Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09KATHMANDU744
2009-08-10 09:11:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kathmandu
Cable title:  

NEPAL: INDIGENOUS GROUPS VIE FOR POWER, FEDERALISM

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KDEM NP SOCI 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000744 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM NP SOCI
SUBJECT: NEPAL: INDIGENOUS GROUPS VIE FOR POWER, FEDERALISM

KATHMANDU 00000744 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Charges d'Affaires Jeffrey Moon a.i. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KATHMANDU 000744

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/15/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM NP SOCI
SUBJECT: NEPAL: INDIGENOUS GROUPS VIE FOR POWER, FEDERALISM

KATHMANDU 00000744 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Charges d'Affaires Jeffrey Moon a.i. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (SBU) Summary: Nepal's ethnic minority ("Janajati") groups
have formed a political caucus in the Constituent Assembly
(CA) to overcome their traditional marginalization in Nepali
politics. The Janajati groups propose a federal system with
distinct districts for different groups, but disagree on
numbers of districts and their boundaries. Maoist promises
to act on Janajati concerns were unfilled when the Maoists
were in power. End Summary


2. (C) Charge hosted a lunch for four senior Janajati leaders
to discuss indigenous concerns and ideas on federalism. In
attendance were: Pasang Sherpa, CA Member & Chairman of the
Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN); Padma
Ratna Tuladhar, Human Rights Activist & former Minister of
Health and Labor; Raj Kumar Lekhi, General Secretary, Tharu
Welfare Council; and Parshuram Tamang, Chairman of the
Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Party.

Who Are the Janajati?
--------------

3. (U) The Janajati of Nepal are indigenous ethnic groups,
with distinct languages and cultures. In 2002 Nepal enacted
the National Foundation for the Development of Indigenous
Nationalities Act, officially identifying 59 Janajati ethnic
groups. The Janajati are spread throughout the country and
comprise approximately 40 percent of the population in Nepal.
They have been oppressed and marginalized historically but
in the early 1990s the Maoists began advocating for Janajati
rights and effectively used that advocacy to gain widespread
grass-roots support for the insurgency at a time their
success was waning.

Federalism: E Pluribus Unum, Nepali Style
--------------

4. (C) Janajati leaders stressed their main concern at this
juncture is how federalism will be structured in the new
constitution. The Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Party would like
to see Nepal divided into 6 federal states and NEFIN
envisages 13 federal states. Ethnic groups disagree on
boundaries for creating federal districts but they agree the
states must be based on ethnicity, language, and territory.
Official languages are also a key component of the federalism

debate. Padma Tuladhar, the Janajati activist and former
minister, is proposing 10 national languages, 13 provincial
languages and 2 (English & Hindi) international languages
that would form the basis of a new, united Nepal.

Indigenous Caucus Pressing Ethnic Concerns
--------------

5. (C) In late July, Janajati leaders in the CA formed a
caucus to push for indigenous rights and frame the debate on
federalism. Of the 601 CA members, 219 self-identified
Janajati members caucused together. Thus far, 155 of the 219
have signed a concept paper that includes ideas for possible
inclusion into the new constitution. High ranking party
members from all major parties have joined the caucus. None
of the lunch participants thought the caucus members would
form a potential voting block--they saw the roll as an
advisory group within the CA.

Maoist Campaign Promises Vanish Into Nepal's Thin Air
-------------- --------------

6. (C) Padma Tuladhar told charge that the Maoists are
currently facing a "crisis of confidence" and noted that, had
they made more progress when they were in control of the
government, they would have engendered more popular support
amongst the Nepali populace. Tuladhar and the other Janajati
leaders pointed out that the Maoists were quick to take up
their cause but slow to push for any change once in power.
Tuladhar said when they needed popular support leaders of
Nepal's major political parties, including the Maoists, all
hail from the ruling Brahman class and thus have perpetuated
the centuries old tradition of classist, minority rule. The
rank and file Maoist cadres however are more sympathetic to
actually promoting ethnic issues.

KATHMANDU 00000744 002.2 OF 002




7. (C) Pasang Sherpa, the CA member, said the UML was
somewhat sympathetic to the Janajati cause while the Nepali
Congress (NC) thought that strengthening ethnic rights would
lead to the break up of Nepal. Tamang, of the Nepal Rastriya
Party, chalked the Maoist interest in ethnic affairs up to
nothing but politics. "The Maoists come to us whenever they
need support, they came last Tuesday, but then they don't
deliver on their promises," he said. Tuladhar joked about the
ephemeral nature of Maoist support. He observed that
although the Janajati comprise approximately 40 percent of
the population, when the Maoists conducted a nationwide
survey, all of their documents and material were exclusively
in Nepali. None of the survey materials were in ethnic,
regional, or minority languages.

Comment
--------------

8. (C) Janajati groups have been politically active in Nepal
since the 1950's, but remain marginalized in a system that
values political party affiliation above ethnic background.
Janajati groups have legitimate concerns that their
disenfranchisement will continue in a new constitution. The
formation of a Janajati caucus to publicize their cause
reflects an ongoing determination to translate ethnic
concerns into a political power base. There is no indication,
however, that Maoist or UML support for Janajati votes exists
beyond what is required for political expediency.
MOON