Have Your Say: The Great Debate

As the tension escalates nationwide, many people have started to question if constitution making is worth all the trouble and the lives lost. Should the government promulgate a new constitution despite the protests or should the draft constitution be revised according to the demands? The Week talked to a few people to find out what they think should be done.

Shanti Kandel, 25
Government Officer

The situation is very complicated right now. Because constitution determines the rules and regulations of the country, it’s imperative that it at least tries to encompass the wishes of the people. If you follow the news reports, then it seems as if people are confused about what they want and don’t want in the constitution, and not only a particular group, but every individual seems divided. So in this situation, if the concerned authorities decide to go on with the constitution process, then I think it will create problems in the future. So what I think right now is that everyone must know what is right and wrong for them, not be selfish, come to a compromise at an individual level, and stop with this violence and pave way for a better future for everyone. The importance of a constitution to govern a country should not be doubted and taken lightly. I say that we need a constitution, but we should stop and think about what is happening around so that we make the process a little less painful.

Reecha Sharma, 30
Actress

If constitution making means people have to die like ants, then I think we can do without it. Everyday, everywhere – whether it’s on social networking sites, newspapers, or television – I hear of people dying. I was born and brought up in Kailali and look what is happening there right now. We had barely recovered from the earthquakes and now such horrifying incidents are taking place. I feel awful as a citizen of our country. I feel we were always happy to have the five development regions, and now, in the name of various states, we are being unfair to one another. It’s bogus. There are so many things we don’t know and see only from a surface level, and we are getting lost in the process. It’s not that we don’t need a constitution and I’m not saying that it’s not important, but what is the use of having a constitution when it means being divided in pieces when we are through the making process? The way things are we can only be hopeful that things will be fine after we have a constitution. I don’t think anyone would want the country to become a war zone.

Kanchan Kharel, 27
President of YUWA

Personally, I feel like the civil understanding of the concept of federalism is very weak and that’s stirring up all these disagreements between the factions. Though in theory, the idea of breaking down power, creating autonomous state and empowering the grass root levels sounds appealing, Nepalis are yet not embracing the positive competitiveness that should come with federalism. Rather than being insecure about the division of states, people should be embracing the challenge and working toward making their state better than the rest. That’s how federalism can help with development of a nation. It seems Nepalis have yet to grasp this concept.
Nevertheless, as a citizen, I believe we should go ahead with the constitution because this is a continuous process. A government can work on the kinks and mold the laws of the land as we go. Conflicts are inevitable when you are trying to make such big changes in a country so it would be wise to carry on. Just look at the Ahmadabad situation, India is still having problems with their constitution. So we can’t be discouraged. However, the leaders do need to step up their game, earnestly take on the responsibilities and acknowledge the existing problems, like the recent unfortunate acts of violence.

Aadit Pathak, 24
Engineer

Simply put, constitution is compulsory to run a country. But now, I think concerned people are going around in circles with their petty talks that have nothing to do with the actual issues, but their selfish desires, so that they can secure their positions for the future. One can’t help but contemplate the influence of external forces in this situation. Before, the people in Tarai were promoting and demanding the concept of ‘One Madhes One Pradesh’, but now they’re asking something different. It’s as if someone is deliberately sidetracking them, so that people won’t have time to solve the real problems. That’s why the mass is being directed to dwell on the petty issues that could have been solved easily. And it’s not like the leaders and the people in power don’t know what’s happening. Their lust for power is almost making them immune to the actual need of the hour. It’s almost like there are some people thinking that even if the citizens come to an understanding, they will make sure that there is no understanding. What else could be the explanation for this carnage? We know it’s wrong. Those who don’t understand it can be convinced, but those who understand and yet aren’t acting on it, are the real threat. However, this makes it even more important for us to make sure there is a constitution. As a working professional, I believe that we need it.

Swechhya Sangraula, 23
LLB Graduate

All we have to do is read some of the world’s political history and it’s apparent that each of those nations who aimed to write their constitution had experienced distressing afflictions. So in my opinion, we cannot afford to halt this constitution making process. However, for this to be successful there is a need for more dialogue. Drafting a constitution was always meant to be a participatory act and it is true that more voices need to be heard. If this requires more time and effort then we can postpone the deadline date. This would be a small price to pay for an effective constitution.
As unfortunate as the recent violent mishaps are, in a way I actually consider this to be a good sign. There have been many cases where the written and approved constitution was a subject of great debate and the issues were taken to the supreme courts. Instead of dealing with all this hassle later, wouldn’t it be better if we tackled it beforehand?

Surya Prakash Kirat, 30
Phd. Student

The whole point of the constitution is to make sure everybody’s rights are taken into consideration. Sadly we have not been able to cover that fundamental point itself. There are so many sectors that are unhappy with the situation at the moment and it definitely makes you wonder if the constitution is going to be a success. So far the decision makers have been prioritizing their needs alone and that defeats the whole purpose of this constitution making process.
However, if we were to hit pause on the whole thing, it could cost our country a secure future. It would definitely stall our development as well so I believe we need to make improvements as we go about this process. There is no definite way to know whether it would be a good idea or not, only time can tell. For the moment, we can strive for more transparency and better understanding.