Prime Minister of Nepal Makes Commitment to Incorporate Food Sovereignty as Fundamental Right of the People in Constitution
Press release by ANPFa
For Immediate Press Release
On October 16, the 29th annual World Food Day, the National Network on the Right to Food in Nepal held a seminar on the state of food security and food sovereignty in Nepal and the obligations of the state. The chief guest of the program was the Right Honourable Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.
The program was chaired by Dr Sarba Raj Khadka of SAAPE and attracted participants from a number of organizations including ANPFa, SAAPE, RTFN, FECOFUN, Action Aid, hunger survivors, members of the press and others.
A presentation by Mr Prem Dangal, Secretary General of ANPFa, described the concept of the Right to Food as well as the obligations of the state. Mr Dangal highlighted the poor conditions in Nepal and concluded that agrarian reform, peasant rights and the right to food can only be ensured by including food sovereignty in the constitution.
Sensitizing the issue, a representative of the hunger survivors, Mr Jagadis Bdr. Singh Yadav, said that the unequal treaties and Indian expansionism were the two main reasons the right to food is being violated in Nepal. He also added that despite the struggles of the victims and the voices raised by youth, peasants and civil society, the government is turning a deaf ear to the problem. He warned the government, and said, “If we have to come to the streets in a nation wide protest to awake the government we are ready for this."
Another speaker, Ms. Sharmila Karki, General Secretary of the NGO Federation of Nepal, mentioned that within the marginalized, ethnic and even Dalit groups women are the main victims due to gender discrimination.
In his presentation, the Right Honourable Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal recognized that the situation in Nepal is unsatisfactory. He expressed his commitment to ensure the concept of food sovereignty is included in the new constitution of Nepal. Mr Gauri Pradhan, Honourable Member of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal, stated that since the right to food is a primary and fundamental right of the people, it is necessary to ensure this right in order to protect all other basic human rights. Guest speaker Mr Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav, Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, also expressed the need for agricultural policy reform. The seminar ended with a speech of thanks by Mr Sarba Raj Khadka, Chairperson of the event.
Contact:
Balram Banskota
Deputy Secretary General, ANPFa
Tel: +977 14288404
Fax: +977 14288403
anpfa@anpfa.org.np balram@anpfa.org.np
http://www.anpfa.org.np/