Statistics on indigenous nationalities to be corrected-PM Dahal

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has assured that there would be no effort to divide indigenous nationalities of the country in the name of statistics.

In his address to the Bhumya Festival-2080 organized by the Nepal Magar Association at the open theatre (Tundikhel) on Friday, PM Dahal said, ‘No effort will be devised to divide communities. I am clear in my opinion that the nation and nationalities should not be subject to division.’

The Prime Minister shared he received complaints noting the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) has divided indigenous nationalities, including Magar in the course of administering the National Census and would direct the authorities concerned to correct it.

‘Complaints have received on behalf of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) saying injustice was meted out against Magar ethnic group while unveiling the census results’, the PM said, adding, ‘I was not aware of the presentation of census to seclude Punmagar from Magar ethnic group’.

PM Dahal said he had drawn attention of the authorities after being informed of the census results. ‘I promise to clarify and correct presentation of the census results once the chief of Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) returned country from abroad’.

Magar community among others has been found committed to thinking, leadership and protection of leader, he said, members of Magar community were promoted to dignified positions of the country, including Vice-President and Speaker.

Nepal has been a country with multiethnic, multilingual and multiple cultural features, PM Dahal noted, adding the historical legacy has remained the special identity-marker of the country.

There is a time-honored history that the indigenous community has evolved through a culture of worshipping all types of nature, PM Dahal said, adding matter of nature conservation rested on protecting all human being.

‘It promotes the interest of all ethnic people, language users, groups and communities. The festival is associated to protect climate change and ecology by keeping national unity’, PM Dahal mentioned.

Also speaking on the occasion, National Assembly member Suresh Ale Magar and Pun Society Nepal patron and former Minister Uttam Pun urged the CBS to correct the statistics related to Magar ethnic group. On the occasion, cultural procession of Magar ethnic group was performed.

RSS