Nearly three months after the country adopted a new constitution, the government has launched a campaign to educate the public about the provisions adopted by the charter.

The campaign, backed by the leaders of major political parties, hopes to dispel misconceptions about the constitution, particularly in the Tarai, where protests have been raging on for over 100 days.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli inaugurated the campaign amid a programme attended by senior leaders of major parties in the Capital on Monday.

The main purpose of the campaign is to tell the people how the constitution is not discriminatory and how it addresses the aspirations of every caste, community, religion, gender and class.

The constitution has been translated into various languages so that the people from all communities could read and understand it.

 The campaign will be organised in all 75 districts, 217 municipalities, and more than 3,000 VDCs. Representatives of the parties that backed the constitution will be mobilised to facilitate the campaign.

A 20-minute long documentary has also been produced, highlighting the major features of the new constitution.

Organising the campaign in some of the Tarai districts, however, could be difficult due to the ongoing protest of the Madhes-based parties. The public consultation process on preliminary draft of the constitution was opposed in several Tarai districts earlier.

Prime Minister Oli said some parties and individuals are busy spreading negative rumours about the constitution, hinting towards the ongoing protests in the Tarai.

He claimed that the new constitution has accommodated the aspirations of all recent political movements and it ensures the rights of the people living in hill, mountain and Tarai regions.

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said genuine demands raised by the Madhes-based parties and the people will be addressed through constitution amendments.

He asked Madhesi people to compare the constitution with the past constitution and see it for themselves if their rights have been compromised in any way.

Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula said there are chances of protests erupting in other parts of the country if the current boundaries are changed to address the demands of the Madhes-based parties.

Noting that the country’s national unity has been disturbed after the constitution was adopted, the NC leader said the situation should be brought back normal.

 Despite some dissatisfactions, Sitaula said, the constitution is one of the best in the world, and urged the Madhes-based parties to stage their protests peacefully.