Federalism=Feudalism: The Worst Agenda of Nepal

In Nepal, there are three types residents in the country viz An-adibasi (those who are living from immortal time), Aadibasi (indigenous caste), Aaprabasi (migrants). Brahmins, Chhetri and few Newars are Anadibasi. Magar, Gurung, Tamang, Rai, Limbu, Sherpa, Rajbansi, Tharu and Dhimal etc are indigenous castes. Unlike, migrants are Muslims, Bengalis Marwadis, and Madhesis, the new citizens of Nepal who came to Nepal from India extending their business, trade and workers, servant’s especially-UP and Bihar. And then some antinationalist political leaders and Madhesis are creating a dangerous condition of conflicts among these three groups of residents.

It is self understood that federalism and racism are neither issues nor solutions of Nepal. Who lives if the country’s identity dies and who dies if the country’s identity lives? So, our realistic issue is to assure their equal and active participation in every sector of nation building.

Maoist leaders’ disguised appearance is obvious. They have used the selfish political leaders, particularly the Maoists, to destroy Nepal’s dignity, unity and identity. The question of saving the nation from such pressure and conspiracy has fallen on the shoulders of patriotic Nepalese, army, security organs and constitutional heads. However, I loathe even to utter the names of some non Maoists as Nepali Congress late leader Girija Prasad Koirala, leaders Sushil Koirala, Ram Chandra Poudel, Krishna Sitaula, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Narhari Acharya, UML leaders Madhav Nepal, Jhalanath, Subash Nemwang, Bamdev, Khadga Oli, Madhesi leaders Bijaya Gachedhar, Jayaprakash Gupta (Since 21 Feb.2012, he is in jail), Mahantha Thakur, Rajendra Mahato, Hridayesh Tripathi, former Panchas (royalists of the Panchayat system before democracy) Surya Bahadur Thapa, Pashupatishumsher, Lokendra Bahadur Chand and so-called civil society activists Padmaratna Tuladhar, Devendraraj Pandey, Krishna Pahadi, Krishna Khanal, Dr. Sundarmani Dixit, Subodh Pyakurel, Krishna Hauche and Khagendra Sangraula.

These groups have not carried out one work in the interest of Nepal but unnecessarily have helped in drowning this nation. Why should we talk of such characterless leaders? They have no shame whatsoever. They are traitors and foreign stooge. Under the influence of foreign economic incentive many media houses are playing with Nepal’s existence. They are spreading illusions. If we are to select these criminals and put them before the book and to indict them for corruption and treason, such elements will not be born in this holy land for next thousand years.

Similarly, the well-wisher of Nepal, Hon. Harsoon Rashid, and former Ambassador of Nepal from Bangaladesh said that monarchy replaced by worst form of anarchy in Nepal.

It seems unlikely Nepal has historical base for adopting federal state apparatus. Since the beginning, the ethnic groups of this land have survived in natural harmony. Most of the nations in the world have unitary government.

Among the countries with this system, Britain, France and Japan have carried out sustained development programs. The constitution of Japan provisions limited autonomy to local administrative officer. In France every locally elected unit is provided with the authority to monitor the centre. The citizens of Great Britain, Japan and France do not exercise less right that those exercised by citizens of countries with federal setup.’ (Dr. Niranjan Adhikary, Kantipur Daily, 26, February, 2012,)

Likewise, veteran journalist Yubaraj Ghimire writes, “The royal institution was deposed under foreign support and direct involvement and without any role of the people. They have now made the national army, the Supreme Court and independent judiciary the target. Those advocating the democratic slogan of the army are supported by British, Norwegian and Danish donor agencies. They are providing economic support to isolationist forces with their paramilitary wings in Terai, Hill and mountainous regions. Those who are conspicuous in this campaign are PM Baburam Bhattarai and Constituent Assembly chief Subash Nemwang. After the royal institution, the army, judiciary, the Hindu and Buddhist religion and Nepal language will be destroyed. This is a game under which 22-24 ethnic states will be created,” (30 December, 2011 Annapurna Post daily).

