Morang, Feb 19: Minister for Culture, tourism and Civil aviation, Bhanubhakta Dhakal has said the Rajbanshi community (Birat) would be included in the list of indigenous nationalities and it would be the 128th such community to be included.    

Addressing the 14th extensive assembly of the Rajbanshi Society Uplift Committee (Birat) Central Office here today, the Culture Minister said so far 125 ethnic communities have been listed and this community would be added in the list along with two other communities.    

He assured that a proposal to this effect would be presented in the Council of Ministers through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration. Minister Dhakal asserted that there would not be any discrimination when it comes to honouring the Rajbanshi community as it is the indigenous community of this region.    

Stating that the government has been rendering the facilities provided to other communities listed under the indigenous nationalities, Minister Dhakal stressed on the need of promoting tourism by preserving and protecting the indigenous cultures, languages, costumes and religion.    

Committee's central member Bhuwaneshwor Mandal complained that although the Rajbanshi community has its own language, identity and culture, the state did not enlisted it under the 'indigenous nationalities' category for the last 13 years.    

NCP central member Satya Narayan Chaudhari, Tharu welfare Assembly Morang chair Pradip Bhagat, chair of Rajbanshi Culture, Kusheshwor Rajbanshi, Gupta Narayan Mandal among others put their views suggesting that the members of the Rajbanshi community should state their identity as Rajbanshi (Birat) in the upcoming census.