Policy & Public Debates

Policy Debates on Social Inclusion Programme - Concept Note

Mohan Das Manandhar
August 20, 2008

Background

There is a compelling need for Nepal to demonstrate its commitment to establish a multi-cultural, multi-social, multi-linguistic, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic federal state, as the new government prepares to restructure the state taking into consideration the diversity of the state and its people.  Historically, the country had suffered from social exclusion. Spatial diversity and political ideology of Nepal as a Hindu state managed by monarchy contributed high level of social inequality in Nepal. Social exclusion is said to occur when a group is excluded "from rights or entitlement as a citizen, where rights include the social rights to a certain standard of living and to participation in society" (HRD, 1997). Nepali citizens were excluded from exercising their rights on the basis of their social identity in terms of caste, ethnicity, race and gender. Discrimination and violence against individual citizens of these identified groups nurtured by the state has been the foundation of social exclusion. As late Dr. Harkha Gurung puts it "State advocacy of Hindu religion relegates the Janajati, ethnics and other non-Hindus as peripheral subjects. Cast system perpetuates untouchability that inhibits the right to equality of Dalit..... In addition, there is the Madhesi community being discriminated on regional basis." The state created structural barriers in access to state resources, justice and services to these identified socially excluded groups: women, janjati, madhesi and religious and linguistic minorities.

Social inclusion is a political agenda which was brought forth by the armed conflict started in 1996 which took the lives of more than thirteen thousand people, both from the State and the CPN (Maoist) After the peace talks between the conflicting parties and the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) in 2006, an interim government consisting of six political parties and the Maoist was formed in 2006. In April 10 2008, the interim government (GoN) successfully conducted constitution assembly election.  In addition, the direct first past the post system to elect members of the constituent assembly, a proportional representation system was also introduced to ensure that wider spectrums of the population including representatives for excluded groups are represented in the assembly. As a result the excluded groups are fairly represented: more than 33% women members, about 31% from Janajaties, 8% from dalits and 34% from Madheshis.

There is a need for Constituent Assembly to focus on structural inequalities and their implications for building a more inclusive Nepal as nation state. In addition, there is also need to modify or develop a new state mechanism that will allow for representatives of excluded groups and civil society organizations advocating their interests. There is an understanding among CA members regarding the barriers of social exclusion; however, they lack understanding and knowledge to develop tools and mechanism for making the state structure and state mechanism inclusive. In this regard, there is an urgent need to initiate a dialogue with the CA members and their respective 25 political party’s policy makers and civil society representing voices of excluded group.

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