Though Nepal has been declared secular republic since 2006, slaughtering cow, considered holy by Hindus (the majority populace of Nepal) and symbolized as the national animal is still outlawed. This is reminiscent of continuing dominance of Hindu values in Nepal's legal system that once codified indigenous peoples into hierarchical Hindu caste system entrenching discrimination against them. Nepal's indigenous peoples organizations' umbrella body NEFIN has demanded respectful release of Sherpa and announced of holding protests in Kathmandu and throughout the country against continuing the law through a new legislation being introduced next week. See NEFIN press releases in (Khas) Nepali language at
Showing posts with label NEFIN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NEFIN. Show all posts
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) General Secretary held in cow-slaughter scandal
26 June, Kathmandu - Police on Sunday arrested Ang Kaji Sherpa, General Secretary of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) - umbrella body of Nepal's indigenous peoples' organization who had gone to the police station to inquire about four individuals arrested earlier for cow slaughter in Kathmandu. See http://www.ekantipur.com/2011/06/26/top-story/cow-slaughter-scandal-nefin-gen-secy-sherpa-held/336333.html
Friday, February 18, 2011
Nepal's Indigenous Peoples Federation to hold national conference
18 February 2011
Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) will organize a two-day national conference in Kathmandu from 21-22 February to work out common issues of indigenous peoples to ensure their rights in the new constitution of the country. "The national conference will prepare a common concept paper of rights of indigenous peoples and their popular issues that Nepal's new constitution should ensure," according to a statement on NEFIN website. It further states that NEFIN will then press to get the concept paper addressed in the new constitution. The conference will be attended by representatives 56 indigenous groups' organizations of Nepal and NEFIN affiliated district and village facilitation councils and indigenous peoples' organizations. Nepal's Prime Minister will inaugurate the program.
Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) will organize a two-day national conference in Kathmandu from 21-22 February to work out common issues of indigenous peoples to ensure their rights in the new constitution of the country. "The national conference will prepare a common concept paper of rights of indigenous peoples and their popular issues that Nepal's new constitution should ensure," according to a statement on NEFIN website. It further states that NEFIN will then press to get the concept paper addressed in the new constitution. The conference will be attended by representatives 56 indigenous groups' organizations of Nepal and NEFIN affiliated district and village facilitation councils and indigenous peoples' organizations. Nepal's Prime Minister will inaugurate the program.
| दुई दिने बृहत राष्ट्रिय सम्मेलनमा संम्बन्धि जारी ...... |  |  |  |
| Friday, 18 February 2011 04:21 |
मिति २०६७÷११÷६ नेपाल आदिवासी जनजाति महासंघको फागुन ९ र १० गते दुई दिने बृहत राष्ट्रिय सम्मेलनमा संम्बन्धि जारी प्रेस विज्ञप्ती उपरोक्त सम्बन्धमा संविधानमा सुनिश्चित गर्नु पर्ने आदिवासी जनजातिका अधिकार लगायत आदिवासी जनजातिका साझा सवालहरु संम्बन्धि साझा अवधारण तयार पार्ने र तयार भएको अवधारणपत्रलाई संविधानमा संम्बोधनका लागि दवाबकारी भूमिका निर्वाह गर्ने उदेश्यले आदिवासी जनजाति महासंघले ५६ जातिय संस्था ७ संम्बन्धन ६८ जिल्ला समन्वय परिषद र ३५०० गाउँ समन्वय परिषदहरुको प्रतिनिधि तथा आदिवासी जनजाती संघसस्थांहरुको सहभागितामा दुई दिने बृहत राष्ट्रिय सम्मेलन आयोजना गरेकोछ । वृहत् राष्ट्रिय सम्मेलनको उदघाटन सम्माननीय प्रधानमन्त्री झलनाथ खनालले गर्नु हुनेछ । उक्त राष्ट्रिय सम्मेलनलाई संम्बोधनका लागि समाननिय सभाध्यक्ष सुभाष चन्द्र नेम्वाङ एकिकृत नेकपा माओवादी उपाध्यक्ष डा। बाबुराम भट्टराई नेपाली काग्रेस वरिष्ठ नेता भू।पू। प्रधानमन्त्री शेरबहादुर देउवा राष्ट्रिय जनशक्ती पार्टीको अध्यक्ष भू।