Lalitpur, May 11:

A number of committees were formed today with the objective of making preparations for the constituent assembly election following a special meeting of the federal council of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities.

A political dialogue committee has been formed under the leadership of NEFIN general secretary Dr Om Gurung. Dr Harka Gurung, Dr Krishna Bhattachan and professor Nobel Kishor Rai are the members of the committee.

Another committee has been formed to draft a concept paper of NEFIN on the constituent assembly. Nity-ananda Tajpuriya is a member of the committee headed by Dr Krishna Bahadur Bhattachan. Other members are yet to be selected.

Arjun Limbu is the convener of the committee, which will draft a concept paper on restructuring of the state and ethnic autonomy. Norbu Ghale is a member of the committee. Other members will be appointed later.

The NEFIN has also formed a committee with Sumitra Manandhar as coordinator to further the people’s movement. Pasang Sherpa is member-secretary of the committee. Uttam Singh Thangden, general secretary of the Kirant Yakthum Chumlung, and Raj Bahadur Rai, general secretary of the Kirant Rai Yayokkha, Association of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities Journalists and the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities Students are members.

Former NEFIN general secretary Bal Krishna Mabuhang will head the monitoring team, which has Lucky Sherpa as member-secretary.

According to Pasang Sherpa, finance secretary of the NEFIN, the meeting discussed issues, including participation of Janajatis in the CA election, restructuring of the state and ethnic autonomy. The meeting also decided to divert necessary amount of funds of Janajati Empowerment Project (JEP) allocated for training and research to advocacy.