The central government keeps 50% of the federal budget, and passes on the other 50% to all the states in direct proportion to their population.
The state government keeps 50% of the state budget, and passes on the other 50% to all the districts in direct proportion to their population.
The district government keeps 50% of the district budget, and passes on the other 50% to all the towns/villages in direct proportion to their population.
The state government is the only that gets to collect the sales tax. This will make sure all states compete to create the best possible environment for business.
For the national lower house, states get seats in direct proportion to their population. 300 seats total.
For the national upper house, there are 100 seats through proportional representation. Any party that gets at least 1% of the votes qualifies. A political party may not be armed. Other than that there will not be any disqualifiers. It is called the basic human right to peaceful assembly.
In this formula, it does not matter how you draw the federal map, as in it is okay to do it along ethnic, linguistic lines. Makes no material difference.
At this point my knowledge base is such that I am sure only about three states: Madhesh, Tharuwan, and Newa. That does not mean I am opposed to the other demarcations. It is just that I want the Janajatis to come forward on their own to suggest what they want.
People - read Pahadi Bahuns - who think in terms of a zero-sum game, in terms of a limited pie, are opposed to federalism. But we have to think in terms of a growing pie. Take one example of Dolpa. People feel sorry for Dolpa because it is in Karnali. But if Dolpa were to be allowed to keep half of all the tourist revenue it generates, it would be one of the richest districts in the country. What is going on now? The bureaucrats in Kathmandu end up keeping all that money. Federalism would be great for Dolpa.
It might look like Madhesh will be the largest state and hence will dominate. Not so. All the other states will have a major incentive to gang up against Madhesh if need be. Half of the Madhesh revenue goes to the central government where all states are represented. All states will be forced to work together to decide on what to do with all the shared revenue.
And if we were to put a major focus on transforming Nepal from an agricultural economy to a knowledge economy, then it is no longer true Madhesh will have the natural advantage. Then you are looking at a level playing field. Some of the hill station destinations might be best suited for the knowledge economy. It might not be Madhesh.
Let's use FM technology to that effect. 10 years of schooling through FM. Every evening for five hours nationwide, you should be able to tune in to any of the 10 class years. This way we are saying, we can't wait until we have enough teachers and school buildings. The future is now.
Bottomline, we have to think in terms of a growing pie. It is amazing to me how populated the Nepali diaspora is with prejudiced Pahadis who have been cooking up all sorts of unscientific arguments against federalism and the same has been consumed by the Kathmandu media like there were no tomorrow.
We have to move beyond those false arguments, and get busy with actually shaping the federalism in the most democratic way possible. It is so obvious to me we are going to have the ethnic states. Madhesh is going to be a state. That is for sure.
If you are not for ethnic federalism, you are in good company with me. I was not for it either before the Madhesi Movement. Joine me. Let go of your old prejudices. Grow your horizons. Federalism is okay, it is more than okay, it is great.
Janakpurdham, Thursday, February 22, 2007. Thousands of Madheshis chanted slogans demanding abolition of monarchy, constituency based on equal and average population. They appealed interim parliament to announce Nepal as a federal republic. Madheshis also demanded immediate resignation of home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, responsible for brutal suppression and killing of 38 Madheshis during Madheshi Adhikar Andolan.
Thousands of Madheshis today picketed in the square of Janaki Temple of Janakpur. The picketing was organized by Democratic Madheshi Society, Janakpur. The gathering also resolved seven following resolutions.
Resolution 1
Madheshi Adhikar Andolan (Madheshi People's Movement) is for equality and equal rights among Nepalese citizen. We need equality nothing less or more than it. The government is trying to denigrate this peaceful and just movement. Delaying the fulfillment of well justified and established demands of Madheshi people, the regime is trying to play fouls. Recent Bill proposed by the cabinet for the amendment of the interim constitution is ambiguous, which shows its discriminatory mentality among the rulers. This meeting condemns such mentality and strongly demands reconstruction of constituencies based on equal and average population for CA elections.
This meeting also appeals all the Madheshis MPs to act jointly in the advocacy of equal rights and be attentive and conscious in amendment proceedings in the Interim Parliament.
( Proposed by : Ex-Mayor of Janakpur Municipality and NC leader, Brikhesh Chandra Lal.)
Resolution 2
During the peaceful Madheshi Adhikar Andolan (Madheshi People's Movement), the government brutally and nastily tried to suppress Madheshi non-violent protesters. Unnecessary and unjustified arms were used on unarmed protestors by the Government's police. Peace loving Protestors form Dhanusha, Morang and Sarlahi were brutally killed by the communal agents backed by the Government. These irresponsible acts of the government have been closely watched by the UNCHR, Civil Society, and Other Neutral viewers and such animalistic activities have been condemned.
This meeting strongly demands the dismissal of the irresponsible Home Minister and right punishment to other concerned officials of the Government.
