Himal Khabarpatrika: What are the challenges to overcome before the constitution can be written? 
Ashok Chaudhary (advocate): All the parties have not accepted the political changes wrought by the Jana Andolan and the Madhes movement. Because we don't yet have an environment for languages and cultures other than Nepali, the basis for a balanced constitution is not in place.
Amarkanth Jha (professor): When the South African constitution was written, political parties and constitution experts were in agreement on how to go about it. We too need to have a common political mechanism.
Raju Paswan (rights worker): There can be no constitution without political agreement. We have to address the demands for ethnicity based provinces. The government needs to hold talks with the armed groups in the Tarai and address Madhesi grievances first.
Suman Raj Pyakurel (UML): The constitution can't be written while the Maoists still have an army. This needs to be sorted out before we move ahead.
What do you think of the demand for One Madhes One Pradesh? On what basis should provinces be designated?
Himmat Singh (senior advocate): It should be All Madhes One Pradesh. The constitution can have provisions to maintain Nepal's territorial integrity.
Hasim Ansari (National Muslim Front): We Muslims don't consider ourselves Madhesis, even if we live in the Madhes. The Muslim community of the 10 districts where there is a Muslim majority says: under no condition will the demand for One Madhes One Pradesh be granted.
Yukti Lal Marik (Dom Upliftment Society): There will be no place for Dalits in One Madhes One Pradesh. We need proportional representation and participation in all parts of the country.
Suman Raj Pyakurel: There are no majorities in any part of the country, so ethnic federalism doesn't make sense. Provinces should be designated on the basis of whether they can survive in the long term.
Shiva Hari Bhattarai (journalist): Madhesi parties are playing politics with the idea of One Madhes One Pradesh and there is a lack of trust between the state and the Madhesis.
Kishore Kumar Yadav (student leader): Madhes students want a Madhes state with the right to self-determination. If the Constituent Assembly doesn't fulfill our demands then there will be another revolution.
Hindu state or secular state?
Sabita Koirala (women's rights worker): A secular state is the need of the moment.
Hasim Ansari: The Muslim community does not favour either a secular or a Hindu state. We only want religious freedom. If we had a Muslim majority we would dream of an Islamic state. So if the Hindu majority in Nepal desires a Hindu state then we would not oppose it.
Himmat Singh: Since Nepal was declared a secular state by the interim constitution, people should be able to vote definitively on the matter.
How should we decide on language rights?
Yukti Lal Marik: The national language should be Nepali. Whichever language is predominant in particular regions should be the language of government there.
Bhogendra Chaudhary (MJF-Democratic): The main thing is that we should understand one another. Research should be conducted to determine which language is the most spoken and understood so it can be declared the national language. Mother tongues and regional languages should be designated federal languages and included in primary education.
Surya Nath Yadav (UCPN-Maoist): Language is related to development. Whichever language unites the country, is the most developed and easier to access education in will become the national language. If English is spoken the
most tomorrow then it could become the national language.
READ ALSO:
Constitution 2010 - Nepali Times' coverage of the constitution writing process
'Promised' land, by Jagadish Ghimire - FROM ISSUE #432 (02 JAN 2009 - 08 JAN 2009)
