Amid the din and bustle of the Madhesi agitation for federalism, proportional representation and fifty per cent sharing in all official placements, a real thing to its solution has completely been overlooked.

The one thing that will change the whole scenario and go a long way in fulfilling the actual spirit of the Madhesi aspirations is to shift the capital in the Tarai.

In fact, a little known political party, Nepal National Development Party (NNDP) headed by Takashi Miyahara, a long-time Japanese resident and a short-time naturalised citizen of Nepal has proposed shifting of the capital city to Narayangadh. In its manifesto, Aiming at the Building of a Prosperous Nation (2006), the NNDP considers Kathmandu geopolitically “not an ideal location for the capital city or economic centre for the foreseeable future.”

The party states that Kathmandu is “geographically isolated and topographically limited as the nation’s capital for the future. Narayangadh, on the other hand, is centrally located with easy access to all regions of the country.”

NNDP has rightfully pointed out the huge losses to the country in terms of transportation and labour cost for bringing consumer goods and all kinds of materials from outside the valley. It has also stated that the population of the valley has already exceeded the sustainable limit. The air pollution and conversion of the small rivers into sewage have become a health hazard for the people. In order to protect the cultural heritage of the valley from further damages it is necessary to lower the population pressure.

The shifting of the capital is a double-edged sword that will achieve two objectives simultaneously. It will relieve the valley of mounting population pressure leaving it as a cultural, educational and tourism city. Meanwhile, it will meet the aspirations of the Madhesi people having the seat of power amid them.

While the leading political parties are busy in politicking, NNDP has forwarded a list of development plans including a national railway system. Accordingly, an east-west railway would be constructed in the Tarai with the north-south branch lines linking the hilly towns with the Indian border. The length of the railway will be about 873 km from Kakarbhitta in the east to Mahendranagar in the west. The north-south branch lines are estimated to be 500 km long. The party claims that the railway network would greatly contribute to the overall economic growth of the country and promote interaction among regional communities. It will greatly help economic and emotional integration of the people, conspicuous by its absence in the present context.

While the prominent parties are still groping in the dark about the federal system with local autonomy, NNDP has come up with some concrete diagram for its implementation. Under the federal system that it has envisioned there will be seven development regions as follows: Koshi-Mechi with Itahari as its capital, Sagarmatha with Bardibas, Narayani with Kathmandu, Gandaki with Butwal, Dolpo-Rapti with Ghorahi, Bheri-Karnali with Birendranagar and Set-Mahakali with Attariya as capital. The national capital would be located in Naryangadh. The party claims that this concept has emerged from extensive travel all over the country for more than a thousand days from east to west and north to south. NNDP has proposed that the regional legislature along with the town and village legislatures would be formed by direct elections. Each local government unit will have a chief executive who will also be directly elected by the people. According to its scheme, there will be 21-31 members in the city assembly, 15-21 members in the town assembly and 7-11 members in the village assembly.

How should the federalism be adopted? NNDP explains that the

Constituent Assembly will adopt the principle of federalism as the first step. As a second step, the assembly will form a committee to study and work out a concrete outline of the federal framework. Thirdly, it will submit the plan to the Constituent Assembly, which will adopt and implement the plan. Fourthly, an election of the regional assembly and executive official will be held. In the fifth and final stage, the federal system starts operating.

NNDP has moreover come up with the idea of constructing an international airport at Simara. It has proposed it for smooth and safe flight operation of all kinds of aircrafts in all weather. It considers it essential for the future development of Nepal. While forwarding an economic agenda to meet the Tarai needs, it says, “While thinking about the economy of the country, we must consider from the viewpoint of the Tarai area, not of Kathmandu. We should improve the industrial and living conditions in the Tarai so that the people need not live in Kathmandu. This is indispensable factor the development of the economy and the nation.”

Shrestha is a freelance journalist