KATHMANDU, Oct 20: President Ram Baran Yadav has urged the political leadership to resolve without further delay the problem of the Tarai-Madhes that has resulted in months-long protests in the southern belt of the country.
“I urge all sides concerned to no longer delay listening to the voices of the people from Tarai-Madhes, who have always remained in the forefront of the struggle for change and democracy, and to solve the problem there,” the president said in his greetings on the occasion of the Dashain festival.
The president, while urging the agitating groups to adopt democratic and peaceful means while carrying out their protests, suggested to the state authorities to exercise restraint and tolerance during such times as these.
Stating that continuous protests in the Tarai-Madhes have not only deprived millions of children of their basic right to schooling but also rendered daily life very difficult, the president said it has badly affected normal life across the entire country.
Conclusion of peace process
The president, in his message, described the promulgation of the new constitution as the dream of the Nepali people coming true. He congratulated all Nepalis on its promulgation.
Sticking with New Year’s resolution
He also said that with the introduction of the new constitution, the decade-long peace process has come to a conclusion and the achievments of the people’s movement such as democratic republic, federalism and policy of inclusion have become institutionalized.
Economic revolution: common national goal
“With the introduction of the new constitution, the major political agenda has been settled and the way has been paved for concentrating the thinking and energy of the entire country on economic and social development,” he said. “Now, it is economic revolution that has to be the common national goal.”
He has also described the task of constitution making as always an evolutionary process and said a constitution becomes better, more inclusive and more just in the course of implementing it in practice.
He expressed hope that the new constitution would succeed in doing away with all forms of discriminiation, injustice and oppression and in establishing the fundamental principles of democracy and constitutionalism.
The president’s statement on the wider current political situation comes at a time when some Madhes-based political parties have been continuing with months-long protests, nudging the entire country into crisis.
The Madhes-based parties have expressed serious reservations over some of the provisions of the new constitution, including demarcation of some provincial boundaries.
The newly-elected government has initiated amendments to some of the constitutional provisions but the agitating parties are now insisting that the issue of provincial boundaries also need to be resolved right now.
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