VOL. 04, NO. 19, Mar 25 2011 (Chaitra 11, 2067)

Dr. MADAN PARIYAR , chairman of dissolved State Restructuring Committee

I am happy that our committee has been able to present the report to the government as per the schedule. I cannot claim that our report is perfect. I cannot deny the fact that there might have been certain lacunas. One thing I can claim, however, is that this report will help in restructuring the state in future and settle much of the controversy over it.  Although state restructuring is a very complicated issue, we got less than three months to prepare the report.  One of the positive aspects of our committee was that we were able to present one report. We tried our best to bring a consensus document but three of our colleagues tabled separate reports. We agreed on many issues. Differences were very few. Fundamentally, there was a consensus on most of the issues. There were agreements on certain issues and there were differences on some particular issues. For instance, we had consensus on women’s rights and dalit’s rights. We put our views in accordance to the terms of references given to us.  There are many positive suggestions in our report. If one is biased, the document is merely a bundle of papers. We were able to present our views looking at the aspirations of the people.  For instance, the report decided to restructure the state in accordance to the identity and capability of the provinces. Majority of us believe that there is the need of a province on non-geographical basis for dalits. This document will provide a win-win to all. We have also suggested that the local bodies should come under the purview of the provinces. Instead of three tiers of the government, we have proposed three tiers with the local bodies under provinces. This is because there cannot be three separate entities in the state as powerful as provinces and the center.

People are criticizing our document on the basis of hearsay. People will realize there are more important things in our report.  As the prime minister has already handed over the document to the Constituent Assembly chairman, it is the property of the CA now. Our document is a value addition in the process of state restructuring. Our commission is a mixed group of people in terms of ethnicity, resources and expertise. Due to this balanced composition, we were able to produce a balanced report. According to media reports, I can guess that our committee members had certain party leanings as they were appointed under the recommendation of political parties. However, I did not find any political views and stands during the process of our discussions. I am an independent person and I presented the report as an independent expert.

We have crafted the provinces on the basis of their identity and capacity. We don’t have any bias towards or against any particular group, geography or ethnicity. We consider identity along with the capability of the state as the main factors. So far as the division of the state boundary is concerned, all the provinces of Nepal share the border with Nepal’s provinces. Dalits are one of the backward, oppressed and excluded communities in Nepal.  According to National Census 2001, Dalits comprise 13 percent or 3 million population. This may have increased in the recently conducted census in 2011. They may be over 6 million. They are scattered across the country. We were unable to form one province for them. So we decided to have a state or they will be protected in all states. So far as the divisions of the state are concerned, they will be functional in future.

Sherpas Can Sustain Their Own States Too

LUCKY SHERPA, CA member

The recently presented report of the State Restructuring Commission is unacceptable to us as it denies an autonomous Sherpa State and Jadan state. Although the State Restructuring Committee of Constituent Assembly agreed to include Jadan and Sherpa Autonomous states in eastern and far western regions, I don’t understand why the commission decided to omit it. Like all other communities, it is unacceptable for Sherpa without an autonomous state with right to self determination.  Sherpa state has both economic viability as well as identity. Nepal’s Himalayas are generating enormous amounts of revenue and there are potentials for the construction of hydroelectricity projects here.  Hydroelectricity, herbs and tourism will generate enormous resources to sustain our province. We don’t want to be a part of any other province. This is a clear stand of all the Sherpa community.

Our people have already obstructed the presentation of the program. It was our symbolic gesture or opposition against the commission report. We are going to burn the copy of the report presented by the commission.  This commission has not given any mandate to touch the report finalized by the State Restructuring Committee of CA. The mandate of the commission was just to go through the report and improve it by working under it. We have already expressed our views to the leaders of different political parties and chairman of Constituent Assembly.

There is a conspiracy against the Sherpa Autonomous state.  If the state denies our rights, we are ready to take necessary steps to establish our rights. If all other communities have states, why can Sherpa community not have one?  It is a bias against the Sherpa people. We have our own culture, language and values. Our people will take revenge against those members who hatched a conspiracy against our provinces. We know who conspired against our demand. We will take revenge against them wherever they go.  We will launch a series of programs against the document. Our first phase program will be peaceful and we will hold various rallies in capital Kathmandu. In the second stage, we will hand over a memorandum to the concerned officials and CA chairman. If the state does not listen to our peaceful agitation, we will rebel against the state.

Sherpa Autonomous State is a reality now in Nepal. Our community has already started to work for it. We have land, resources, people and other necessary elements to sustain our own state. We also want a state with the right to self determination for the community. For the overall development of our region and protection of our culture, religion and social values, we need a separate state.  Demand of Autonomous Sherpa State was accepted by the Constituent Assembly. This is a sovereign body. I don’t think there is any supreme document there other than the document prepared by it.

The members of State Restructuring Commission are arguing that Sherpa State does not have economic capacity. If that is so, what economic capacity do other states have? Given the opportunity, Sherpa Autonomous State will also build its own capacity in a short span of time. Our Sherpa entrepreneurs and local people have already shown that they are more capable than others. For centuries, Sherpa communities had been oppressed and were denied their basic rights. Our mountains generated billions of rupees in revenues annually but the center rarely spent due shares of money for the promotion of our region. With the border with Tibetan Autonomous Region in the north, our state can also generate the financial resources needed to run the provinces.