New Nepali Constitution to Come Into Effect After Years of Preparations

He held a separate meeting with UCP-Maoist chairman Prachanda and discussed the country’s latest political situation amid protests by Madhesi groups over the issue of federating the country in the new Constitution to be unveiled on Sunday.

The three main political parties backing the constitution have made a fresh appeal for Madhesi to join talks.

The assembly would dissolve and convert into a regular parliament.

The constitution is still opposed by a few who wanted to it to re-establish itself as a Hindu nation.

“The new constitution has institutionalised republicanism in the nation”, Yadav said.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar travelled to Kathmandu on Friday as the Special Envoy of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for consultations with the countrys top leadership ahead of promulgation of the new constitution. They have protested by burning copies of the Constitution and by indulging in arson and public protests. Nepali capital, Kathmandu, red and blue flag decorated the front of the assembly building more than two thousand people stood with great enthusiasm.

But conversations national security adviser Ajit Doval had with key Nepal leaders last week did not succeed in pulling Kathmandu back from passing the constitution in their constituent assembly this week.

Expressing concern over the violent situation in several parts of Nepal along the Indian border, India today asked the country to resolve differences through dialogue free from violence which would enable broad-based ownership and acceptance. Geographically the Nepal is divided but between “Hills” in the north and flat lands (Tarai) with south. The hill-people are known as “Pahari” and people of south as “Madeshi”.

He maintained that the current unrest arose because the major parties did not pay heed to the concerns raised by the Madhesis, Tharus and Janajati communities and bulldozed their way through the promulgation of the Constitution.

Madhes-based political parties and members from the Tharu community walked out of the Constituent Assembly and rejected the constitution, saying their demands were not incorporated in the new document.

In Article 4, the State of Nepal is described as an independent, indivisible, sovereign, secular, inclusive multicaste, republican state, oriented towards democratic socialism. “This constitution making process, there was genuine expectation that this opportunity will create that space that all the people of Nepal will feel they are the proud citizens of Nepal”, Pokharel said.

Other issues have also upset both ethnic minorities and women, who say the constitution discriminates against them in terms of passing on citizenship to those who marry foreigners.