Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, February 27:

Around 34 lakh people in the Terai region have been deprived of citizenship certificates and are suffering from various problems related to their identity.

“The members of Madhesi community living in the Terai are not identified as Nepalis and

as a result, they are denied access to the country’s resources and above all, a large section of the community, has not received citizenship yet,” said a researcher, Bhaskar Gautam.

Addressing an interaction on ‘Long lasting problems of Terai People’ organised by Martin Chautari here today, Gautam said the census of 2001 has revealed that 34 lakh people have been deprived of citizenship certificates.

“The notion of identity created within the last 50 years is that only the people from mountainous region are Nepalis. This idea should be widened and the Terai people or the Madhesis should also be identified as Nepalis,” he said, adding that there have been three attempts to provide citizenship certificates to the deprived but in vain.

Even the Supreme Court dismissed the case saying it is against the constitution.

“Many things are inter-linked with citizenship and hence these people are deprived of their basic rights.”

Gautam also said that the issue has been linked with the politics of identity as leaders used to make false promises over citizenship to win elections.