Nepal’s CA committee favors passport regime with India

Nepal’s CA committee favors passport regime with India

The National Interest Preservation and Protection Committee of the Constituent Assembly has forwarded a proposal to bring into effect the implementation of passport regime to effectively manage the Nepal-India Open border.
The Committee stresses the need to implement passport regime between Nepal and India, mainly, to protect the "waning Nepali Nationalism".
“The draft of the proposal has been prepared upon holding consultations with general public”, said Mr. Amik Serchan, a senior Maoist leader who is currently heading the Committee, talking to one of vernacular dailies published from Kathmandu, April 4, 2009.
“The Open border between Nepal and India is the main cause for the weakening Nepali Nationalism and thus to timely stop this dangerous phenomenon, implementation of the passport regime between the two countries, is the only scientific solution”, Mr. Serchan adds.
“Nepali and Chinese nationals need passport and visa for moving across the border, it is recommended thus that both the neighbors should be treated equally”, said Sherchan.
“Majority of the general Nepali public share the same opinion”, substantiating the proposal Mr. Serchan added.
“We will discuss the proposal with all the parties in the CA independently…we will finalize the proposal and then incorporate the provision in the new constitution.”
He further adds, various organizations and civil society groups have also suggested that in order to control anti-Nepal activities, Passport regime is the only viable solution.
“Security and border management issues must be addressed properly by the constitution”, says Bal Krishna Dhungel- a member of the said committee.
“We will discuss this issue with India as well”, Dhungel adds.
It is also revealed that the committee while on discussion with Nepal Army officers, Police officers, Security experts and Civil Society leaders was told to forward the proposal as per the wishes of the general public.
“We are also on-discussion to find amicable solution to the current border dispute with India, the proposal will also include possible solution to the issue”, Serchan added.
Mr. Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, Mr. Shastra Dutta Panta and Mr. Punya Prasad Oli- Nepal’s acclaimed border experts were consulted by the National Interest Preservation Committee prior to coming to this conclusion.
“Public opinion is also that Nepal’s border with China and India should be properly fenced”.
Mr. Serchan adds, some of the ideas shared by the Nepal Army were relevant but the proposal to declare Prithivi Narayan Shah as the symbol of national unity was against the wishes of the General Public…now the Nepali citizens who shed their blood to declare the country a Federal Democratic Republic were themselves the symbol of national unity.
2009-04-04 09:25:43

source: http://www.telegraphnepal.com/news_det.php?news_id=5148&PHPSESSID=c45e08915770196c443af597f4b69fde