NEPAL: Maoists defend 14-state model



FROM SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NET / MY REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU: Maoist Vice-Chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and other Maoist Constituent Assembly (CA) members have defended the 14-province federal model proposed in the CA while members from the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and other parties criticized it.

The Maoists claimed that the model that was prepared largely on the basis of the identity of various ethnic communities was appropriate for addressing the age-old discriminatory system in the country.

But CA members from other parties argued that the number of provinces was too many and carving out provinces along ethnic lines would invite ethnic conflict and mistrust among different linguistic, cultural, ethnic and geographical groups.

Bhattarai said despite various faults, the basic concept adopted while preparing the 14-province model is objective and is the proper way.

Responding to those who were saying that the Maoist party was deviating from the communist path as it advocated an ethnic-based federal model, Bhattarai argued that states based on various nationalities was essential because exploitation in Nepal was both class-based as well as ethnic.

“Our objective is to eliminate all sorts of discrimination and exploitation. For that we need to simultaneously engage in a class-based struggle and create states based on various nationalities,” he said while speaking at the CA deliberations on preliminary drafts prepared by the State Restructuring Committee.

Bhattarai said that there were many technical matters in the proposed model that needed correction. “Some matters including the borders of the states need to be corrected. We may go for a referendum if need be to settle any disputes,” he said.

He said there was a misconception that the Maoists were promoting ethnicity while adopting federalism. “We are for taking as the basis of identity not just ethnicity but nationalities also. Nationality is a common identity formed of communities with a common language, geography, economy and mindset,” he said. He said ´nation-states´ are needed even for promoting a market-based economy as happened in Europe.

He suggested giving priority to the economic and geographic prosperity of particular nationalities rather than being preoccupied with cultural aspects like costumes and other ethnic activities.

He said 14 provinces can be sustainable once the people living there own the transformation. Bhattarai termed the division of the Tarai region into two provinces as a right decision. He also backed the provision ensuring political preferential rights to the largest community in a given province.

Bimalendra Nidhi and Ramesh Lekhak of NC and Lal Babu Pundit and Yam Lal Kandel of CPN-UML, however, suggested reducing the number of states. They also said that there was no possibility of creating a single province in the entire Tarai region. They said two provinces in the Tarai region were appropriate.