Kathmandu, July 14:

Rajendra Shrestha, central committee member of the CPN-UML, today said it is committed to re-mapping the country on the bases of social structures, ethnic groups and settlements.

“Only a policy of ethnic partnership can keep the country intact. In view of this, UML has put forward the concept of administrative and political re-demarcation and the base of it should not be population and geography any longer,” he said, adding, “Our policy now is to re-demarcate on the basis of population, geography and ethnicity as well as social relations.”

Shrestha was presenting a concept paper on ethnic communities and languages at an assembly organised by the ethnic department of the party.

Quoting party documents, Shrestha said that since the birth of the Communist Party of Nepal in 1951, the party has been in favour of evolution of ethnic groups, the right to self-determination, education in mother tongues. The UML advocated for an end to religious monopoly and called for securing ethnic groups’ identities in its fourth convention in 1990 and in the fifth, sixth conventions as well, he added.

Shrestha added, “In the present context, the constituent assembly cannot draft a inclusive state without making itself inclusive. So, I think the constituent assembly itself should reflect the country’s multi-ethnic, multi-lingual social structure.”

He proposed a federal system with two Houses, making the Upper House an ethnic house and the lower a House of Represenatives with proportional representation from all parties.

Speaking on the occasion, Speaker Subhash Nembwang said that people should press for proper representation of their ethnic identity in the state, which would enhance, in toto, the whole democratic process. “A new constitution is necessary for restructuring the state,” he said.

Dr Om Gurung, general secretary of the Nepalese Federation of Indigenous Nationalities said that the body with 59 nation-level ethnic communities is committed to achieving a federal republic of Nepal. “We have already decided on our right to self-determination, but we will settle for ethnic autonomy, for the moment,” he said.

Malla K Sundar, chairman of the Newar National Forum said that since all Janajatis and Madheshis have shown solidarity for making ethnic and regional autonomous states, the Brahmins and Chhetris should also be proud of their original valley and be committed to develop it, instead of living in other states with minority rights.