“We should welcome the new deal signed by the four major parties Saturday night to carve out six federal provinces. The United National Front of the UCPN(M) has decided to accept the deal because it will institutionalise federalism and democratic republicanism. Everyone who aspires to see the Constituent Assembly achieving its goal of promulgating a new constitution should accept the deal.
The agreement on the six-province model was inevitable because of the Madhesi parties’ opposition to a draft constitution sans boundaries of federal provinces, the new balance of power in the second CA, and public feedback from across the country. Too much Nepali blood has already been shed to achieve this deal. We should not shed more.
In India, only 11 states were created when the constitution was passed. But the number of states has reached 30 by now, and we are sure that Bodoland and Gorkhaland will also be declared sooner or later. As in India, we have strengths and challenges to create more federal provinces in Nepal in future. Our biggest strength is political awareness and aspirations raised within the oppressed communities. And the challenge is to organise them to keep struggling to achieve their political aspirations.
Although our National United Front has accepted the deal, we are against allowing Biratnagar to treat the Kirat land as its colony. We will keep fighting for an autonomous Kirat province. People of Magarant and Tharuhat have contributed immensely to the ‘people’s war’. So let us accept the six-province model for the time being, and keep fighting for autonomous Kirat, Magarant, Limbuwan,Tharuhat, Tamsaling, Tamuwan, Khasan and Newa provinces.
Those who have accused Pushpa Kamal Dahal of kowtowing to the NC and the UML are reactionaries hell-bent on stopping the CA from passing the new constitution.”
Kirati of the UCPN(M) started his political career by launching a separate armed struggle for an autonomous Khambuwan Province.
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Federalism deal signed
Federal map of Nepal