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Kathmandu Monday October 01, 2001 Ashwin 15, 2058.
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Poor implementation of policies frets ethnic groups
By Subas Risal
KATHMANDU, Sept 30 – The lack of implementation of the programmes to
uplift their socio-economic status envisaged in the Ninth five-year plans are
disenchanting ethnic groups in the country.
Though this section remains sceptical regarding the implementation of most of
the proposed plans in the Ninth Five-Year Plan which is in its final year, they are
pinning hopes that one of the major programmes -- constituting Indigenous and
Nationalities Development Committee (INDC) at district level – would materialise.
Formation of district level INDCs are aimed at providing fresh impetus to
campaign of ethnic groups to end all forms of inequalities. Claiming to have been left out
of the different mainstream development programmes, ethnic groups have been launching
campaigns against the unequal treatment meted out to them by the Establishment since
democracy was restored in 1990.
"It clearly shows negligence on the part of government that programme on
INDCs at district level in the Ninth Five-Year Plan are yet to be implemented. However, if
the government decides to implement this particular programme, studies and researches must
be conducted on ethnic groups. This committee should be constituted in the districts where
majority of the ethnic groups and indigenous people resides," said Til Bikram
Nemwang, a noted academician.
"The committee, if formed must pressure the government to introduce
different programmes to uplift the socio-economic status of the ethnic groups and should
be involved in formulating plans and policies at the local level," Nemwang said.
The ethnic groups believe that if the INDCs at district level are introduced
they will help in preserving local dialects, culture and tradition. They have been
claiming that none of the successive governments after the restoration of democracy in
1990 have introduced plans and policies to protect the rights of the ethnic groups.
"If the district level INDCs are constituted, it will definitely help in
providing equal opportunity to the ethnic groups in different mainstream development
programmes. If functioned properly, this will aid in preserving local dialects, culture
and tradition." says Sitaram Tamang, president of Ethnic Groups Liberation Movement.
"To make them effective, representatives from different ethnic groups
must be included as decision makers. The most important of all, is that it should not be
allowed to work under the Nationalities Development Committee (NDC). They should be
allowed to work independently as autonomous bodies," Tamang further said.
The NDC that was established after the re-induction of democracy has not been
able to contribute much towards the upliftment of the marginalised ethnic groups.
The Committee has been mired in controversy since the very beginning amid
claims from the ethnic groups that it is working against their interest. They contend
that, such problems wouldn’t have emerged had this committee worked for uplifting the
socio-economic status of the nationalities.
However, the government opines that if the District Level INDCs introduced
they will be under the NDC which it believes is currently working for the upliftment of
socio-economic status of the ethnic groups
"The sole motive of constituting the district level INDC is to give
equal opportunity to the ethnic groups in different sectors of the country. If it is
formed then it will be under the NDC. And the charge that NDC is working against the
interest of the ethnic groups is totally baseless," said Secretary at the Local
Development Ministry, Udaya Sotee.
He further adds, "We are currently focused on the Bill on academy which
has already been registered in the Parliamentary Secretariat. The INDC will have a new
look if the academy is formed."
When asked, when would INDCs begin work, he said
that since NDC right now has very low budget and he could not say exactly when it would
begin work.
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