NEFIN forms World Indigenous Day organising committee

Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), the umbrella organisation of more than five dozen indigenous groups in Nepal, is going to celebrate the World Indigenous Day by organising various functions all over the country from August 1 to 9.

For this purpose it has formed World Indigenous Day Organising Committee under the convenorship of its president Pasang Sherpa.

The secretariat meeting of NEFIN Thursday elected Ram Bahadur Thapa as the member secretary of the committee. Thapa is the current general secretary of NEFIN.

Members of NEFIN’s federal council, president and general secretaries of all indigenous organisations active in Nepal including parliamentarians and intellectuals from the indigenous community would also be made a part of World Indigenous Day organising committee.

The indigenous people all over the world celebrate August 9 as the World Indigenous Day every year.

Meanwhile, Dalit activists have asked the government to announce liberation of Haliyas (indentured tillers) living a miserable existence in some far-western districts and proprely rehabilitate them.

Submitting a memorandum to Minister of Land Reform and Management Jagat Bahadur Bogati Thursday, National Dalit Society Welfare Association, Kailali said that the government can use the act it formed to liberate the Kamaiyas or bonded labourers for this purpose.

It is estimated that there are some 21,000 Haliyas in far-western region who are compelled to live a very miserable existence, working as land tenants unable to pay the loan their forefathers had taken from local landlords. nepalnews.com ag July 20 07