पू प्रधानमन्त्री सूर्य वहादुर थापा राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टीका अध्यक्ष पशुपति शमशेर जबरा मधेसी जनअधिकार फोरमा लोकतान्त्रिकका अध्यक्ष विजय कुमार गच्छेदार मधेशी जनअधिकार फोरम नेपाल अध्यक्ष उपेन्द्र यादव लगायत अतिथि वक्ताहरुले आमन्त्रित गरिएकोछ । कार्यक्रम तालिक २०६७ फागुन ९ गते झाँकीसहितको र् याली जुलुस स्थान ः भद्रकाली मन्दिर सहिदगेट छेउ काठमाडौं समय ः बिहान ११ बजे सहभागीता ः सम्पूर्ण जातिय सम्बन्धन प्राप्त संगठन जिल्ला समन्वय परिषदहरु गाउँ समन्वय परिषदहरु र आदिवासी जनजातिसंग संम्बन्धित संघसंस्थाहरुले आ-आफ्नो व्यानर झण्डा नारा अंकित प्लेकार्ड सहि जातिय पोशाकमा उपस्थिति हुनेछन् २०६७ फागुन ९ गते झाँकीसहितको र् याली जुलुस उदघाटन समारोह राष्ट्रिय सम्मेलन स्थान ः राष्ट्रिय सभागृह समय ः दिनको १ बजे २०६७ फागुन १० गते राष्ट्रिय सम्मेलन स्थान ः राष्ट्रिय सभागृह समय ः विहान १० बजे http://www.nefin.org.np/press-release/618-2011-02-18-04-22-39.html |
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Janajatis warn of census boycott | CBS to ask open-ended question on religion
Janajatis warn of census boycott
Added At: 2011-01-14 11:47 PM
Last Updated At: 2011-01-14 11:47 PM
HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE
KATHMANDU: At a time when the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) is making preparations for national census 2011, indigenous peoples’ representatives have warned of boycotting it, accusing that the survey is being conducted against the provision of the Interim Constitution.
CBS is set to begin the polls in two phases—first phase beginning from May 15 to June 1 and the second from June 17 to 27 nationwide.
According to them, CBS did not consult them before concluding the work that includes preparing questionnaires and selecting census collectors, among others. They have demanded recruitment of census collectors from the indigenous communities commensurate with their population.
“We raised our concerns mainly for recruiting at least 38 per cent (proportionate with their population) as census collectors and correcting the mistakes regarding questions related to language, religion, ethnicity and caste of the indigenous nationalities,” said Ang Kaji Sherpa, General Secretary of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), an umbrella organisation of indigenous nationalities.
Addressing a programme
organised by Inclusive Media Foundation on identity
politics and national census 2011, he said CBS had remained silent on the issue, but added that there was still time for
correction.
“If our concern is ignored again, we will call for boycott of the census,” added the general secretary.
“Although the government is a signatory to the International Labour Organisation Convention 169, it has ignored provisions relating to prior informed consent regarding census preparations and involvement in the decision making process” said Khagendra Makhim, another representative of Indigenous Nationalities, adding “If CBS continues the census with these flaws, indigenous peoples will not take part.”
Refuting the accusations, Director General of CBS, Uttam Narayan Malla, said CBS is planning to reduce the mistakes.
CBS is set to begin the polls in two phases—first phase beginning from May 15 to June 1 and the second from June 17 to 27 nationwide.
According to them, CBS did not consult them before concluding the work that includes preparing questionnaires and selecting census collectors, among others. They have demanded recruitment of census collectors from the indigenous communities commensurate with their population.
“We raised our concerns mainly for recruiting at least 38 per cent (proportionate with their population) as census collectors and correcting the mistakes regarding questions related to language, religion, ethnicity and caste of the indigenous nationalities,” said Ang Kaji Sherpa, General Secretary of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), an umbrella organisation of indigenous nationalities.
Addressing a programme
organised by Inclusive Media Foundation on identity
politics and national census 2011, he said CBS had remained silent on the issue, but added that there was still time for
correction.
