Nepal’s young lawmakers want more say

Nepal’s young lawmakers are unhappy. They want more say in constitution drafting and also their seniors to complete the task at hand before May 28 — the deadline to adopt a new constitution, reports Utpal Parashar.

Updated on: Mar 12, 2010, 24:24:25 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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Nepal’s young lawmakers are unhappy. They want more say in constitution drafting and also their seniors to complete the task at hand before May 28 — the deadline to adopt a new constitution.

Cutting across party and ideological barriers, many of the new generation Constituent Assembly members have formed an informal group to pressurise senior leaders of all parties to draft the constitution soon. “We feel excluded from the key processes of constitution drafting. The new group would try and ensure a bigger role and pressurize seniors to work fast,” said Sunil Babu Pant (37) from Communist Party of Nepal (United).

Following failure of the Constitutional Committee to submit first draft of the constitution on March 5, there’s growing uncertainty on whether Nepal would be able to meet the deadline.

This had led to a feeling of restlessness among the new generation lawmakers who have started a signature campaign of all CA members below 50 years of age seeking completion of the constitution drafting process on schedule.

One third of the total 601 CA members are below 40 and over 430 of them (nearly two-third of the total members) have not crossed the age of 50.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
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.Read More

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