Monday 17 December 2012

For and Against Federalism in Nepal

Nepal became a Federal Democratic Republic in 2007 as per the aspiration of people movements. On 28 December 2007, a bill was passed in parliament to amend Article 159 of the constitution – replacing "Provisions regarding the King" by "Provisions of the Head of the State" – declaring Nepal a federal republic, and thereby abolishing the monarchy [1]. 

I am neither in favour nor against Federalism because Federalism has its own essence. However, it is very interesting to know that indigenous (Janajati), terai/plain belt people (Madheshi) and Maoist are strongly supporting for Federalism in Nepal. However, mostly higher-castes (Bahun/Chhetri) people, politicians from UML Community Party of Nepal, Nepali Congress and others political parites such as Kamala Thapa, Chitra Bahadur Budathoki are against federalism. 

People of so-called higher caste says, that "Sangihiyata Le Desh Lut Chha" (Federalism can loot the nation), and to ask for Federalism is Fool. My question to them is whether Federalism going to loot nation or our existing politicians who are blind devotees of India loosting the nation.

Gosh! what a prejudice mindset these some people have. WHY don't they open their blocked and prejudice mindset. Please guys OPEN your eyes and try to see the facts. Do you know when Sugauli treaty has been signed and sold Nepal natural properities? ONLY you guys think I'm the best and others are worse, my logic is great and others are degrade!!! I don't understand WHY even literate people can't think independently and discuss logically to give up the right direction to the nation so that everyone can feel that they've been respected and their issues have been address by the state. I could even imagine that even most of the highly literate people from higher castes living in the federal states like Australia, Canada, Germany, USA, etc are against in going for the identity based federal states in Nepal.

One of the guy having fake profile ID "Poemis Kabita" in his facebook profile "About" mentioned that "संघियता नेपालको लागि मृत्यु सरह हो भन्ने मेरो दृढ बिश्वास हो।" in English it reads "I strongly believe that Federalism is like inviting death to Nepal). In the facebook group named "संघीयताको विषयमा खुल्ला बहस" that has member more than 6500 he posted:

"नेपाल मा "संघियता" भनेको भारतको नेपाल माथिको बिगत, बर्तमान र भविश्व को कुटिल र खतरनाक रणनीति नबुझ्ने हरुको अति संकीर्ण पुरातन बिचार र अहिलेको द्रुत गतिमा परिवर्तन हुदै गरेको विश्वले लिदै गरेको आकार, सामाजिक प्राबिधिक/बैज्ञानिक परिवर्तन आदिको कल्पना समेत नभएको बेला बिकसित र समयले असफल शिद्ध गरिसकेको 'माओबादि' विचारका क्लासिकल 'पोथ्रा' का आधार मा चलेको माओबादी दल बाट भएको अत्यन्त संकुचित र अल्प ज्ञान युक्त माग हो। संघियता आफैमा राम्रो वा नराम्रो भन्न सकिने कुरै हैन। कुनै बिशेष भू-अवस्थिति, एइतिहासिक, सामाजिक परिस्थिति र समय अनुसार संघियता अत्यन्त राम्रो पनि हुन सक्छ र अत्यन्त नराम्रो पद्दति पनि हुन सक्छ। नेपाल को परिप्रेक्ष्यमा भने भारत, चीन, हाम्रै भौगोलिक, सामाजिक र इतिहास को यो मोड लाइ पूर्ण विश्लेषण नगरी संघियता नभई हुदैन भन्नु मुर्खता सिबाय केहि हैन।

नेपालको लागि यो कुराको बिचार गर्दा संघियता भनेको मृत्यु बरण को अर्को नाम हो। अहिलेको अवस्थामा संघियतामा जानु भनेको दिर्घ रोगि जड्याहा ले अझै बढी जाड खाएमा म ठिक हुन्छु भन्ने सोच्नु जस्तो मात्र हो, जबकि यसले उसलाई तुरुन्तै मृत्यु को ढोका मा पुराउने छ।

"देश लुट्न पाइदैन" भनेको सहि कुरो हो र यसको समाधान खोजि गर्न आवश्यक छ। तर "संघियता बिरोधि चाहिदैन" भन्नु चाहि आखा चिम्लेर आगोमा हामफाल्नु मात्र हो। हरेक कुराको धेरै विकल्प हरु हुन्छन र सबैभन्दा राम्रो विकल्प खोजेर अघि बढ्नु नै बुद्धि मानि हुन्छ। संघियता अहिलेको अनेक विकल्प मद्धे नेपाल र हामि सबै नेपालि को लागि सबै भन्दा नराम्रो विकल्प हो।" 


To see detail discussions on this posting https://www.facebook.com/groups/khulla.bahas/399845583432934/?notif_t=group_comment_reply
in which members of the group who are concerned about the topic had shared their logic.

Staying in the Federal country, Austrlaia I'm also learning WHAT actually Federalism is and WHY Nepalese politicians have brought this issue in the context of Nepal. I came to know that Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and constituent political units (such as states or provinces). Federalism is a system based upon democratic rules and institutions in which the power to govern is shared between national and provincial/state governments, creating what is often called a federation. And across the world USA, Canada, India, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Russia, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union are Federal states.

If we are against FEDERALISM then What would be the BEST option to address the power centralisation at KATHMANDU. I am raising this point because in Nepal decentralization was adopted as Nepalese government policy in the 3rd Plan period (1965-70) to associate and involve the people in the decision-making process with specific reference to planning and development at the local level. Since then, this has been followed as a development strategy by the country. Currently, local bodies (LBs) exercise and manage local development activities per the Local Self Governance Act (LSGA), 1999 and Local Self Governance Regulations (LSGR), 1999, Local Body (Financial Administration) Regulations 2007 as well as other related rules and operational manuals [2]. 
BUT failed to address the people aspiration and decentralisation of POWER at the local level.  

Reference
1. Nepal accessed from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepal#cite_note-pre-cen-3
2.  Dwarika Nath Dhungel, Mahendra Raj Sapkota and Marit Haug with Pradyuman Prasad Regmi, 2011. "Decentralization  in Nepal: Laws and Practices" accessed from  http://www.nibr.no/filer/2011-23.pdf

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