Nepali Congress Pledges to Address Indigenous Peoples' Leadership and Representation

Kathmandu. The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, has pledged to take initiatives to appropriately address the issues of leadership and representation of indigenous peoples. The commitment was made by party Vice-President Pushpa Bhusal on Sunday while receiving a position paper submitted by officials of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities who had reached the party headquarters in Sanepa. Bhusal stated that as the constitution of Nepal itself ensures the representation of indigenous peoples, Congress will take initiatives both inside and outside parliament for them to receive appropriate representation and leadership within the party and the government. She also assured that Congress is about to form a clear perspective on constitutional amendment, and in that, the issue of the rights of indigenous peoples will be seriously advanced. While receiving the position paper, she said, 'The constitution of Nepal has also prioritized proportional inclusivity and the principle of diversity, making it the fundamental basis of the constitution. Therefore, looking at the nature of the state and the structure of our society, if indigenous peoples are excluded, the definition of the nature and structure of our state becomes incomplete. For this reason, I believe that the Nepali Congress will move forward in implementing the acceptance of leadership, not just the representation, of the indigenous peoples for all the demands placed here. Our party's parliamentary party leader, the leader of the main opposition party, will vigorously advance this in the parliament. This issue is being considered in the context of constitutional amendment. Because it has been ten years. The Nepali Congress is about to form its clear perspective on the problems seen in its implementation phase, the responsibilities, and the areas for improvement. And Congress will advance this issue by prioritizing it. It will make necessary initiatives for the representation and leadership of indigenous peoples within the party and the government.' On the occasion, Federation General Secretary Bimal Sarumagar said that they have presented their stance and demands to political parties and the government to seriously advance the issues of indigenous peoples.