( Proposed by : Ex-Chairman of DDC Dhanusha and NCD President, Dhanusha, Ram Saroj Yadava)
Resolution 3
During the Madheshi People's Movement, the protestors were brutally handled. The police were forcibly entered in the houses and mercilessly beat women and children. But so called Human Right Activists were nowhere. Rather they tried to cover misdeeds of Police and security forces. They also tried to blame baselessly such peaceful mass movement as communal riots.
This meeting condemns such prejudice and communal mentality as well as appeals the National and International genuine Human Right Activists to identify and be aware of such people and organizations.
( Proposed by : Ratneshwar Goit, Alternate Central Committee Member, CPN UML)
Resolution 4
Monarchy in Nepal has always been the centre of feudalistic activities and has exploited the Nepalese people. Killings, sabotaging, conspiracy, and power-lust have been its characteristics. Nepalese have always been compelled to fight against the monarchy for their civic rights and democracy. Monarchy is still sabotaging and working against democracy and the achievement of popular movement–II. Kings unauthorized and unconstitutional message on the Falgun 7th (19, Feb 2007) is the proof.
We hereby demand immediate abolition of Monarchy and establishment of FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF NEPAL.
( Proposed by : Mrs. Minakhsi Jha, DEMAS, Janakpur.)
Resolution 5
We the participants of this mass meeting, appeal all individuals as well as organizations working for the Madheshi Rights to act jointly with mutual coordination and cooperation. A joint front for this noble cause is essential, this meeting appeals all the concerned to move forward for the formation of the needful association.
( Proposed by : Nirmal Kumar Chaudhary, Chairman Chamber of Commerce, Janakpur.)
Resolution 6
Bomb blast in the historic, religious and traditional festival of Mithila Bihari Parikrama in Marai VDC of Mahottary District is an attack on Madheshi religious belief and traditional culture. We condemn this barbaric act.
Due to lack of responsibility and accountability, proper security arrangements could not been made during such an important and religious event. This shows the ill attitude of the present rulers and administrators. This is a conspiracy against Madheshi Culture. We warn, those who are responsible, to stop such activities instantly.
We Madheshi are proud of our Great Martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Madheshi Rights during the peaceful Movement against Khas Hegemony. We honor them and promise to perform all efforts for the achievements they wished. Wishing peace for the great SOULS, we collectively express our cordial condolences to their families.
( Proposed by : Er. Satya Narayan Shah, Civic Society Janakpur.)
There was an intense heated argument between me and Pramod Sitaula and it was tit for tat most of the way. The tit has been slightly misreported. The tat has gone unreported. His roommate joined in. Later he also was joined by a former president of the America Nepal Friendship Society whose name I forget, whose final threat to me was that he was no longer going to read my blog. He kept using the word "madisey," I kept telling him I wanted to teach him something his parents never did, that the word was like the n-word in America, and he should say Madhesi instead, and finally I gave up and gave him the finger, verbally speaking. That threw him off balance.
Pramod Sitaula never mentioned my beautiful teeth, although he did at one point say if only it were Nepal and not New York and left the sentence dangling at that. He might have a point. New York City ma kun Bahun ko ke nai aukat chha ra? New York State Democratic Party CoChair David Pollak who is one of Eliot Spitzer's closest people who is a future president some say is a friend of mine. Which Bahun in the city comes even remotely close to that kind of a political pedigree? Anand Bist does not know anyone in the City Council. There is not even a consolation prize for him.
That Anand Bist called me up after the event is a total lie. He never called. We did not even talk at the event, although I would have welcomed the exchange. At one point he was standing with great unease as I sparred below the belt with his roommate Pramod Sitaula, the barking dog of the local Nepali Congress establishment.
I think it is disrespectful to talk of me as just a blogger. My blog is not journalism, and it is way more than activism. It is leadership. Correlate my utterances since February 2005 to what ends up happening in Nepal, and let me know if I have mattered consistently to the political conversation at the highest levels.
Case in point, this email from Madhav Nepal yesterday.
Shri Paramendra Bhagat Ji ,
Namaskar !
Dherai Din pachhi I am writing to you or responding to you Sorry for that . The actual reason is that I developed a bad habit of not finding time to go through the mails .But today I here in Bangkok on my way to Seoul for the participation in the meeting of Standing com. of ICAPP -find time to the mails esp.ly Yours . So I am going to respond shortly.
Firstly ,I have to thank you very much for your thought-provocking views. Only few people give such a views . Only a few dedicate to such a level as you .
Secondly, Being an intellectual of high calibre you have to cover all things in a broader prospective .
Your dedication and concentration is envying me .
As for your many views , we need to have a detailed discussion. But I have to beg pardon from you that I can not discuss with you over the mail or chat .Because of lack of time , slow speed , my lazyness. Sorry for that . Dhanyabad feri pani . Tapai kai
M.K.Nepal
Hello.
Most of what Pramod Sitaula said were naked expressions of Pahadi Bahun prejudice. But then you get the same these days in the guest columns of NepalNews.com, a publication that has consistently refused to publish my articles.
