KATHMANDU: Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities today submitted a seven-point memorandum to Unified CPN-Maoist Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, urging him to ensure that the names and boundaries of the Pradeshes are settled by the Constituent Assembly before the promulgation of the new constitution. It has demanded that the Pradeshes should be carved out on the basis of the Interim Constitution, reports of the erstwhile State Restructuring Commission, and thematic committee of the first CA. NEFIN has also demanded 60 per cent proportional representation in the new constitution. It said in the memorandum that the new constitution should guarantee the rights of indigenous nationalities as per ILO Convention (169) along with other international conventions and treaties that the government had signed in the past. It also demanded guarantee of proportionally inclusive judiciary, secularism and provision for Janajati Commission in the new constitution. It said that the new constitution should be promulgated on the basis of past agreements between the organisation and government. It has warned that the 16-point agreement, which intended to settle the federalism issue later, would push the country into conflict. It added that if the new constitution did not address the organisation’s core concerns, it would be compelled to resort to agitation. It further read that the citizens should have a chance to give their feedback on the first draft of the constitution and there should be enough time for the same. NEFIN Chair Nagendra Kumar Kumal told The Himalayan Times that the parties should make sure that people’s rights are not curtailed in the name of fast-tracking the constitution-making process. According to Kumal, UCPN-M Chair Dahal had assured that he would convey NEFINs’ concerns to the party leaders but also told the Janajati leaders not to expect everything done in one attempt. “The constitution is not like Puran (a Hindu religious book), which can never be changed,” he quoted Dahal as telling the NEFIN representatives. Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities submitted a similar memorandum to CA Chair Subas Chandra Nembang. Nembang assured them that he would convey NEFIN’s concerns to the Constitution Drafting Committee. Kumal said that the CA chair had wished NEFIN a success in its mission.