Reason behind the Declaration of Newah Autonomous State (NAS) in Nepal
Daya Shakya
Oregon
Struggle for democracy never ends, some countries have already achieved it and some
have just begun to understand the meaning of democracy. In the case of Nepal, the
democratic norm has already started to float in the minds of Nepalese people and
it is still working under labs to figure out the result of struggle by adopting the
experimental phases based on ‘by the people, of the people and for the people’. It
is still uncertain when the people of Nepal is going get the final and conducive
result of Democracy even though the 240 years old one man ruling system was abolished
in two and half years ago. Under several phases of struggle it is not worthy to mention
here that Nepal is not a mono-lingual, mono-cultural country. It has many layers
of multi cultural identity diversified under the roof of the world from snow Peak
Mountain to hot and wet low lands. Collectively they all are known as Nepalese consisting
of many ethnic groups. But in the past all ethnic group’s identity have been attempted
to wiped out from history and gradually made all people of Nepal by the term NEPALI
by the 240 years of rulings that arose from the Gorkha hill in west Nepal and made
known as Gorkhali even in Indian and British armies. Until the year 2007 Nepalese
people were made known as Nepali and enforced to learn the ruling language by provision
of less important to ethnic languages. One of them is the Newah Language that was
historically recognized as official language of Nepal Mandala before the unification
of current and larger Nepal. Since then Nepal Bhasa was treated as unimportant language
and never got state privileges till now. Keeping this in mind Newah people felt that
they were not treated equally under any constitutions so far written in courses of
historical and political changes. Their language and culture were given less attention
for development and promotion. Due to this unfair and unequal justice from the ruling
group the Newah people took a bolt step to keep on struggling for own identity collectively
calling Nepali by the khas language speaking community of Nepal. This difference,
exploitation and suppression gave birth of political unrest. Even under the current
interim constitution that was written after the second jana andolana the importance
was given to only those elite groups. Due to such type of dissatisfaction, many ethnic
groups took the justice in the street and failed the negotiation with elite group
controlled government of Nepal. During the last two and half years many attempts
were made to secure the place for Newah people in constitution to be written. On
one hand the government’s spoke person pacified the ethnic groups to implement the
agreement policy that was already signed but on the other hand reality was different.
But the signed pact was never put into practice. So the hope from the elite group’s
government was fading away and the Newah people were determined to achieve the goal
of securing the identity by any means. As the result, all the Newah personnel who
were involved in Newah awareness as well as the Newah members of existing major political
parties jointly declared to form a struggle committee to achieve the destination
for all suppressed groups. On the day of Dec, 26 the day after Christmas was celebrated
in the world’s in major cities the declaration of Newah Autonomous State (NAS) took
place from the grass root level by the original inhabitants(adivaasi) of Nepal
Mandala in Dasharath Ranga Shala stadium in Kathmandu. This was first time in modern
history that such a huge number of Newah people assembled in a venue to claim own
land as an autonomous state under the federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. Due to
lack of comprehensive approach presented by the ruling political parties and the
Government in power (GOP) or from the Constituent Assembly the Newah people themselves
took this step to declare the NEWAH - LAND as under their own territorial jurisdiction
where the Newah people should have right to choose rule of law to save Newah identity
in the constitution that is going to be promulgated in near future. The Newah community
in the US thanks to all the dedicated Newah personnel. Without their cooperation
and enthusiastic approach this historical event would not become successful. Our
thanks also goes to members of Newah Swaayat Shashan Mankaa Sargharsha Samiti (NSSMSS)
compromised of 31 different castes based social organizations as well as Newah Dey
Daboo (the national organization of Newah people) along with Newah leaders of existing
political parties NC, UML, UNCP( Maoist) and the Nepaa Rastriya Party (NRP). It was
the collective approach of all the social organization which has been working for
Newah cause in past many decades. The declaration program was kicked off by singing
the national anthem of Nepal as well as the each and every audience in stadium took
oath to save own land by putting the right hand across the chest and singing the
national anthem of Newah State debuted on the very day. Similarly on the occasion
the organizing committee raised the new Newah State Flag as symbol of unity and freed
the pigeons by each couple represented the 31 castes based social group in Nepal
Mandal and a bulk of balloons were blown away with banner written ‘NEWAH RAJYA JINDABAAD
(long live Newah State). The welcome speech was delivered by the chairman of Newah
Dey Daboo Mr. Narendra Tamrakar. On the occasion the patron of Newah Dey Daboo Mr.
Malla K. Sunder has announced the structural goals of Newah state and its features.
He said that Newah state has place for all well wishers of Newah state. There will
be no discrimination to any caste and creed under new state law. However, the priority
will be given to Nepal Bhasa in every sector of State government and in educational
institutions to save the identity for the future generation of Newah people. In the
evening of that day a dazzling light in Newah towns and cities across the nation
marked the special day of declaration on December 26th 2009. Subhaaye!
