Tuesday, April 18 2006 12:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Gangtok: A three-day national conference on the 'identity and nationality of the Indian Nepalis :issues and perspectives' will begin at the Chintan Bhawan here on April 20.

To be organised by the Indian Nepalis Study and Research Forum (INSARF) the conference will deliberate over what defines the identity of Indian nepalis and seek to dispel the continuing incoherence over their nationality, INSARF president K P Adhikari told a press conference here.

"The objective of the conference in which delegates from 14 states with sound knowledge of the Nepali society in India will participate, is to have a social, economic, political, literary and legal 'inventory' of the nepalis living in different parts of the country," he said.

"It will also map the changes they have undergone during the last two centuries and seek to understand their specific problems and predicaments," he said.

"Besides all this the conference will explore methods as to how the future of nepalis living in different parts of the country can be better secured economically, socially, politically and legally," he added.