The Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin) has asked the government to revise the constitution amendment bill before endorsing it through Parliament. Nefin, an umbrella organisation of 59 indigenous communities in the country, has said that the bill in its present form is incapable of meeting aspiration of the ethnic communities of the identity-based federalism.

Submitting a memorandum to House Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar on Sunday, just hours before the government tabled the amendment bill at the Parliament Secretariat for further deliberation, the Nefin delegation stressed that it was necessary to revise the bill before endorsing it through Parliament.

“It’s important to revise the amendment bill for a broader legitimacy of the constitution. The proposed amendment cannot meet aspiration of the Janajati communities which represent a third of country’s population,” said Nefin Chairman Jagat Baram, who assumed office a few weeks ago. In a memorandum submitted to Speaker Gharti Magar, Nefin has warned of a stern protest if the constitution is not revised in line with the agreement reached between the government and the Janajati communities.

Following a nationwide protest of the Janajati communities, the government had signed an agreement with Nefin in May 2012 to adopt ethnicity-based federalism in the proposed state restructuring. The agreement also speaks of forming autonomous regions, special areas and protected areas guaranteeing autonomy and right to self-determination.

 Contrary to the agreement, the Local Level Restructuring Commission’s report on the local boundaries makes no mention of the formation of autonomous regions, special areas and protected areas.