RAJBIRAJ, August 1

Nepali Congress leader Pradip Giri on Saturday  said that demands for identity and rights were not communal but democratic issues.

He stressed the need to guarantee the identity of all marginalised and Madhesi people in the new statute. Talking to mediapersons at Rayapur in Saptari, he argued that the new statute should safeguard the rights and identity of

Madhesi, indigenous, ethnic groups as well as Dalits.

He claimed that federalism was a must to make the marginalised communities feel the change in the country. He said that all historical changes brought about over the years would become worthless if rights and identity of the marginalised were not guaranteed. “The country will have to face revolt if voices of the marginalised are not heeded on time. Federalism should be ensured to address the grievances of the marginalised and backward people,” Giri added.

Noting that Nepal was a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural country, he held that it was crucial to guarantee the rights of every citizen in order to strengthen national feeling among people. He commented that people from Madhes had lost faith in the central leadership in Kathmandu, as the leaders here did not heed their voices. Instead of asking for help from foreign countries, Giri asked the leadership to find a solution to the country’s standoff on their own.