The so-called Madhesi Movement was a law and order problem. It was never political.
Madhesis are Indians. At most they can get green cards.
Federalism is unnecessary. A lot of thought has gone into the districts, zones, and the developent regions, and they should be maintained.
We are also Madhesi. Girija is also Madhesi.
Madhesis are not in the army because they don't apply. Same with government jobs.
There are so many Madhesi engineers and doctors. Why do you need to be part of the state apparatus? Why don't you complain the Sherpas dominate the trekking industry?
Who were the two Maoists at the event? I did not notice. I don't know them. I would not recognize them if I saw them. And good for me. Who wants the FBI tapping your phones?
Momo. One good thing I learned in the almost a decade and a half spent in Kathmandu. I broke the rule and got myself at least five servings when only one was allowed. That was on top of everything else that was offered. The meal was the best part of the evening, it was not Pramod Sitaula.
And, yes, this ridiculous Democracy Day has to be replaced by a Republic Day.
My lingering thought is what would it take for me to get published by the Kathmandu media like a Kashish?
NEW YORK - A diverse group of Nepalis gathered to mark ‘democracy day’ on 19 February. Madhu Raman Acharya, Nepal’s ambassador to the US and permanent representative at Nepal’s mission to the United Nations in New York, and his wife Geeta hosted the event at the popular Yak Restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens.
“Quite the statement, wasn’t it?” he says, ushering us in. The ambassador maintains a neutral reputation here in New York, but some still view him sceptically as he was appointed to this office just days before the king’s planned attendance at the UN General Assembly in 2005. He is presumably well liked by his bosses back home too—he once said that he “does what [he is] told to do.”
Although many had complained at another Nepali gathering last year that 7 Falgun can’t be considered ‘democracy day’, the variety and number of people who accepted Acharya’s invitation was remarkable. The frail looking man wearing old sneakers, pajamas and a long sweater is Shail Upadhya, who is as close as a Nepali has come to being a celebrity in New York. The retired UN official has long been a resident of New York and is famous here for his colourful and eccentric fashion designing. At New York Fashion Week earlier this month, he was at ease, always in the front row, mingling with top designers and models, and speaking to journalists curious about his polka dot suits. Here, though, he’s just an elderly retired Nepali diplomat. “I want to listen to what these guys are saying, I heard them mention Girija Prasad Koirala,” he says, pointing towards a heated debate between political activist Paramendra and another pro-democracy Nepali. (The prime minister is one of Shail ji’s less favourite uncles.)
Paramendra, the full-time blogger behind the DFN site, is no longer lauded for his pro-democracy work, but taken to task for his recent radical posts on the madhesi issue. “I rang him the very next morning and told him to take those words back. Who the hell is he to say that and divide the country?”, fumes devoted NC cadre Anand Bista of the Nepalese Democratic Youth Council in the US. I find out later that the conversation has taken a nasty turn, with Paramendra being told that had the discussion taken place in Nepal rather than New York, his teeth would not be so firmly in his mouth any more.
No conversation gets very far here. Kamal Pande, another long-time resident, interrupts to ask us whether we didn’t think that a recent program to make Nepal a Hindu country again had been excellent. “The Indian guest speakers were great,” he adds, “they really want to help us.” A man dressed like a minister latches right on and says he’d give up his life for the cause. Knowing how comfortable Sher Gadtaula is, it seems unlikely.
The owner of Yak Restaurant, Sonam Lama, will tell anyone who will listen that, contrary to reports on fursad.com, he is not a drug smuggler or a trafficker of people or involved in the Mongolian Heart illegal immigration controversy. Meanwhile, a young man from Queens whose face bears a startling resemblance to those of his uncles, King Gyanendra and the late King Birendra, looks out of place and strained. On the other hand, the two Maoists who apparently have shown up seem perfectly comfortable.
The end of the gathering is rather more predictable than the conversations earlier, no teeth broken and no slogans chanted. Everyone agrees on some things: that the chicken chilli, choila, alu dum, momo achar were overly spicy. And that we all deserve more than three momos apiece.
Ram Manohar Sah: Madhesh Integration into Nepal: Historical Case & Context
A Short exploration of how Madhesh (East to West) was integrated into Nepal
Vijaypur Kingdom ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “The Kingdom of Vijayapur was conquered by King Prithvi Narayan Shah in July 1774. This Kindom was situated between the Koshi river in the west and the Tista river n the east. It possessed territories nothe in the hill regions (the modern disctricts of Dhankuta, Panchthar, Taplejung, Tarhathum and Sankhuwa-Sabha) and the Tarai (the modern districts of Morang, Sunsari and Jhapa). After it was annexed by King Prithivi Narayan Shah, the Kingdom of Vijayapur was split into two administrative units with headquarters in Chainpur and Morang, for the hill territoeies and the Tarai respectively. On the eve of the Gorkhali conquest of Morang, the area appears to have been devastated by famine. Nepali source materials are not available to indicate the extent of the devastation in Morang, but conditions across the border, in Furnea, are revealing.” Source
This also shows, how the seperatism move was first started by Prithivinarayan Shah.
