Thakur-led party seeks autonomous Terai guarantee

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, Jan 3 - The recently formed Terai-Madhes Loktantric Party (TLP) Thursday handed over a memorandum to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, demanding, inter alias, a constitutional guarantee that the country’s lowland belt gets autonomy with the right to self-determination. Talking to reporters after handing over the memo to the PM, chairman of the regional party, Mahanta Thakur warned that they would launch a peaceful agitation if the 11-point demand was not fulfilled within two weeks. “(This) is a struggle for freedom. Madhes needs autonomy. We are not going to backtrack or surrender our demands,” said Thakur, who had resigned as Minister for Science and Technology and a senior Nepali Congress leader last month. Their other demands include martyr’s status to those killed during last year’s Madhes revolt, free medical treatment to the injured ones, and an independent probe into the use of force during the revolt. Inclusion of the Madhesi people in the national army and allocation of the budget on the basis of the population are their other key demands.

Posted on: 2008-01-03 09:07:41 (Server Time)

(Source : ekantipur.com)

Madhesh Madhesh

Madhesh (Maithili:मधेश), also known as Terai or Tarai, is the flat southern region of Nepal which stretches from east to west. It is a part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It occupies about 17% of the total land and is home to almost 50% of the total population of Nepal.

The Madhesh is a 20 to 30 km wide broad belt of flat and fertile land stretching from the east to the west of Nepal. To the south are the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, and the Sivalik/Chure Range is to the north of Madhesh.

Contrary to the frequent image of Nepal as mountainous country with snow-covered Himalayas and Mongoloid people, the region is a flat, fertile piece of land with people and culture mostly resembling to that of northern India. The major languages in the region are Maithili, Bhojpuri, Nepali and Hindi .

The eastern part of Madhesh was a part of the ancient kingdom Mithila with Janakpur as its capital.

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Madhesi leaders step up talks on poll

Kantipur Report

RAJBIRAJ, Jan 2 - Madhesi leaders from various parties have expedited consultations and interaction as the possibility of holding the CA poll has increased dramatically after the Seven Party Alliance signed the 23-point agreement.

Chairman of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) Rajendra Mahato said Constituent Assembly (CA) election could solve most of the problems facing the country.

Speaking at a press conference organized here on Tuesday, Mahato, however, charged the government with not being serious toward creating conducive environment for holding 'positive' CA polls. He also added that NSP was ready to mediate between government and armed groups in tarai. Further, issuing a deadline to the government to create a favorable environment by January 18 to hold elections, Mahato warned that his party would declare a peaceful agitation the next day if the government didn't act responsibly.

I too can quit NC: Gachhadar

Nepali Congress (NC) leader Bijay Kumar Gachhadar accused the government of being apathetic toward solving the problems in tarai. He also said the NC leadership was ignoring the tarai problem.

"I can also quit the party (NC) if the government fails to solve the problems in madhes," Gachhadar said. Claiming that Mahanta Thakur's new party was an example that people's organization existed even outside the seven political parties' alliance, Gachhadar further said, "It's a defeatist mentality to say that India is controlling the madhes agitation."

'Madhes should not hamper elections'

NC General Secretary, Bimalendra Nidhi, said the Madhesis should not obstruct CA poll. Addressing a press meet in Rajbiraj on Tuesday, Nidhi said the government was eager to hold talks with dissenting armed groups in the tarai.

Similarly in Rautahat, another NC general secretary Rambaran Yadav opined that no one should bring up communal and regional issues during the present transitional phase. Addressing party cadres at Chandranigahpur on Tuesday, Yadav said that such issues would only disintegrate the country into pieces. He also said it was wrong of the groups in tarai to raise arms.

MPRF agitation to be peaceful

Meanwhile in Sunsari, chairman of Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF), Upendra Yadav, on Tuesday said the MPRF agitation, starting January 20, would remain peaceful. Talking to the Post, Yadav however, said the MPRF agitation could turn violent if the government tried to suppress it. Yadav also reiterated that a new all-party government should be formed to hold 'meaningful elections.'

Posted on: 2008-01-01 21:14:09 (Server Time)

(Source : ekantipur.com)