In a modern state, a citizenship certificate should be good enough to guarantee any citizen an unobstructed right to settle in and move to any place within the national boundary. But in the case of mid-Tarai and eastern hills, people who have settled there for generations have been forced to leave their birthplaces just because some lunatics have taken law and order in their hands and intimidated people who do not appear like them and do not share their culture.
The idea that a particular region of this country belongs to a particular ethnic community is nothing but bigotry. Historically, Nepali state was formed out of migration of people of Mongol and Aryan races, who came to this part of world from the north and south respectively, over several hundreds of years. And such migration continues even today. The idea also appears bizarre in the context of global migration, with people moving from one country to another and settling there for ever with relative ease.
It is true that we have legitimate issues of disenfranchisement and social exclusions. In that sense, the ethnic discontent is but natural. Until recently, we were a unitary state, built under a single edifice of one king, one culture, one language and religion. It is also true that, historically, various ethnic groups and their language and cultures and identity were suppressed. That is precisely one reason why we abolished monarchy and why we have opted for secularism. We are now striving to deepen democracy and consolidate republic as it is only under such a political arrangement that all Nepalis can nurture their distinctive, individual identities, and at the same time, they can remain woven in a single identity of Nepaliness.
Affirmative actions, federalization of the state and promotion of various cultures, languages and equal opportunities for all religions are the best ways to address our historical injustices. We can and must work to create a society where our diversity is not just tolerated but celebrated. Politics of negation and hatred only weakens this youngest republic and gives excuses for the feudal remnants of the society to reverse the current political process. Political parties, who have won seats in the Constituent Assembly in the eastern hills, are true representatives of people and they also represent their true wish. These parties and state should work together to discourage the lunatic outfits from spreading bigotry and disturbing social harmony.
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