KATHMANDU:- The Association of Nepali Origin (ANO) has urged the government to formally recognize people of Nepali origin living around the world by providing them with an official identity card, aiming to strengthen their ties with their ancestral land.
A delegation of the AON, a non-profit organization dedicated to uniting and serving individuals of Nepali heritage worldwide, called on Minister for Foreign Affairs, Balananda Sharma at the latter’s office on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum outlining their above-mentioned demand.
The delegation included ANO International President Dilli Adhikari, Vice-President Sushil Panta, General-Secretary Chudamani Bhattarai and Nepal Chapter’s President Krishna Prasad Sapkota.
The memo also called for issuance of identity cards to people of Nepali origin who have been living abroad for generations. It also recommended setting up a dedicated ‘Nepali Origin’ desk at the arrivals section of the Tribhuvan International Airport to facilitate their entry into their ancestral land.
Similarly, the organization emphasized the need to protect the human rights of approximately 7,000 Bhutanese refugees still residing in camps in eastern part of Nepal. The memo also highlighted the need to ensure their proper humane resettlement.
Minister Sharma reciprocated that the demands align with the expanding Nepal’s national identity and pledged to take the matter seriously.
Recalling meeting members of the Nepali diaspora abroad during his military service in the past, Sharma expressed optimism about the initiative that would help them reconnect with their roots.
During the meeting, ANO President Adhikari voiced that if the government of Nepal supports the people of Nepali descents residing across the globe, it could attract significant investment, knowledge and skills back into Nepal.
The delegation reaffirmed their organization’s commitment to uniting Nepali-origin communities worldwide. They also urged the government to view their demand in the light of national interest.