“We should go for a federal model based on geography, language, culture and history,” Bhattarai said while addressing a gathering in Itahari on Wednesday. “Arya-Khas is the community that has largest population in Nepal but even this group doesn´t command a majority in the country. Therefore, single-ethnicity-based federalism isn´t possible”[break]
Bhattarai explained that the country should adopt a federal model that would be acceptable to all because Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-religious country. He said that provinces should be delineated based on the preference of the people from the same region.
He said the so-called higher castes shouldn´t feel superior and the people from oppressed communities shouldn´t exhibit “aggressive ethnic and communal” behavior. “This will create problems in federal system and we should move ahead shunning extremist tendencies.”
However, he emphasized on accommodating various identities while adopting a federal model. “We can´t go for any federal system without identity. Linguistic, geographic and historical identities can be basis for delineating provinces,” he added.
Stating that the federal models practiced in the USSR, European countries or in China wouldn´t be relevant in Nepal, he said our country should find its own unique model.
Responding to participant´s queries on why the CA was dissolved, Bhattarai said that the CA saw its demise as the political parties were sharply divided into two sides -- one lobbying for single-ethnicity-based federalism while others for multiple-identity based federal model.
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