Lalitpur, February 20:

The Chepang community, which is the most marginalised of the indigenous nationalities, has called on the political parties to ensure compulsory representation of the Chepang community in the Constituent Assembly.

The participants of a seminar on ‘The Land Issue in the Constituent Assembly and Guaranteeing the Chepang Community’s Representation’ stressed that the new Constitution to be made by the Constituent Assembly and the laws to be legislated after that should be able to address the land-related problems of the community. The programme was organised by the Nepal Chepang Association.

During the function, MP Ramnath Adhikari underlined the need for the political parties to compulsorily provide representation of the Chepang community from the proportional seats.

MP Birodh Khatiwada urged the people of the Chepang community to pressurise the big parties to guarantee them seats in the Constituent Assembly.

Another MP Amrita Thapa said the CA would not be successful if the marginalised communities are not included. The total population of the Chepang community is put at 52,237 as per the latest census. Out of this, 37 per cent live in Makwanpur, 38 per cent in Chitwan, 19 per cent in Dhading and six per cent in Gorkha.