Saptari & Morang ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “The message brought by Dinanath Upadhyaya was presented before the Governor-General's Council. At the meeting, the Company government decided that it would give up its claim to the Tarai regions of Ambarpur and Vijayapur, i.e. Saptari and Morang districts, in case the Nepal government undertook to ban the entry into its territory of armed Nagas who plundered people in the area from Hardwar to Dinajpur. An agreement along these lines was actually concluded between the Nepal government and the East India Company. The Company government felt satisfied when the areas ravaged by the Naga bandits inside its territories were resettled.” Source
Parsa & Rauthat ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “For three years, Nepal continued sending a 21-feet tall elephant to the British. As elephants of the height were not available in the forests, in subsequent years Nepal sent an elephants of a height of approximately 19 feet. At first, the British raised objection to this. But when Dinanath Upadhyaya produced an agreement signed between Nawab Mohawat Jung and Ram Narayan, which provided for the presentation of and elephants of that height, the English officer, George Vansittart, agreed to accept such an elephant annually. The dispute over Parsa and Rautahat was thus finally settled. Warren Hastings, the new governor General of the Birtish East India Company, accepted Nepal's sovereignty over the Tarai” Source
Makwanpur ~~~~~~~~~~ “In 1738, Prithvi had a humiliating experience over the arrangement of his first marriage to the princess of Makwanpur. The angry boy had returned without the bride, Indrakumari, because of ego clashes with the bride’s brother, Digbandhan Sen, and en route to Gorkha, had secretly come to take a look at the Nepal valley.” Source
The above document doesn’t talk about futher course, when King Prithivinarayan Shah betrayed King of Makwanpur, and take away the kingdom. King Prithivinarayan leveraged his marital relationship with capture Makwanpur
Naya Mulk (Banke, Bardia, Kailali and Kanchanpur) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “East India Company (EIC) could not return the monitory loan it got from Nepal immediately because of the economic crisis following the mutiny. In stead, it returned 5 districts through a 1860 Treaty with Nepal” Source
Declare there will be proportional elections. Say there could be 300 slots. Each party would go in with a list. The list would have reservations. Every third name must be female, two of every three of those must be Dalit, Madhesi, Janajati women. Two of every five names must be Dalit, Madhesi, Janajati.
If these two things could be done, the Madhesi Janajati Movement would find a way to pour all its energies into the elections to the constituent assembly. Right now they do not have that option. And we are on the verge of April Kranti III, Madhesi Movement II, Janajati Movement I.
We have only a day or two. If the government does not go for these two steps, the final revolution will come out into the streets, and then Krishna Sitaula's resignation is going to become irrelevant. Then Girija himself will have to go. The revolution will only conclude with the declaration of a federal republic, and a reorganization of the interim government and the interim parliament.
Day-II bandh hits Tarai life Himalayan Times Academic institutions, business houses and shops remained closed, while vehicles stayed off roads in Siraha. Lahan, Mirchaiya, Golbazaar and Siraha bazaars wore a deserted look. In Bara, most shops and academic institutions in Kalaiya were shut. Cadres of the JTMM-Goit seized an official of Diprox Development Bank, Lekh Nath Poudel, from Pattarhatti VDC in Bara. They have accused Poudel of defying the bandh. While vehicles remained off the roads in Saptari, educational institutions remained shut. In Rautahat, shops in Gaur, Garuda, Katahariya, Samanpur and Gangapipara remained closed. The effect of the bandh was partial in Janakpur. Nepal's Maoists give up nearly 3500 weapons - UN Reuters US in Nepal: Moriarty Would Welcome Maoists to Democratic Mainstream United We Blog, Nepal Nepal govt to discipline king Daily Times, Pakistan Nepal: Clashes between refugees and locals leave one refugee dead ... ReliefWeb (press release), Switzerland
Barack Obama Draws Large Crowds In Urban Areas CBS 5 'I trust him' -- standoffish Iowans flocking to ObamaChicago Sun-Times Statehouse Yields Clues to ObamaWall Street Journal (subscription) Detour From High Road in Clinton-Obama Clash New York Times Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has drawn Mr. Obama onto a muddy political field, engaging him in a back-and-forth that recalls the kind of Washington bickering Mr. Obama has decried ....... when it came to tallying the final score on the most intense engagement so far in the 2008 presidential race, even Mr. Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, seemed to acknowledge that he may have been outmaneuvered ......... Mr. Obama said he had been on a red-eye flight, getting a haircut and taking his daughters to school as the fight broke out, and strongly suggested he had told his aides he wanted to stay above the fray. ....... I want to make sure that we’re spending time talking about issues ..... we have to be careful not to slip into playing the game as it customarily is played ..... some voters would view her as driven more by tactical war-room politics than by the domestic and foreign policy issues they are most concerned about. ....... persistent questions about Mrs. Clinton’s electability. .... Clinton, backed by a cadre of aggressive advisers who have weathered a decade of some of the toughest political fights imaginable ....... big contributors would be honored with limo rides with the new president while those who wrote checks to, say, Mr. Obama could give up their dreams of access. ........ “You are either with us or you’re against us ..... Mrs. Clinton would meet one-on-one with prominent donors, for instance, and make clear that she wanted their support exclusively. Some elected officials in New Hampshire, meanwhile, said they were told that their early support would matter more to the Clintons than an endorsement down the road. ......... Their aggressiveness is not going over well with everyone ...... we the electorate earn the right to a vigorous debate Clinton, Obama camps mix it up verballyCNN Media Fixated On Obama-Clinton Fight U.S. News & World Report Clinton Draws a Line in the Sand over IraqZNet Clinton has drawn the line in the sand over Iraq. She will not admit that her vote to authorize Bush to use military force in a unilateral, unprovoked war based on lies was a mistake. She is open to a military strike on Iran. Her latest message to voters: "There are others to choose from." Will voters accept Hillary Clinton's nonapology?Yahoo! News Maoists have 30852 combatants and 3428 weapons: UNMIN NepalNews Maoists, MJF activists clash in Bhairahawa At least six activists of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (MJF) were injured in a clash with the activists of Maoist-affiliated Madhesi Mukti Morcha (MMM) in the Bhairahawa Friday. ..... around 150 activists of MMM intervened into a mass meeting of the MJF and beat up MJF activists. .... MMM activists disrupted the mass meet, which was scheduled to be addressed by the MJF chairman Yadav and others. ...... After the incident, irate MJF activists also vandalised two vehicles used by Maoist cadres for the publicity of their mass meeting to be held in Butwal on Saturday. Maoist chairman Prachanda is scheduled to address the mass meeting. Moriarty concerned over Maoist combatants leaving camps PM Koirala meets chief of UNMIN One killed in refugees, locals clash Prachanda wants to pre-empt regression by declaring republicthe issue of constituent assembly has now been overshadowed and that the interim parliament should declare republic right away ...... the country no longer needs to wait for CA to decide on issues like the fate of monarchy. ...... his party will soon table a proposal to this effect in the parliament. ..... Referring to recent unrest in Madhes and upsurge of demands on ethnic rights, Prachanda said the country was witnessing the last-ditch effort by the counter-revolutionaries who he said had stolen the slogans belonging to the revolutionaries. ..... "There is a calculated conspiracy to tarnish the image of Maoists in Madhes," he said. ...... addressed public in Biratnagar and Janakpur where he made attempts to pacify the Madhesi crowd by reiterating that the Maoists had not abandoned their cause for autonomy with the right to self-determination. ....... The expansion of organisations like Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) and the sudden arrival of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) have served to aggravate Maoist anxiety that "more revolutionary-sounding" movements were displacing them from the region. The fact that the MJF and JTMM are being spearheaded by the very persons who were once under the Maoist umbrella has furthered their 'fear and hatred.' ........ the MJF has been continuously demanding the resignation of Home Minister Krishna Sitaula – who is not only the Man Friday of Prime Minister Koirala but also a darling to the Maoist leadership - as a pre-condition for talks. It was, therefore, not unnatural when Maoist MPs came to his defense when lawmakers of Nepali Congress (NC) party themselves asked for Sitaula's resignation at the parliament. India ready to help Nepal peace process: Mukherjee Demands for Autonomy: What Is the Viable Solution? all the 85% of the Nepalese who live in rural areas are marginalised and deprived of exercising the fundamental rights in one way or another. Then why is this hue and cry for special preferences for Terai or Limbuwan or Magarat or Khas people? Knowingly or unknowingly, the people in Nepal are now divided into two major categories – those preferring to support the status quo with some changes in the political structure, and those strongly advocating for federal system of governance. Experiences have shown that as federal involvement has grown, problems have developed, because there are no generally accepted criteria to define and limit the federal role. .......... Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. ...... autonomy may increase group cohesion, capacity, and willingness to act, assisting groups in mobilising resources and maximising the political opportunity structures of a minority group. ........ when members of a formerly dominant or majority group suddenly find themselves in a situation of becoming a minority in the new unit, as in the case of Serbs in Bosnia. ....... There is high risk of creation of new minority in most parts of Nepal if territorial autonomy is granted. ..... in Malaysia where Singapore was expelled from the federation because of rising racial tension ..... internal conflict may lead a federation to collapse entirely, as occurred in Nigeria, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, the United Provinces of Central America and the West Indies Federation. ........ The possibility of attaining autonomy may provide a focal point for groups that would not otherwise display strong levels of mobilization. ........ If the rooms are closed for more pragmatic approach, a strategy more likely to result in non-violent compromise, there is risk of worsening of the situation. ....... as in the cases of Kavery and Krishna Rivers in India in which Tamilnadu has been confronting from many years with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh respectively. ...... In the case of Terai, the people are exploited, suppressed and marginalised not because of the so called invaders from the Hills, but from the traitorous landlords and deceitful politicians from the same Terai community, as expressed by Shailendra Sukla, “the brutal exploitation of lower class Madhesis were totally from the upper class Madhesis rather than from any Parbate. Compared to the Madhesi land owners, jamindars, and marwari businessman, most of the Parbates in are pitiful folks, trying just to survive”. ........ the failure of the Confederation States of America, USSR, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia-Montenegro, New Yugoslavia), Federation of Malaya, Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Federal Republic of Cameroon, Czechoslovakia, Uganda and many others ....... Ethnic minorities may obtain guaranteed representation in governing structures through consociational institutions or through minimum representation quotas for the group in parliament and other governing bodies. Conociational government requires that ethnic groups be allocated a degree of autonomy, although this allocation usually takes a symmetrical form – meaning that groups are granted power to the same degree. Minority groups can obtain significant level of representation without formal autonomy structures under electoral systems of proportional representation. In Romania and Slovakia, the Hungarian parties have been able to incorporate themselves into the governing coalitions by serving as crucial “swing parties.” They have thus been able to amplify the expression of their interests beyond their demographic percentages (11 percent and 7 percent of the respective populations). ......... Cooperative Federalism can be another prominent alternative ...... The difference between federalism and unitary state is that in the latter, the autonomous status of self-governing regions exists by the sufferance of the central government, and may be unilaterally revoked. ...... The political system of the People's Republic of China is worth mentioning here, which may be instrumental in finding some ways out of the present crises in Nepal. China is regarded by some as a de facto although not de jure federation, the central government sets up general economic policy and goals, and leaves the implementation to provincial governments. WB discusses interim strategy to support Nepal peace process ADB extends grant to improve livelihood of poor farmers ANNISU-R padlocks OEC demanding increase of SLC centres No law to punish King: legal experts Interim parliament will declare Nepal a republic: Prachanda Sitaula urges Maoist combatants to return to camps Thakur committee again invites MJF, NFIN for talks CA polls will have two ballot papers, boxes Bandhs paralyse life in various districts House approves 14 parliamentarian committees
JTMM called bandh affects normal life NepalNews Life in most of the Terai districts was crippled on Wednesday in the first day of the three day Terai bandh called by the Jay Krishna Goit faction of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morha (JTMM). ..... The faction demanded the bandh demanding to announce the region as Terai autonomous state. ..... Academic institutions, factories, market areas remained closed in the region, while all the vehicles remained off the road in Saptari and Dhanusa districts. .... The faction torched two vehicles on the eve of the bandh. ..... a report from Baglunj said 13 agitating indigenous bodies in Baglunj have announced Gandaki and Dhaulagiri bandh for Thursday to pressurise the government to fulfill their 20-point demands.
Govt appeals to Maoist combatants not to leave camps Kantipur Devyani to tie the knot Re-establishing law and order a priority: Sundh Bandas in various parts of the country cripple life the banda called by the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) in the Gandaki and Dhaulagiri zones. ..... Baglung market is completely closed with all educational institutions, transport services and government offices remaining shut. ..... Pokhara, daily life has been affected badly. Both long- and short-distance transportation services have been halted and schools and colleges are shut down. ...... another strike called by the Nuwakot Chamber of Commerce ..... Bidur ..... life in various districts of eastern Terai remained crippled on the second day of the three-day banda called by the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha-Goit (JTMM-Goit). ..... headquarters of the districts Bara, Saptari, Siraha and Sarlahi. ..... There are hardly any signs of vehicles in most of the highways, with all