Ethnicity based Federalism is Just repeating History

Ethnicity based Federalism is Just repeating History

Ethnicity based federalism is the hazardous seeds that some cunning politician are attempting to plant in Nepal. So called statesmen are trying to conceal and cover up their failure to administrate, failure to envision. They are taking back the history to two centuries of Baise and Chaubise rajya (22 states and 24 states). Those days were characterized with conflicts between states, hunger of power, poverty, discrimination, war and defense nothing else. We are already delayed in race of economic development. Nepal cannot afford another such regressive development. One who learns from others is called wise. The linguistic based federalism in our neighbor (India) of 60 plus years history, inherited conflicts between neighboring states. The demands of new states are rising upwards. The ethnicity based federalism is much more regressive and coward than linguistic based.

Federalism provides sound decentralization, and by nature it is not appalling. How many states should be constructed and what should be the basis of constructing state that makes sense. A tiny country like Nepal cannot have 11 or 14 states what the chairman of Maoist is demanding, and now the 4 party has almost approved (11 States). Pakistan perhaps 5 times larger than Nepal is having mere 4 states, India contended with 28 states, which is 22 times larger than us.

Political parties should rise behind their self interest. Maoist should not satiate by repaying the blank cheque that they have given to all possible communities in surgery period, to enlarge militant. Terai-Madhesh based parities should become more generous to share resources with remote and pauper Himali brothers. Congress and UML should lobby the better than five regional development regions.

Eventually, Federalism is means not end. Federalism should not indulge into conflicts but should foster development, better utilization of resources and stepping up the living of people. I would down the pen with hope of enhanced Nepal tomorrow.

(On the burning issue of Nepal, Ethnicity should not be basis of construction of States.)

Binod Biyogee

Karnatak University, India