Nepal debates conscription for adults above 18 yrs
Nepal’s lawmakers who are in the process of formulating the country’s new constitution are fighting over 'compulsory military training' to all citizens above 18 years.
Nepal’s lawmakers who are in the process of formulating the country’s new constitution are fighting over 'compulsory military training' to all citizens above 18 years.
The proposal has the support of Maoist lawmakers and another fringe parties but is being opposed by the ruling Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) coalition.
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“It will be basic training enabling citizens for national welfare and making them disciplined,” Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) lawmaker Yogendra Man Ghising told the constituent assembly on Tuesday.
Maoists, who entered the political mainstream in 2006 after a 10 year civil war that claimed over 16,000 lives, have been insisting on conscription as a mean to promote nationalism.
The party’s manifesto for last year’s election which elected a new constituent assembly had also included compulsory military training.
The issue had also been debated in the previous constituent assembly, which was dissolved in 2012 after failing to draft a new constitution.
After Maoists, who were the biggest party in the previous assembly, insisted on its inclusion a committee had agreed on asking citizens above 18 years to take part in military training “if required”.
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This time around with Maoists relegated to the third biggest party in the new constituent assembly the ruling coalition is against incorporating any such provision in the constitution.
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This time around with Maoists relegated to the third biggest party in the new constituent assembly the ruling coalition is against incorporating any such provision in the constitution.
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“Since Nepal is not going to take part in any war, the issue of military training is meaningless,” said Nepali Congress leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Sujata Koirala.
Another Nepali Congress leader Arjun Narsingh KC said the idea is not feasible as the country will need NRs 21 billion (Rs 13 billion) to give military training to nearly seven million youths.
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.
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