Some Points to Ponder

TRN Feb.22, 2008
Madhesh Bandha
Some Points to Ponder
-Vijaya Chalise
The count down to the Constituent Assembly (CA) election is just 48 days and the Madhesis regional parties are causing obstruction even after Prim Minister Girija Prasad Koirala including seven-party alliance time and again has called for dialogue to settled the possible demand. On the contrary, the indefinite bandha called by the United Democratic Madhesi forum (UDMF), has turned into violent clashes, vandalism, and bomb blasting at several places. Three major parties in the Terai- Terai Madhesh Democratic Party (TMDP), Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF), and Sadbhawana Party (SP) - hade formed the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) on February 9 to push the Madhesh agitation.
The UDMF has been enforcing an indefinite general strike in the Terai since February 12 to pursue the government into meeting their six-point demands. The renewed major demands of the UDMF include declaring of 45 persons killed during the Madhesh movement as martyrs and compensation for their families, providing relief to those rendered physically disabled during movement, and constitutional guarantee for autonomy and right to self-determination for Madhesh under a federal state structure. Proportional representation for all ethnic groups including Madhesis in all state structures, group's entry of Madhesis into the Nepali army on the basis of their population and changes in election laws are also among the demands forwarded by UDMF. The government has already decided to fulfill their demands except right to self-determination for Madhesh that is obviously not possible and Prime Minister Koirala has made clear that the rights of Madhesis could be secured without and adamancy on self-determination.
The Home Ministry, after the bandha turned violent through Tulsipur in Dang to Nepalgunj in Banke, has urged all not to resort any kind of anarchist activities destroying law and order of the society and has instructed local administrations to adopt necessary security measures with due awareness. Obviously, no government could afford anarchist activities. Prime Minister has rightly said there should be no compromise with any force from home or abroad regarding the independence of the country. He says with full optimism that since we have arrived at this stage through dialogues, the problems of Madhesh should be solved through negotiations too besides, we have constitution assembly to settle all outstanding issues.
Ironically, a number of leaders of some of the agitating Madhesi groups had held important and influential political posts in policy making body representing national parties and council of ministers, under the post-1990 multiparty system or under the king's active rule before that, or under both. More over, majority of the leaders who led forum and he regional parties, have come from the elite and well to do family background. When they were in power they neither pressed their parties to implement Madhesh friendly policies nor tried to do the same while they were in government. And then, they even were not aware of the rights of the marginalized and oppressed people living in Terai. Over again, the various groups of Adibasis or original inhabitants of the Terai, as the Tharus, The Rajbansis, Meches, Dhimals and many more are in support of the Forum's demand of 'One Madsh one Pradesh' including rights to self-determination or not is not clear. Tharu people are not Even in favor of the word Madhesh. For that reason, these issues could be settled after the formation of CA through the coming election. Now, if the Forum and other agitating groups want CA election and an integrated Nepal with its territorial sovereignty, they should realize that they have to compromise on the demand of right to self determination relating sovereignty and disintegration: policies on foreign relations, defense, security and use of natural resources. Such an anarchist move by the forum that claims itself responsible and against disintegration has obviously contradicted to their deeds, raising question whether they really want the constitution election or not. The Forum's decision of not to sit for dialogue with the government right away and not submitting the list of the candidates for the election for the CA also has caste doubt of their participation.

After the first set of incidents took place in Terai, the state administration stayed unresponsive instead of nipping the mischief in the bud. The armed groups in the name of Madheshi politics and the political parties and the groups who were for a genuine demand of Madeshi people should have treated differently. Those who tried to divide Nepalese people into Pahadis and locals or Madhesis in Terai should have taken into control as the state can not tolerate such division to its citizens. A Nepali's right to reside and work in any part of the country is not only unchallengeable, but also respected. This right should be protected at all costs. The ghastly drama being enacted in Madhesh is loaded with threatening implications for future. No one should promote Frankenstein who seeks to hound out fellow Nepalese and should not be considered as only a vote bank. The indifferences obviously boosted the image of the leaders whose gangs were spreading mayhem in the Terai regions of southern Nepal. The incidents and delay in dialogue and actions together raised suspicion that things were what they seemed to be. The parties were promoting the regional political powers near to them to challenge Maoists on its own ground with greater militancy. Now, it has been turned boomerang to all the national parties including the government. This game of the grand old parties is now something the country is familiar with- divide and rule. Obviously, it might have served the interests of some political parties; the nation now is in the danger of disintegration as they have been voicing one madhesh with the right to self determination. Supporting the extremism under the table has been a dangerous game. The danger is much greater because it is the bordering region which cultural as well as family relations are near to the other part of the boarder.
The incidents and demands by themselves have drawn attention to a larger phenomenon that should be troubling in the national context including Constituent Assembly election. Poverty may predispose people to violence, but the post-People's Movenent-2 skirmishes in Nepal including Terai were not a natural consequence of poverty and discrimination upon Terai people alone. Nepalese have been poor but peaceful for centuries as are Terai people. Equally, rather the protests are the language of the weak against a regime that rigged itself into power, but the situation now is completely different from that and the present government is assigned to institutionalize the right of the depressed people including Terai.
As the country is heeding towards institutionalization of the state structure into Federal Democratic Republic, entire society and stakeholder should be responsible as appealed by the Prime Minister. At a time when the country is moving through a tough time, and reactionary forces including foreign elements are playing against the restructuring of the state through CA election all the stakeholders should go to the election first and establish the Federal Democratic Republic and then fight for remaining rights. Obviously, rights of not only Madhesi people but also of all the marginalized and oppressed groups should be guaranteed, but the national integration must remain intact. (Chalise is Editor-in-Chief of the Gorkhapatra.)