educational institutions shut down and only a few shops open. Maoist combatants continue to leave camps; some return Maoists breached arms pact: UN Strike closes Bhrikuti paper factory Over 80,000 new voters in Sunsari Sunsari district will see a total of 484,274 people casting their vote in the upcoming constitution assembly election. The figure includes 80,500 new people added to the voters' list in the three municipalities and 49 VDCs of the district. Parliament directs govt to take action against king UN begins arms, armies registration in Kathmandu Nine student unions demand action against king MPRF to wait until Feb 25 before launching peaceful strikes the MPRF will continue with peaceful demonstrations with greater intensity. ..... MPRF Vice Chairman Kishore Kumar Biswash said, "The demands raised by the Madhesi Peoples should be fulfilled by amending the interim constitution as soon as possible," adding that the problems in the country couldn't be resolved through the mixed electoral system. ....... He further said that the parliament should declare Nepal a republic state as soon as possible. ...... warned that if the eight political parties continue with its tyrannical ways, another civil war could breakout in the country. दल दर्ता प्रावधान फर्ेन माग छलफलमा सहभागी जनमोचर्ँ, नेमकिपा, राप्रपा, सद्भावना, जनशक्ति लगायतका पार्टर्ीी प्रतिनिधिले दस हजार मतदाताको हस्ताक्ष्ँर चाहिने प्रावधान नया“ दल खोल्न पाउने प्रजातान्त्रिक अधिकारविपरीत रहेको बताए । मस्यौदामा एक स्थान वा समानुपातिक निर्वाचनमा एक प्रतिशत मत प्राप्त नगरे, आयोगलाई बुझाउनुपर्ने कागजात तोकिएको समयमा नबुझाए दलको दर्ता खारेज हुने व्यवस्था छ । दलहरूले आफ्नो आयव्ययको लेखापरीक्षण अनिवार्य गराउनुपर्ने छ । राजालाई कारबाही गर्न संसद्को निर्देशन दुइ समूहबीच गोली हानाहान माओवादीको क्षँेत्रीय-जातीय महासंघ संघीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र स्थापनाका लागि सत्र वटा मोचार् लाई महासंघमा समेटिएको छ । .... देव गुरुङको संयोजकत्वमा गठित महासंघको नाम 'जातीय क्ष्ँेत्रीय, गणतान्त्रिक महासंघ' ..... गणतन्त्रको अविलम्ब घोषणा, जातीय, क्ष्ँेत्रीय, संघीय राज्य, आत्मनिर्ण्र्ााो अधिकारको आधारमा स्वायत्तता, समानुपातिक निर्वाचन ...... मधेसी, सेती-महाकाली, कर्ण्ााली, थारू, मगर, गुरुङ, नेवार, तामाङ, किरा“त, लामा, शर्ेपा, थामी, चेपाङ, दनुवार, माझी, कोचिला र कुमालको राष्ट्रिय मोर्चालाई महासंघमा समावेश बालबालिकाको प्रयोग र भर्ती कायमै ः राष्ट्रसंघ सरकारद्वारा सैनिक अदालतको फैसला बदर मोर्चालाई ५ लाख चन्दा नदि“दा शिक्षक बिस्थापित निर्वाचनबारे आयोगले विकल्प दिने सम्झौता उल्लंघन जन्डिसका कारणहरू निर्वाचन प्रतिनिधित्व ः दर्ुइ प्रमुख विकल्प मधेसी आन्दोलनको प्रमुख माग पनि समुचित राजनीतिक प्रतिनिधित्व र सांस्कृतिक पहिचानको सम्मान नै हो । उपयुक्त निर्वाचन पद्धतिले यी दुवै मुद्दालाई सम्बोधन गर्न सक्छ, भलै यसबाहेक अन्य धेरै मुद्दा पनि थाती छन् । ..... समानुपातिक प्रतिस्पर्धाका लागि दलहरूको सूचीमा माथिल्ला दर्ुइ उम्मेदवारमा एउटा महिला, अथवा माथिल्ला चार उम्मेदवारमा दर्ुइ महिला यस्तै गरेर राख्नुपर्ने प्रावधान राख्न सकिन्छ, जसअनुसार दलहरूको सूचीबाट जित्ने करिब ५० प्रतिशत सिटमा महिला निश्चित रूपमा हुनेछन् । यसैगरी अन्य समूहका लागि, उदाहरणका लागि कुनै विशेष समूहका लागि, माथिल्ला पा“च उम्मेदवारमा एउटा प्रतिनिधि अथवा माथिल्ला दस उम्मेदवारमा एउटा प्रतिनिधि राख्नुपर्ने आदिको व्यवस्था गर्न सकिन्छ । ..... एउटा मतपत्र वा दर्ुइवटा मतपत्र राख्ने, मतपत्रमा राजनीतिक दलको नाममात्र राख्ने कि सबै उम्मेदवारको नाम राख्ने, कसरी समावेशी बनाउने आदि । यी मुद्दाबारे पनि क्रमिक छलफल हुनु जरुरी छ । राजाको दुस्साहसिक रहर मधेसी आन्दोलन र प्रधानमन्त्रीको सम्बोधन
House asks govt to take action against King; Sitaula says PM will take necessary decision NepalNews 3000 PLA men leave cantonment; UN concerned UN reports appalling situation of children during conflict Unidentified gang shoots two persons in the capital Worst and best experiences for Nepali media in 2006: Report Prachanda sees calculated conspiracies against Maoists in MadhesMaoist chairman Prachanda has accused that royalists and foreign elements had hatched conspiracies against Maoists in Madhes. Addressing the public gathering in Barhabigha ground in Janakpur, Tuesday, Prachanda accused that the Americans had hatched conspiracy against Maoists in Janakpur, reports Kantipur daily. ..... "Royalists and imperialists are engaged in spreading rumors that Maoists stand against people of Madhes," Prachanda said, adding, "There is a conspiracy to displace Maoists – who had raised demands for right to self determination and self rule - from Madhes." ..... Prachanda along with his senior comrade Dr. Baburam Bhattarai is currently touring Madhes region. War over; victims still waiting for justice Dialogue for Integrated and Affluent Nepal The 20-day Madheshi movement beginning from 19 January 2007 has been unparallel in Nepal's history. Neither during the 1990 movement against the Panchayat system nor in the 2006 April revolution, was the life of the country as much crippled as during this time. The major political factions of Terai, including Madheshi Janadhikar Forum, Nepal Sadbhavana Party (A), and Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (Goit), and Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (Jwala Singh) had been the key players in this movement. ...... the Terai movement appeared to be organised. .... for the first time in Terai history that the people joined the movement and exhibited rare solidarity for their right cause forgetting the feelings of castes, creed, gender, etc. ..... The main demands of the agitating groups have been: (a) establishment of federal system of governance and