The analyst Yubaraj Ghimire points that certain donor countries such as Denmark, Norway, Switzerland and Britain have provided assistance to ethnic organizations that espouse extreme views in the name of ethnic empowerment. According to him, such assistance has increased the danger of social and ethnic tension and social violence (Annapurna Post, 3 Feb. 2012). I had commented in Gorkhapatra, 3 Feb.2012 that there is increasing concern among foreigners in promoting ethnic federalism. As an example of how foreign aid agencies try to influence Nepali organizations, and takes the example of DFID threatening to halt funding to an indigenous people’s NGO if it didn’t call off a “Nepal banda(close).’

A top Nepalese scholar Prakash A. Raj exposes-‘The British ambassadors in the recent past who had worked as anthropologists studying some disadvantaged groups in Nepal. It’s natural for them to be sympathetic to their plight. This might have resulted in channeling a generous amount of British aid in empowering backward groups. That’s when many donors began supporting ethnic federalism. What they failed to anticipate was the impact that ethnic federalism would have on the national interest.’-(6 March 2012, The Kathmandu Post) Similarly an analyst Ram Bahadur Rawal writes- ‘ How it promoted the formation of caucuses for the discussion of ethnic and communal issues, disbursing millions of rupees to ethnic organizations and convening discussions on issues that have little relation to ethnicity?'(4 Mar.2012, Nepal weekly).

Literary Krishna Dharawasi writes- ‘Nepali-speaking of hill origin, living in Jhapa in the eastern-most Tarai, an area claimed by both the Madhes and Limbuwan. No one deny the rights of one group while safeguarding the rights of other groups. Ethnic consciousness, which entered Nepal after a republican Nepal, is being distorted.’ Another political analyst Aditya Man Shrestha notes- ‘Medhesi uprising is nothing but ‘a beginning of the end of Nepal. Madhesis have no mandate from the Tarai people to decide their destiny.’ (6 March 2012,The Kathmandu Post)

Jalbir Sunuwar writes in Purnajagaran weekly, “The issue of federalism is creating instability in the nation. The symptoms of disintegration can be seen in federalism. The nation is about to be divided into pieces before our very eyes. The Constitution Council members are appearing as executioners. Rajendra Mahato was born in India. He worked as a loader in a Sugar factory in Parsa and as a loader in Tribhuvan airport. He took the citizenship from Sarlahi. Mahantha Thakur and Rajendra Mahato are more inclined to be a Madhesi than Nepali. These people who have entered Nepal from Bihar-India do not want to be called Nepali. Rajendra Mahato spews venom of chasing people of hilly regions to hills from Terai plain. In this way Bihari people are instigating chaos in the soil of Terai.’

The Health Minister who was Indian citizen, Rajendra Mahato and president of the Terai-based of Sadbhavana Party has been warning-‘if the rights and representation of the Madhesi people are not secured in the new constitution and if the federal structure is not incorporated, the Madhesi people will be forced to launch a decisive struggle. Nepal’s Terai plains are home to about half of the country’s 30 million people, and the residents of the region, known as Madhesis, have long complained of discrimination by the country’s hill communities.’ This threatening is the voice of Indian intelligence.

The teacher of Baburam Bhattarai and other Communists a communist party the old leader Mohan Bikram Singh sheds light on his friend Raghunath Singh of Nautanhawa (Lumbini-mid-westeren Nepal) who established Madhes Communist Party in 2018 B.S in accordance with Indian C.I.D’s strategy of separating Terai from Nepalese territory. He writes- ‘The Madhesi people firstly forwarded the opinion of autonomous federal state with right to self determination. Such an opinion will create a situation that would threaten Nepal’s national disintegration. It is Indian grand design to gradually merge all states of Nepal under the federal system into its territory. Many Indian citizens have acquired Nepalese citizenship, and increased their influence in Nepal’s national politics. Ramraja Prasad Singh has publicly said that such Madhesi leaders had requested him to accept the post of President of the separate Madhes state.

It is a planned attempt to increase the number of Indians acquiring Nepalese citizenship and to turn Nepal into another Fizi” >www.nepaljapan.com

Dirgha Raj Prasai is a former Member of Parliament in Nepal, a political analyst who writes from Kathmandu.