Vibrant Public Sphere Vital For Solidarity

Nepal's each political change has widened people's rights and a sharp drop in matching duties. For instance, the new constitution has granted 31 rights and 4 duties to people. These rights are embedded in the system of laws and allow them to live with dignity in opposition to conformism of party politics. Public debates on rights-based reasoning go beyond natural rights to life, liberty and property. One of such debate circles around subsidiary identity. It has created many mini public spheres and unleashed contesting interpretations of issues whose synthesis is vital for a cohesive nation building. John Rawls says, “The desire to express our nature as a free and rational being can be fulfilled by acting on the principle of rights and justice as having first priority.”