regional autonomy with rights to self-determination; (b) proportional representation according to population in the Constituent Assembly; and (c) representation of Madheshi people in state organs and programmes during the transition period. ....... high level probe team is not constituted to investigate the killings of Madheshis and the Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula has not resigned. ....... Dozens of Madheshis have been killed and hundreds of them have become wounded and crippled. ...... a white paper on the Terai unrest prepared by Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) shows that 20 days of unrest in Terai cost the economy nearly Rs. 29 billion in losses. This included a loss of Rs. 2.50 billion on exports and Rs. 7.45 billion on imports. There was also a loss of Rs. 18.64 billion in industrial production due to the transportation closure, closure of industries and shortage of raw materials. In addition to the severe loss to agricultural sector, there was also a loss of revenue to the tune of Rs. 5 billion. ........ In Eretria, an African country, it took three long years to come out with constitution as the people at the grass roots were involved more in constitution making process than the so called experts. Unseen Consequences and Utopia of Federal Systemto pacify the ongoing Madhesi andolan, the current government was compelled to promise a utopian federal system without any homework and realistic assessment of the country’s geo-political situation. ....... The announcement came just as a political reaction to the mass that had shaken the foundation of the current Loktantrik government. Decentralisation suddenly became an obsolete policy and federal system is taking shape. ...... Tomorrow if Nepal follows the federal system, how will it manage its resources, income and trade revenues and issues related to complex caste system and ethnic diversity? ...... Nepal is just crawling towards the implementation of VAT, introduction of any new system would rather destabilise the whole system of revenue generation. Also the ambiguity of bifurcation of the revenues for both national and state government from the tax payers will remain importunate and cumbersome. ........ apart from Terai region, the rest of the country is not that appropriate for industrial and agricultural development ...... Kaberi river which originates from Karnataka and flows through Tamil Nadu. These two states have been fighting legal battle for their water rights. Also, some western states of the United States like Washington , Colorado , Wyoming and California have been facing similar problems. ....... where its people speak more than 100 different languages, how will this system establish a regional harmony? This conflict will further escalate the local, regional and national tension ...... Even in the US history, African American communities have always been discriminated. After the World War II, the GI bill was passed by the US congress giving financial opportunity only to the white war veterans. African Americans remained deprived although they fought equally in the World War. Even though they are discriminated and deprived, none of the African Americans have asked for separate state or territory for their sake. ......... economic and other opportunities are in a way being taken away by the people who migrated from India- the Marwari in the business level and Halkhor (a lower caste migrating from India in search of better quality of life), in the labor level. ...... Nepal may remain a sovereign country in the map but, politically and socially it might lose its foothold to the friendly neighbor. ...... To add insult to these injuries, the current uncontrolled distribution of citizenship has created a situation where these immigrants from the south are more likely to get citizenship. ...... under the federal system Nepal as a country will not be able to take substantial benefits from its resources.
Faced with hunger, combatants threaten to walk out of campsunless they are provided with basic essentials like food. ...... Bibidh, the commander of Third Division of People's Liberation Army camped in Shaktihkor, Chitwan, threatened that the combatants will start venturing out of the camp from Wednesday in search of jobs. ....... he had been continuously requesting for the support to the government, and had informed of their plight to the Maoist party and the UN also. ...... on Wednesday around 2000 combatants will leave the camp and within a week 4500 combatants will have left it. The Shaktikhor camp has 6000 combatants. The remaining 1500, however, will be kept there for security. ....... till now the government has provided Rs 45 million to their camp. He added that they already have incurred debts crossing further Rs 45 million. ..... he had given up hopes that the Maoist party would be joining interim government. He said the interim parliament, which could not declare a republic, was also ending up as a venue to shout and debate without being able to resolve any problems. ..... The Finance Ministry is said to have already provided Rs 390 million for the upkeep of combatants and development of basic facilities at the seven cantonment sites. Clarify government’s stance on King’s message: Sharma Eight parties ‘agree’ to give voting right to temporary residents Registration of combatants outside cantonments to start from Wednesday Koirala meets with Mukherjee, Army Chief
