KATHMANDU, Nov 24: Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) unveiled its election manifesto on Thursday, describing Nepal as a multi-state country. The RJPN's definition of multi-state country has long been controversial as it aims at demanding the status of a separate nation for Madhes within the entity of Nepal.
The Madhes-based party, in the preamble to its poll manifesto released just two weeks before the upcoming second-phase elections, envisions the southern plain areas as an autonomous territory within a multi-state Nepal . Claiming that the USA, Canada, India and many other countries are multi-state countries, the party says that Nepal is also a multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-state country.
The party has insisted on the amendment of the new constitution, stating that a majority lawmakers in the last parliament had voted for amendment. “The constitution amendment bill, which was tabled in parliament with the support of the Nepali Congress (NC) and Maoist Center, had garnered the support of 58 percent of lawmakers. This shows that the constitution has been retained merely on the basis of arithmetic,” reads the manifesto.
Referring to the second Madhes movement, which protested the new constitution, the party has stated that the constitution should be amended to address the grievances of backward, indigenous and ethnic communities.
RJPN has expressed commitment to securing the rights of people of all walks of life and redrawing the provincial boundaries if the party wins the upcoming elections to parliament and provincial assemblies.
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The party has prioritized the development of Madhes, Tharuhat and backward areas, addressing the problems of flooding, inundation and landslides, and the development of the postal highway and Kathamdu-Tarai fast track, among other mega development projects in the southern plains.
The party has put forth the vision of an east-west railway parallel to Mahendra Highway.
Likewise, the manifesto proposes Birgunj as the business capital of the country and calls for promoting industries in the Tarai-Madhes. It has also stressed the need of developing the Lumbini area under the master plan.
The party has proposed giving 5.66 gram (half tola) gold to any woman getting married after completing up to class 12 schooling. Likewise, the manifesto has proposed that any bank or financial institution should invest up to 1 percent of its loans in business start-ups by youths.
The party has also proposed providing rice and other necessary goods at fair price to people who are under the poverty line.
Speaking at a program organized in Jaleshwar on Thursday to unveil the manifesto, the party's presidium member, Rajendra Mahato, proposed a compensation of Rs 5 million to the martyr families of the Madhes movement, something already announced during the movement.
Mahato gave an assurance that the children of such families will be provided free education and one family member will be provided employment. Also speaking at the function, another member of the presidium, Mahantha Thakur, appealed to locals to vote RJPN to end discrimination and to amend the constitution. The RJPN has expressed commitment to the prosperity of the country and people, a meaningful constitution, an inclusive state and an equitable society.
