Speakers at an interaction program organized by the Society for Preservation of Shelters and Habitations in Nepal (SPOSH) Friday said that the existing law, the constitution and the government have failed to address the problems faced by more than 1.7 million refugees living across the country.
At a time when the country is moving towards realizing full fledged democracy, the refugees have been desperately seeking the rapid resolution of their problems. They also demanded their rights to be secured like other citizens of the nation.
Speaking at the programme, CPN-UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari said that the task of building a new Nepal would be much easier if the new government could address the problems of indigenous and backward people
Chairman of People’s Front Nepal Amik Sherchan, said it was the duty and responsibility of the government to fully resolve the refugee problem. Distributing land certificates will not be the solution to settle the problem of refugee but the nation should provide equal opportunity for education and employment without any bias.
Addressing the programme, Bimala Lama, President of SPOSH, said that the newly formed government should initiate steps to address the refugees’ problem when the much talked about constituent assembly would start functioning.
Lama also said that the existing laws and constitution had failed to meet the aspirations and wishes of the poor people. Many rich people became richer while the poor were further suppressed and marginalized, she added.
Government should make a policy to distribute the citizenship certificates even to those people having no land ownership certificates to protect the rights of refugees and to provide equal opportunity, she further said.