“If our concern is ignored again, we will call for boycott of the census,” added the general secretary.
“Although the government is a signatory to the International Labour Organisation Convention 169, it has ignored provisions relating to prior informed consent regarding census preparations and involvement in the decision making process” said Khagendra Makhim, another representative of Indigenous Nationalities, adding “If CBS continues the census with these flaws, indigenous peoples will not take part.”
Refuting the accusations, Director General of CBS, Uttam Narayan Malla, said CBS is planning to reduce the mistakes.
| CBS to ask open-ended question on religion | ||
OM ASTHA RAI “We have decided to end the practice of asking a close-ended question to collect statistics on religion from this year,” said Bikash Bishta, Deputy Director General (DDG) of the CBS. “Various indigenous communities had expressed deep concerns over the practice of asking close-ended question.” An open-ended question will enable the respondents clearly specify the religious group they belong to. Earlier, the respondents either had to choose from any of the religious groups listed in the questionnaire or “other groups” if their religious group was not listed. “The major drawback of the close-ended question was minority groups had to choose the “other groups” option in the questionnaire,” Bishta said. “Now, everyone will be able to specify the religion they practice.” In the past, the practice of a close-ended question had prompted various ethnic groups to accuse the government of manipulating religion-related statistics. They argued that even non-Hindus were misled into identifying themselves as Hindus. “In the past censuses, when non-Hindu people did not see their own religion listed in the questionnaire, they unmindfully identified themselves as Hindus,” said Aang Kaji Sherpa, General Secretary of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN). However, the NEFIN does not seem to be free misgivings. “The enumerators could erase and manipulate the answers given by the respondents later,” Sherpa told Republica. “So, we want the CBS to ask a close-ended question with every existing religious group listed in the questionnaire.” One supervisor for four enumerators In response to the complaints that some enumerators have not reached every household to collect data, the CBS has increased the number of supervisors. “These complaints are not absolutely unfounded,” Bishta said. “So, in the new census, one supervisor will be overseeing every four enumerators. And they, unlike in the past censuses, will have less chances to cheat on us.” In the 2001 census, the CBS had mobilized one supervisor per five enumerators. Bishta said district level mechanisms set up for supervising the census will also be empowered by conducting more training programs. “We will do our part. But, people should also be aware. They should inform monitoring mechanisms if the enumerators do not turn up at their door-steps,” Bishta told Republica. | ||
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Speakers stress on ensuring rights of minorities
Added At: 2011-01-05 6:43 PM
Last Updated At: 2011-01-05 6:43 PM
RSS
KHAJURA: A public hearing program on ‘constitution drafting, peace process and minority issues’ was organised jointly by Radio Sagarmatha and Krishnasar FM at Nepalgunj on Wednesday.
Speaking at the program, Muslim leader Maimuna Siddique said the new Constitution should guarantee the rights of the Muslims, who now have a significant population in Nepal.
Siddique said the State has ignored the Muslim community in the provision of basic necessities like education and health.
Central Secretary of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), Badri Kuchbadhiya complained that the DDC has discriminated in the distribution of monthly allowance given by the Government to the minorities and near-extinct communities.
