After banning the Netra Bikram led Nepal Maoist Communist Party, the government has been launching massive drives to contain violent and illegal activities of Chand led parties. Although the government has had a major success in arresting top leaders of Chand Led Maoists, the extortion threat in the rural municipalities is yet to recede. As Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Chand led Maoist parties both are taking a hard stand, there are no chances of political negotiations happening any time soon. Despite Chand led Maoists’ claim of not having any plans to attack the police force now, but elected representatives living in rural parts of Nepal have started leaving their homes after feeling threatened. Instead of a political issue, we have decided to issue a Citizenship Certificate cover story this week. The House of Representatives is now discussing the provisions of the new citizenship bill because of the large number of people living without citizenship certificates, deprived from facilities provided by the state.

With two third of its majority in the parliament, the communist led government is pushing harsh provisions in the act to obtain the citizenship certificate. Instead of discussing irrelevant issues and making the citizenship a political issue and an issue of nationalism, The Parliament needs to pass the act with respect to the word and spirit of constitution. Verdicts of courts and Nepal's own international commitments should aim to provide citizenship certificates to people who were born in Nepal and are eligible to claim it.