Kathmandu, August 26 :

Sociologist Krishna Bahadur Bhattachan today said the indigenous nationalities of the nation should either form a party or make a united front to fight for their rights which “the political parties would never give.”

While addressing a leadership training organised by the Kathmandu district coordination committee of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities Students (NEFINS), Battachan said the youths should find out which party has the “best policies” for the sake of indigenous nationalities. General secretary of the NEFINS, Bhupendra Pulami, said they have been fighting for their right and strengthening the leadership skills of the indigenous students. “The federation has been playing a significant role to end the domination on ethnic people and fight for a federal republican set-up and ethnic, lingual and regional autonomy with self-determination,” he said.

He also said it is high time that the indigenous youths become politically aware and fight for their rights. The concept that the students should not get involved in politics should be abolished and students should take part in politics also, he said, adding the new structure of the state should be demarcated instead of restructuring the existing one for which the youths should play a vital role. Dr Sumitra Manandhar Gurung discussed about the role of women in the upcoming election for Constituent Assembly while former president of the Nepal Magar Students Association Jhakendra Gharti Magar talked on basic leadership skills.

Some 185 students from the students wings of the various ethnic organisations including Gurung, Magar, Chhantyal, Newar, Rai, Sherpa, Tamang, Sunuwar, Tharu, Limbu, Hyalmo participated in the training.