Rashmi Meche inducted as joint secretary in KP Sharma Oli ministry

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: In a significant achievement for the Meche (Bodo) minority community of Nepal, the new ministry of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has inducted Rashmi Meche as Joint secretary of Press Coordinator for the Prime Minister. She is involved in managing communication and media relations for the Prime Minister’s office, ensuring that information and updates regarding the Prime Minister and his activities are effectively disseminated to the public and the media.

Hailing from the Jhapa district of Nepal, Rashmi Meche belongs to the Bodo, who are called Meche in Nepal. She studied at the National Marigold English Boarding School and took the higher degrees from Amity College.

On Sunday, Rashmi Meche said she was excited after being inducted as joint secretary in Oli’s ministry. She said she was the first Meche (Bodo) person to hold the position in Nepal. The Meche people mainly live in the “Meche river” valley of Jhapa district in Nepal, and they are educationally and economically very backward, she said, adding that the Meche people she reached in her current position after having education with aim and determination. She said Meche people should better embrace education for the development of the community and go for holding positions in various aspects.

She said she felt proud to have the current position in the Meche community. Though they speak Bodo, there is no Bodo medium in Nepal, and there is currently no proposal to introduce Bodo as a medium of instruction but to learn in primary school. She also said the new generations have forgotten the Bodo language and are wearing Dokhona. She also said if the government of BTR is interested in extending cooperation for Bodo in lower primary through Nepal’s counterpart, it will be a welcome move to protect the Bodo language, literature, tradition, and culture.

The Bodos are called “Meche” in Nepal, and they speak Bodo, preach Bathou, wear Dokhona, and depend on agriculture in the plain Jhappa region. But the new generations cannot speak Bodo, and some of them forgot to wear their own dresses, but they have not given up the Bathou religion. Meche is one of the smaller minorities in Nepal, along with Tharu, Sherpa, Tamang, Magar, Rai, and Limbu. The government of Nepal, through various legal frameworks and policies, aims to protect and promote the rights and heritage of these minority groups. The National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN) and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development are some of the institutions that work towards the welfare of these communities.

Meche people who are living in the Meche River Valley in Jhapa district have an elected member in the House of Representatives in Nepal. Chhabilal Meche, elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Jhapa constituency 1. He is affiliated with the CPN-UML party and secured his victory.  On the other hand, KPS Oli was sworn in as the prime minister amid a special function held at the president’s office in Sheetal Niwas, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 15. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office.

Meanwhile, many people, individuals, organizations have hailed Oli’s ministry for inducting Rashmi Meche in the position of Joint Secretary to the Government of Nepal, and congratulations pour in for Rashmi in various digital media.

Also Read: KP Sharma Oli appointed as Nepal’s Prime Minister for fourth time (sentinelassam.com)

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