Tharu leader Mangal Chaudhary said the fundamental issues of the Tharu community should be incorporated in the new Constitution.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
आदिवासी जनजातिका हक अधिकारका लागि कार्यरत सबै मोर्चाहरुसंग छलफल सम्पन्न
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| Tuesday, 14 December 2010 11:22 |
नेपाल आदिवासी जनजाति महासंघले आदिवासी जनजातिका हक अधिकारका लागि कार्यरत सबै मोर्चाहरुसंग छलफल सम्पन्न मंसिर २७ गते स्थानिय विकास प्रशिक्षण प्रतिष्ठान जावलाखेलमा आदिवासी जनजातिका हक अधिकारका लागि कार्यरत अधिकांश मोर्चाहरुसंग नेपाल आदिवासी जनजाति महासंघले ३ घण्टा लामो छलफल सम्पन्न गरेको छ । आमिन्त्रत आदिवासी जनजातिका मोर्चाहरु १ नेपाल लोकतान्त्रि आदिवासी जनजाति महासंघ वागवजार काठमाडौ २ आदिवासी जनजाति संघ नेपाली काग्रेस कार्यालय सानेपा ३ आदिवासी जनजाति जातिय क्षेत्रिय गणतान्त्रिक महासंघ कुपण्डोल ललितपुर ४ आदिवासी जनजाति महासंघ प्रजातान्त्रिक ५ अखिल आदिवासी जनजाति महासंघ एकीकृत ६ नेपाल ताम्सालिङ दल ७ नेपा राष्ट्रिय पार्टी ८ दलित जनजाति पार्टी ९ जनमुक्ती पार्टी १० संयुक्त मोर्चा ११ आदिवासी जनजाति सभासद सभा ककस १२ एन जि ओ फोनिन १३ लाहुरनिप १४ अदिवासी जनजाति वृहत मोर्चा १५ राष्ट्रिय आदिवासी जनजाति महिला महासंघ गोङगवु १६ संघीय लिम्बुवान राज्य परिषद कुमार लिङदेन १७ संघीय लिम्बुवान राज्य परिषद संाजुहाङ पालुहाङ १८ संघीय लिम्बुवान राज्य परिषद क्रान्तिकारी राजकुमार नाल्बो १९ एन कार्ड अनम नगर २० संघीय लोकतान्त्रिक माच २१ हिमाली आदिवासी महासंघ २२ नेपाल आदिवासी जनजाति विद्यार्थी महासंघ ब्ागवजार २३ नेपाल आदिवासी जनजाति पत्रकार महासंघ अनम नगर २४ आदिवासी जनजाति कानुन व्यवसायी परिषद २५ नेपाल आदिवासी जनजाति फिल्म कलाकार संघ २६ नेपाल आदिवासी जनजाति कला संस्र्कति संाजाल २७ नेपाल आदिवासी जनजाति मजदुर संघ २८ आदिवासी विद्यार्थि समाज २९ राष्ट्र बैक कर्मचारी नयाँ संविधानमा सुनिश्चित गरिनु पर्ने आदिवासी जनजातिका अधिकारहरुबारे साझा अवधारणा तयार गर्न आदिवासी जनजातिको अधिकार सुनिश्चित भएको संविधान जारी गराउन सबै मोर्चाहरु बीच राष्ट्रिय स्तरका साझा रणनीति र दबावमूलक कार्यक्रमहरु तय गर्न राष्ट्रिय स्तरमा आन्दोलन गर्न केन्द्र जिल्ला र गाउं तहसम्म साझा संयन्त्र निर्माण गर्नु छलफलको मुख्य उदेश्य थिए । साथै क संविधानसभामा दलत्याग ऐन लागु हुनेबारे ख राज्य पुनस्ररचना आयोग गठन ग राज्य पुनस्ररचना समितिबाट पारित स्वायत्त प्रदेशहरुको संख्या घटाउने दलहरुको प्रस्ताव घ उच्च स्तरीय राजनीतिक कार्यदल गठन गरिएकोबारे ङ खस भाषालाई सरकारी कामकाजको भाषा मान्यता दिएकोबारे च दौरा सुरुवाललाई औपचारिक पोषाक घोषणा छ जग्गाको हदवन्दी कायम गर्दा आदिवासी जनजातिका लागि सामुहिक स्वमित्व व्यवस्था ज आदिवासी जनजातिको सहमतिविना २०६८ को जनगणनाको निर्देशिका तयार र प्रश्नवाली प्रकाशनबारे झ आई एल ओ १६९ को मुल्याकण प्रतिवेदन र कार्यन्वयनमा देखिएको ढिलाईबारे आदिवासी सभासद सभा ककस ले तयार पारेको आदिवासी जनजातिको दृष्टिकोणबाट तयार गरेको १० विषयगत प्रतिवेदनहरुलाई सशोधन प्रस्तावहरु ट अनमिनको वर्हिगमनबारे पनि साझा अवधारण निर्माण गर्नका लागि छलफल भएको थियो । वैठकबाट प्राप्त महत्वपूर्ण सुझावहरु आदिवासी जनजातिको अधिकार संविधानमा सुनिश्चितताका लागी जनतालाई सडकमा उतारेर निर्णयक आन्दोलन गनृु्रको विकल्प छैन । आदिवासी जनजातिको अधिकारसंग संम्बनिधत संविधानका अधिकांश बुदाहरुमा दलहरु बीच असहमति देखिएकोछ । आदिवासी जनजातिका मुद्धाहरु राजनीतिक अधिकारको रुपमा उठाउनु पर्ने । आदिवासी जनजातिका अधिकारका लागि उठेका आवजहरु अन्तर्राष्ट्रि्रयकरण हुनु पर्दछ । आदिवासी जनजातिका अधिकारका लागी संर्घषरत यूनियनहरु धेरै छन् तर ती यूनियनहरु बीच यूनिटी हुनु पर्दछ । आदिवासी जनजाति इजममा आधारित राजनीतिक दल खोल्नु पर्छ । यस्तो दलले नेपालका सबै आदिवासी जनजातिलाई समेटन सक्नु पर्दछ । आदिवासी जनजाति जस्तो सामाजिक संगठनले आदिवासी जनजातिको अधिकारसंग संम्बनिधत राजनीतिक मुद्धाहरु उठाउनु पर्दछ । महासंघ राजनीतिक संगठनमा रुपान्तरण हुनु पर्दछ । आदिवासी जनजाति महासंघ र सरकार बीच विगतमा भएको संझौताको अनुगमन गरिनु पर्दछ । आदिवासी जनजातिका संघ संगठन बीच देखिएका