarly, Keshar Bahadur Bhandari, a retired brigadier general, said the NA cannot address a particular issue of the Madhesis alone. He argued that the NA should represent members of all communities and it is not possible to address the demand of Madhesis only.
He also argued that recruiting 10,000 Madhesis into the army is no solution to the problem of marginalization.
“Increasing the number of Madhesis in NA by integrating 10,000 of them all at once is not a solution,” he said, adding that the number of Madhesis could be increased over the next few years.
Meanwhile, Madhesi leaders speaking at the program accused the NA of not undertaking any efforts to make the institution inclusive.
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