Kathmandu, August 2:

The National Alliance of Highly Marginalised Indigenous Nationalities (NAHMIN), an alliance of 28 indigenous nationalities, made public its 11-point charter of demands amid a programme organised in the capital.

The programme was organised to felicitate Constituent Assembly members representing the 28 nationalities.

Among other things, the alliance of marginalised indigenous nationalities has demanded the government to establish the ownership of indigenous nationalities over natural resources, representation of the nationalities in the policy level, guarantee of education, health and employment, and preservation of their languages, culture and identity.

Speakers of the programme called Constituent Assembly members representing

the marginalised nationalities to form an alliance and incorporate their issues in the constitution.

NAHMIN also made public its stance on federalism and the rights of indigenous nationalities.

It has called for non-territorial autonomy for the nationalities and sought special rights with regard to their languages, cultures, employment and local resources. For the nationalities, NAHMIN has demanded autonomous states.

NAHMIN has threatened to draw territorial boundaries in places where nationalities have a strong presence if the government did not address its demands.