असम्झदारी हटाउनु पर्दछ । विगतमा सबै आदिवासी जनजातिका संघ संगठनहरुको सहकार्यमा गरेका आन्दोलनको समिक्ष गरिनु पर्दछ र कमि कमजोर फेरी दोहरिनु हन्न् । संविधानमा अधिकार लेखिनु मात्र पनि महत्व होइन लेखिएको अधिकारहरु कार्यन्वयन गराउनु बढी महत्वपूर्ण हो । आदिवासी जनजातिका हक अधिकार अन्तगर्त लेखिएमा त्यो कार्यन्वयनका लागि बाध्यकारी हुनेछ । आदिवासी जनजातिले आदिवासी जनजाति माथी विभेदपूर्ण व्यवहार गर्नु हुन्न । एउटा अदिवासी जनजाति माथी दमन हुदा आर्को चुप लागेर बस्नु हुन्न । राज्यद्धार विगतमा गरिएका विभेदका कारण आदिवासी जनजातिका भाषा धर्म र संस्कृति लोप भएकोमा क्षतिको माग गरिनु पर्दछ । जनजाति महासंघलाई केन्द्र बिन्दु मानेर सबै मोर्चाहरुको अस्तित्व स्वीकार्दै सबैलाई समेटनु पर्दछ । सबै मोर्चाहरुले आग्रह र पूर्वाग्रह त्याग्नु पर्दछ । कुनै पनि आदिवासी जनजाति समुदयले गरेका आन्दोलनमा सबै आदिवासी जनजाति संगठनहरुले समर्थन र साथ दिनु पर्दछ । आई एल ओ रिर्पोटमा स्थानिय सरकारको सट्टमा स्वाशसन सरकार राख्नु पर्दछ । जातिय स्वायत्त राज्य माग गर्ने मोर्चाहरु बीच सहकार्य हुनु पर्दछ । आदिवासी जनजातिका अधिकार ंसंम्बन्धि आवज शहर बजारमा मात्र हैन प्रत्यॆक आदिवासी जनजातिको गाउँका घर घरमा उठनु पर्दछ । आदिवासी जनजातिलाई राजनीतकि दलले प्रयोग गर्दैछ तर राजनीतकि दलहरुलाई आसिदवासी जनजातिले प्रयोग गर्न सक्नु पर्दछ । १० वर्षसम्म आई एल औ लागु नगरेर यस्लाई निस्कृय बनाउने नीति प्रति सबै सचेत हुनु पर्दछ । संविधानमा सुनिश्चित गराउनु पर्ने आदिवासी जनजातिका अधिकारहरुबारे वृहत गोष्ठी आयोजना गरेर मात्र निर्णय गरिनु पर्दछ । लोकतन्त्र प्राप्त पछि पनि आदिवासी जनजातिका मुद्धाहरु यथावत नै छन् । राजनीतकि दलहरुबाट आदिवासी जनजातिले प्राप्त गरेका आश्वसान ओझेलमा परेकाछन् । जनजाति महासंघ लगायत सबै आदिवासी जनजातिका संघ संगठनहरु प्रति आन्दोलन प्रति वफादार हुनुपर्दछन् र उदेश्यहरु प्रति अटल रहनु पर्दछ । सबै मोर्चाहरुलाई समन्वयन गर्ने भूमिका जनजाति महासंघले नै लिनु पर्दछ । सुझावहरुलाई सकरात्मक दृष्टिकोणले ग्रहण गर्नु पर्दछ । सूचीकृत र सूचीकरण हुन बांकी सबै मिलेर आन्दोलन गर्नु पर्दछ । आदिवासी जनजाति बीच मतमतान्तर झै झगडा भए ता पनि एकले अर्कालाई शत्रुता व्यवहार गर्नु हुन्न । जनजाति महासंघले स्पष्ट विचार सहित संविधान निर्माणमा नै केन्द्रीत रहेर आन्देलन गरे सबैलै महासंघलाई साथ दिनेछन् । आन्दोलन परिणामामुखी हुनु पर्दछ र आन्दोलनका लागी सबै बैचारिक रुपले तयार हुनु पर्दछ । मधेशी दलले मन्त्री पाए होलन तर हालसम्म तराईका आदिवास्ीिका लागी केही पनि अधिकार संविधानमा लेखिएको छैन । |
Monday, November 1, 2010
NEPAL | Indigenous People Seek More, Get Less
| By Marty Logan KATHMANDU, Jul 21, 2005 (IPS) - The glass bangles on their arms are shattered, they are forbidden to put saffron-coloured powder in their hair and to wear red - reserved for those "blessed" with a husband - for the rest of their lives. Widows in Hindu societies are traditionally treated in ways that today have become striking symbols of paternalism. These rituals are still widely practised in the Hindu Kingdom of Nepal, but journalist Khim Ghale says the now frequent reports about widows' lives "do not touch me". Ghale is among the 41 percent of the Himalayan country's 26 million people who come from indigenous nationalities ('janajati adivasi'), many of which do not practise Hinduism. A reporter for the past six years at 'Kantipur' daily newspaper, Ghale says many of his fellow journalists, Hindus, have become obsessed with reporting the 'widow', story but when he tries to explain to them how his Gurung culture treats such women "they laugh". They also dismiss his arguments that Nepal's janajatis have the right to study at higher levels in their mother tongues, instead of in the country's only official language, Nepali, and perhaps English. Worse, says Ghale, issues like language rarely get raised here publicly. "We have so many problems, we have so many issues, why can't the media report