"We want a Khas state", Annapurna Post

From The Nepali Press
"We want a Khas state", Annapurna Post
Interview with Commerce and Supply Minister Lekhraj Bhatta, 8 February

FROM ISSUE #591 (10 FEB 2012 - 16 FEB 2012) | TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Annapurna Post: Why are you protesting against the government? Are you going to resign from your ministerial position?
Lekhraj Bhatt: I have no problem giving up this post. I am the son of the far west first and then a member of my party. The people of the far west have been betrayed again. This protest is to ensure their rights. The way the SRC has divided far west is not acceptable to us. The entire region shares a common history, culture and heritage. I have always said that the indigenous people of Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur are also Khas Aryans. Our demand is an integrated gar-west province.

Won't other ethnicities be deprived of their rights if the far west is declared as a Khas state?
We the Khas Aryans are the majority in this region. And yet we have no rights here. I have always maintained that carving the country into ethnic states is not good. But if they want to restructure Nepal on an ethnic basis, we should get a Khas state too.

Why didn't you protest against your party when it proposed a divided far west before?
I had and I was labeled an 'anti-federalist' in my own party for saying this. I was also called anti-Tharu. I think our party did not act maturely enough at the time.

Are you trying to become a leader of the Bahun-Chettris?
Not at all. I am just saying that the rights of Khas people should also be respected. If Madhesis and Janjatis fought for their rights, should we not fight against being categorised as 'others' in our own land?

1. Paul Krugman
What can we do to make this man go away?

Posted on: 10 FEB 2012 | 2:08 PM NST

2. Rishav
Re : Paul

Unfortunately this topic won't go away. He is a more vocal person regarding the issue of a Khas state who are the major ethnic group in the country, but it is the other ethnic groups who are more vocal and are actually militant in how they wish to persue ethnic based federalism.

Posted on: 10 FEB 2012 | 12:38 AM NST

3. Gole
There should not be any racial state. ;nor ethnic ones.
neither Khas ,nor Magar , Nor Gurung, nor Tamang , nor Newar, nor Rai ,nor Limbu ,nor Tharu.
Evert part of Nepal is multi-cultural and multi-racial.
There is not a single VDC that is mono-cultural or mono-racial out of 4000.in the country.
The country is secular.
So must be the provinces.
So will be the Local Governments.
The rest otherwise is all balls.

Posted on: 11 FEB 2012 | 10:19 AM NST

4. Binodjee

His concerns are real. If every ethnicities are being given or at least promised their own state, what state the majority ethnic peple of Nepal (the so called Parvateys who represent more than 50% of the total population) is being promised/given? Whatever being promised, does not fairly represent their demographic and geographic weightage and hence whatever this man is doing seems to be a normal thing to do. More importantly, expecting different modus operandi (read: peaceful and parliamentary means) in these decaying time is certainly not one can think of. as stakes remain high and future looms dark....one can but pray that it does not degenerate into another long fetched war.

Posted on: 16 FEB 2012 | 4:25 PM NST

5. Tenzing Limbu
I t is not acceptable idea of racial states and it divides the public and ruins the pride of Nepal. It seems conspiracy of our enemy divide and rule Nepal. Shameless political leaders are serving them for their personal interest.

India is practising this method since their freedom they are facing countless racial and religions issues, public are killing themselves now and then and this idea was planted by British . Why we are trying to cut our own feet with own axe? We feel foreigner in own country it is absolute wrong idea. This idea will never lead our country towards development.

I disagree with those leaders who came with this agenda.

Posted on: 23 FEB 2012 | 6:43 AM NST