‘State restructuring by dividing far-western region Unacceptable’

Kathmandu, Nepal –  Expressing collective commitment to not come back from the stance of keeping the far-western region intact, Ministers and former Ministers of the area have said that they would in no way accept the state restructuring to be undertaken by disintegrating the region.

They asserted that the existing structure of the far-western region should not be dismantled in the name of restructuring the state, underscoring the need of making Seti-Mahakali an integrated and prosperous state based on capability and identity.

At an interaction programme organized here on Saturday by 15 youths and student organizations associated to different political parties, participating speakers univocally stressed the need to maintain the integrity of far-western region reflecting ethnic, linguistic, cultural, historical and geographical identity as it is also in the forefront of safeguarding nationality.

UCPN (Maoist) leader and Minister for Commerce and Supply Lekhraj Bhatta pointed out the need to restructure the state so as to make the entire country including the far-western region prosperous as bringing the country to ethnic line in the name of identity would invite catastrophe.

Nepali Congress (NC) leader and former Minister Ramesh Lekhak said there is no alternative to move ahead to ensure the rights of women, indigenous nationalities and Dalit by internalizing the aspirations of far-western people.

He said the division of far-western region to disintegrate the fundamental characteristics of the region would not be acceptable to them in any pretexts.

CPN-UML leader and former Forest Minister Urba Dutta Panta batted for the need of restructuring the state to institutionalize the achievements attained through democratic movements, making it clear that they would not accept the decision to wipe out the identity of four districts of Mahakli and five districts of Seti.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party leader and former Minister Narayan Dutta Bhatta expressed solidarity to the agitation launched by far-western people towards keeping the region intact.

People from far-western region have brought the Seti-Mahakali region into a grinding halt expressing disagreement against the UCPN (Maoist)’s proposal of dividing the country into 10 states disintegrating far-western region since Friday. RSS