these?" asks Ghale, vice-president of the Association of Nepalese Indigenous Nationalities Journalists (ANIJ) in an interview. ANIJ was formed in 1999, both to find some room in the nation's newspapers and airwaves for discussion of the issues that matter most to the 59 officially recognised indigenous groups in Nepal, and to push the nation's media managers to make space for janajati journalists. Indirectly, the organisation was a product of the 1990 democratic "spring", when activists forced the then king to accept multi- party democracy in one of Asia's poorest nations. Another child of the decade that followed was the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), an umbrella group that speaks for 49 janajati groups in Nepal. After 1990, "in terms of material benefit we didn't get anything, but at least we got this institution ... we have been able to establish our identity (and) janajatis are now aware of their rights," says NEFIN General Secretary Om Gurung. Today NEFIN is known as an outspoken organisation with strong support from the international community - but it is still pushing Nepali society to recognise that the country's indigenous people are different. That struggle was set back this week when the government of King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah cut spaces reserved for janajatis (along with women and dalits, or "untouchables") in the civil service, replacing a 10 percent allotment with the possibility for "positive discrimination" in individual cases. At a time when members of Nepal's indigenous movement are demanding janajatis should be represented in the civil service and higher education according to their population, the new rules are unacceptable, says Gurung. "If they don't revise this policy, we'll take any steps (necessary) against the government ... we'll have to be radical if the government does not show concern." Such words sound an ominous echo in today's Nepal. For nearly a decade security forces have been waging a bloody fight against Maoists who now control most of the countryside, and who pointedly woo the janajatis and dalits who compose most of their ranks by stressing their oppression by the "higher" castes. "Janajatis are suffering (at the hands of) both sides," says Santa Bahadur Gurung, head of an independent office created by a former government to deal with janajati issues. "Maoists say to them, 'we are doing these things, we are fighting, for you'. So the government should take very seriously at this point the janajatis' and dalits' demands (and ask) 'what can be done as soon as possible'?" he adds in an interview. Established in 2002 but given office space only after a year of prodding, Santa Gurung's National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN) is fiercely independent but its chief knows his limits. "I cannot protest to the government; I cannot demand from the government. What I can do is request from the government." An academic by training, Santa Gurung is methodically building NFDIN's capacity to assists janajatis. Working with NEFIN, the office classified Nepal's indigenous groups into five categories, from "endangered" to "advanced". Its strategy is to assist the more developed groups to deal with cultural concerns, like language and education, and to provide more basic economic support to the groups at the opposite end of the scale. But NEFIN's Om Gurung says the indigenous movement as a whole has taken a further step, realizing, "without political rights we cannot achieve our socio-economic rights". Nepal's indigenous people are amazingly diverse. One group, the Newars - known as the indigenous people of the Kathmandu Valley - has the highest per capita income of any caste or ethnic group in Nepal, while overall, janajatis rank lowest on the human development index (0.299). Two dominant Hindu castes, Brahmin and Chhetri, rate 0.441 and 0.348 on the index, according to NFDIN figures. Janajati groups account for the vast majority of the 106 languages counted in the 2001 census. Significantly, says expert Harka Gurung, "social demographic data of the last decade clearly evidence a strong tendency towards identity assertion based on ethnicity, language and religion". For example, only four of 19 indigenous groups for which data were available lost mother tongue speakers from 1991 to 2001. Also, there was huge growth during the decade in the number of individuals from janajati groups that traditionally practise Buddhism or traditional ('Kiranti') religion who identified themselves as doing so. At the same time, individuals practising Hinduism declined in relation to population growth. Despite their diversity, leaders of Nepal's janajatis agree on a core set of demands, says Om Gurung: freedom of religion; reservation systems in government and schools; proportional representation in decision-making positions; and, in the long term, regional autonomy based on the right to self-determination. Pramila Rai and GS Rampyari say just making indigenous women aware is a huge challenge for their group, the National Indigenous Women Federation - - Nepal. "We are happy to have (sustained) this organisation for seven years ... especially because as women we have our homes, our children, our work (outside the house) also. All these things we have to manage," says Rai. The women argue that Brahmins and other "upper-caste" people who control the government do not make their task easier. For example, when officials previously set aside spaces for janajati women to enter the civil service, 90 percent of the slots went to Newari women. Authorities "come up with all these stupid things ... to make us fight among ourselves," says Rampyari. Helping indigenous people access their rights is the goal of the Janajati Empowerment Project (JEP) a three-year, 2.6-million-U.S. dollar endeavour just launched by NEFIN and the Enabling State Programme (ESP) of the UK Department for International Development. The JEP aims to: strengthen indigenous organisations, increase awareness among janajatis, make authorities more responsive to those rights, and strengthen the role of indigenous people in policy-making, says ESP's Bimal Tandukar. "What we are trying to do is mainstream the issues ... people who are at the policy level never tried to listen." Successive governments since 1990 promised in their five-year plans to focus on janajati people, but "in practice it was never implemented," he adds in an interview. Tandukar recognizes that the JEP is controversial, although he says the government, which has a seat on the project steering committee, has not objected to it. "Some people think (such a programme) is very necessary because of the conflict" but "conservatives think this sort of programme will further divide the (Nepali) people". Om Gurung says he hears the latter argument more and more since the king fired the government and took power on Feb. 1. Members of the monarch's handpicked Council of Ministers "talk about one nation, one culture, one language. They are a monolithic type of government. They don't accept plurality or cultural diversity." (END) http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=29588 |
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