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Federated Nepal
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P.K. Pant
An amendment of the interim Constitution ratified on March 13, 2007, declares that Nepal will be turned a federal state, the process of restricting Nepal from its present unity state into a federal system is unlike any experience elsewhere in the world. In other countries federalism was achieved from historically divided nations and in fact federalism has been a factor in unifying many nations. Switzerland consisted of many sub-national states into the present federated structure. In North America many states united to constitute present day United States of America. Australia and Canada are organized into a federal system within the commonwealth frame work. More than 500 princely states were amalgamated into present day Indian union.
The slogans of ethnic autonomy for the communities and about introduction of federal kind of government including formation of different liberation fronts are there to prove that certain political parties have lost their sense of direction and frame of mind. If necessary wisdom is not exercised in dealing with it prudently the whole nation will be engulfed in a cycle of death and destruction in the name of communal ethnic and linguistic regional and caste differences are allowed to develop, national integration would suffer heavily and different people would start to struggle for their separate sovereign states in the name of establishing their own identity. The factor of political geography engages our attention when we find that the rebellious ethnic tribe very much thrives on the support of the alien.
More especially, small and vulnerable countries like Nepal should take measures to strengthen rather than weaken feeling of national unity, cohesiveness and integration. Many languages dialects, religious faiths have contributed towards building up a one, unified and integrated Nepali society. What is also appalling is that a systematic plan is under way in our country too to disintegrate the national unison in the name of federalism on the basis of regional, linguistic and ethnic considerations. History is testimony to the fact that a large number of Nepalese belonging to ethnic tribal sectors have made unusually unique sacrifices for upholding the cause of national unity and territorial integrity. Nepal is a country which has a very long history of communal harmony where all castes, religions and languages have throughout survived and flourished in an explemplary state of tolerance and co-existence.
In Nepal\'s case federated structure is being created out of a historically unitary state through the decision of the interim parliament. The aim of restructing federated Nepal is to institutionalized effective democracy in order to uplift the living conditions of those on the social, ethnic, languages and economical margins. There are more than 103 ethnic and caste groups in Nepal who speak 93 languages.
In the course of history, Nepalese people have moved to different parts of the country and have lived amicably with a high degree of interdependence.
But, much of the public discussion about what a federated structure will look like has confined to political leaders\' speeches. The statistical realities as they exist in the different parts of the country have not been fully explored. The responsibility for structuring the state rests with the elected Constituent Assembly (CA) which will also draft a new federated Constitution.
This is where the leaders and intellectuals with sense of responsibility must act with visions just for one slip we will be in a abyss of death and destruction. The situation has taken such a turn that fresh debates should have once again started to decide about federalism how best the value of democracy can be respected and how best fundamental rights can be respected, protected and safeguarded under the democratic order. This hinges on the fact of people\'s attitude and belief towards the political institution and is product of several interrelated factors: historical, geographical and socio-economic. We should not come to a sudden conclusion without knowing the component of emotional attitudes and the tone and the temper of the people. Restructing of the state on the basis of ethnicity, language will certainly pose a great challenge.
After reading views presented in Constituent Assembly and vision for the federated Nepal\'s new Constitution, it is difficult to assess, that there is a national need for an in-depth analysis, debate and discussion with respect of the federalism.
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