KATHMANDU: A day after the Unified CPN-Maoist withdrew its plan to declare autonomous republican states, Tamsaling Joint Struggle Committee today declared Tamsaling Autonomous Republican State amid a function here.

TJSC is a common platform of the Tamang people affiliated with all major political parties. The TJSC made a 14-point declaration during the special function. The state enjoys right to self-determination and grants indigenous people political rights, it was declared.

Addressing the function, Maoist secretary Post Bahadur Bogati expressed solidarity to the TJSC move. Agni Sapkota, in charge of the Maoist Tamsaling State Committee, said the Tamsaling Republican State should be developed as a pillar of the Federal Nepal.

Central committee member of CPN-UML Devram Bhushal said the bases of federal states should be decided by the Constituent Assembly. NC leader Bhim Bahadur Tamang said all ethnic groups residing in the Tamsaling region should accept the new order.

Separately, Maoist vice-chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai said the federal states were impossible without ethnic, regional and lingual autonomy. Addressing a function organised by the party's Newa Rastriya Mukti Morcha in Kathmandu Constituency No 7, Dr Bhattarai said all ethnic groups should have right to self determination. He called on the Newars to lead the movement for the liberation of ethnic people.

Dr Bhattarai said it was time for the people to begin discussion on changing the country's capital.