KIRAN PANDAY

How do you spend your days now that the CA is suspended?
There is no regularity. I begin the day with yoga and attend lots of committee meetings and, occasionally, visit my constituency. Otherwise, I'm in LGBT (lesbian gay bisexual transgender) rights group Blue Diamond Society's office until 11AM.

Have there been any memorable moments since you became a CA member?
I got a lot of attention from people. Female CA members would ask openly about gay and third gender issues. Men were a little embarrassed and would as about it in private.

Are you the only gay CA member?
I am the only one out of the closet. But I know 5 or 6 gay male and female CA members.

What has the CA done to help your cause?
The Committee to Protect Minority Rights recognises gay marriage and allows positive discrimination in favor of gay people.

How interested are you in the issues of the 'People's Assembly', parliamentary control over the judiciary, the use of Hindi as an official language, replacing the national flags, etc?
It is not wrong to have these issues under discussion. But the focus is only on the present, and not on the future. I don't think we can have an independent judiciary under the Maoist's justice system proposal. And, I would rather change the country's backwardness than change the flag.

Who do you think is responsible for obstructing the constitution-writing process?
The big three parties are obstructing the process since they want to remain in government and write a constitution that suits them.

READ ALSO:
Constitution 2010 - Nepali Times' coverage of the constitution writing process
Confused state - FROM ISSUE #471 (09 OCT 2009 - 15 OCT 2009)
Not just a pretty face - FROM ISSUE #386 (08 FEB 2008 - 14 FEB 2008)