Nepal passes secular constitution amid protests

September 21, 2015- The global community has given a cautious welcome to Nepal’s new constitution that was promulgated on Sunday.

The Constituent Assembly unanimously endorsed an acknowledgement motion, thanking the president for announcing commencement of the new constitution.

Recently natural disaster in the country has killed more than 9,000 people in 2015 galvanised politicians, as squabbled for 7 years to finish the charter. The new constitution is expected to officially end the civil war.

Work on the constitution began in 2008 after the Maoists won parliamentary elections and abolished the monarchy.

India has reasons to be perturbed about the volatile situation in Nepal, a country with which India shares an open and contiguous 1751-km-long border. They and the Maoists, working together, pushed through the new draft charter in June, saying the disastrous earthquakes in April and May had concentrated their will to get it done.

The seven provinces will be finalized by a high-level commission within a year. Nepali society has become deeply polarised on whether the states should be ethnically delineated.

“The Muluki Ain has a maximum sentence of 12 years for killing a cow, even though cow meat is required for cultural practices of some groups like the Kirats”, said Shankar Limbu, a lawyer.

“The nation’s leadership has affirmed that its LGBT citizens deserve the constitutional right to live their lives free from discrimination and fear”, said Cobb.

With this, the Interim Constitution has been annulled. The PR system has helped more members of indigenous and low-caste groups, historically repressed and marginalised, get elected. The new Constitution is going to change an intervening time one that has been doing…

Another factor upsetting New Delhi is the disinformation campaign under way in Nepal that India had instigated the Madhes movement.

Under the constitution, 14 districts in the southern plains would be joined with provinces dominated by hill dwellers.

On Friday, after the constitution was passed, foreign secretary S. Jaishankar flew to Kathmandu in a last-ditch effort to stave off the document’s promulgation till fresh discussions could be held.

Rights to citizenship were hotly debated during the drafting and critics say the constitution discriminates against women in terms of passing on citizenship.

“The idea of secularism is meant to separate state from religions, and is meant to protect religious minorities, instead it has been defined to protect the dominant religion”, said Malla.

“Historically, they feel that they have not been treated as equal citizens”.