How far does the new constitution deal with Nepals ethnic issues?
When the conflict began, the main issues were not mainly ethnic. They were more political and class based, as the main insurgent group was based on Maoism. Ethnicity came into it because the Maoists tried to recruit indigenous peoples and Dalits as a constituency by playing on their grievances. So these communities were sucked into the conflict; for example, they were often targeted by the government because it was assumed they sympathised with the Maoists. Then, the Madhesi issue came to the fore; this very large minority had suffered political and social discrimination and they started militating for a say in the Constitution process. Q: How will the Constitution recognize minority groups that don’t currently have a political voice? A: The 54 indigenous groups, Dalits, Madhesi and Muslims are trying to work to make sure their voices will be represented. Even with a federalist model, there is always a danger that there will be marginalization; for example Dalits are spread across the
