Democracy For Nepal: Madhesi Movement: Intensifying The Protest

Monday, February 05, 2007

Madhesi Movement: Intensifying The Protest

Where do you go from here? How do you escalate?

If Girija Koirala were to go on TV and meet the basic demands, the movement would get off the streets right now. All but one demand has been met by his coalition partners. Noone is yet talking in terms of the Home Minister resigning. That is the departure point for any political solution to the crisis. Krishna Sitaula has to go.

Paudel Bahun Is Lying
Dhruba Adhikary: Your Typical Pahadi Liar

And if Krishna Sitaula does not go soon enough, the crisis will deepen and Girija Koirala himself will have to go.

Keep the Madhesh shut down indefinitely. Invite the Janajati to join in. Expand into other parts of the country if possible. Definitely expand into western Terai.
Stick to nonviolence. We call it nonviolent militancy.
Come out into the streets in humongous numbers. Come out like there were no tomorrow.
Prepare for a unilateral declaration of the Madhesh state.
Paint all signboards of the Nepal Sarkar offices. Replace Nepal Sarkar with Madhesh Sarkar.
The entire time expand the organization.

This would be the second phase of the movement, the intensified version.

If Girija still does not budge, we will launch a third phase that will only conclude with his ouster.

I hope the man comes to his senses soon.

What I don't understand is this. If the Nepali Congress is a democratic party, it should by now have been competing with the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum for the Madhesi aspirations/votes. But I see no such sign. Instead these Pahadis are wallowing in the mud of prejudice.

Girija is playing Russian roulette, who will blink first. If he were to give a democratic response to the Madhesi Movement, the regressive threat subsides. And we go back to the democratic path towards the constituent assembly. But if he dillydallies, he pushes the country's politics into a precarious zone. He has to make a choice, and he has to make it now.

South India - Wikipedia In 1953, the Nehru government yielded to intense pressure from the northern Telugu-speaking districts of Madras State, and allowed them to vote to create India's first linguistic state. Andhra State was created on October 1, 1953 from the northern districts of Madras State, with its capital in Kurnool. Increasing demands for reorganisation of the patchwork of India's states resulted in the formation of a national States Reorganisation Commission. Based on the commission's recommendations, Parliament of India enacted the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, which reorganized the boundaries of India's states along linguistic lines. Andhra State was renamed Andhra Pradesh, and enlarged by the addition of Telugu-speaking region of Telingana, formerly part of Hyderabad State. Mysore State was enlarged by the addition of Coorg and the Kannada-speaking districts of southwestern Hyderabad State and southern Bombay State. The new Malayalam-speaking state of Kerala was created by the merger of Travancore-Cochin with Malabar and Kasargod districts of Madras State. Madras State, which after 1956 included the Tamil-majority regions of South India, changed its name to Tamil Nadu in 1968, and Mysore State was renamed Karnataka in 1972. Portuguese India, which included Goa, was annexed by India in 1961, and Goa became a state in 1987. The enclaves of French India were ceded to India in the 1950s, and the southern four were organised into the union territory of Pondicherry.

Madhesi Movement/Maghe Kranti: The Historical Context

Civil rights movement

African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)

American Civil Rights Movement (1896-1954)

Timeline of the American Civil Rights Movement

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Malcolm X

Quit India Movement

Indian Independence movement

Indian Declaration of Independence

Revolutionary movement for Indian independence

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Mahatma Gandhi

Attempts to assassinate Mahatma Gandhi

History of South Africa in the apartheid era

Nelson Mandela

Israeli apartheid/Sandbox

In The News

Madhes Violence: Identity Clash in Nepal United We Blog
Nepal: From Frying Pan to the Fire Nepalnews.com, Nepal

OHCHR-Nepal takes note of Terai violence, urges all to engage in dialogue for solution Kantipur
3 killed in clashes between Jwala Singh, Goit led JTMM factions
Govt, eight parties ready to amend interim statute: Minister Pandey
Leaders of major four parties discuss Terai unrest
Vandalism, protests continue across Terai; curfew continued in Biratnagar, Inaruwa, Sarlahi
Govt talks committee to consult civil society activists to resolve Terai unrest Mahant Thakur, he would be holding discussions with civil society representatives in a bid to get a real picture of the present situation in Terai. The civil society memebers recently visited the strife-torn regions in Terai and conducted field assessment there. .... the representative of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal Lena Sundh is to discuss the Terai issue with the eight parties, civil society and journalists today afternoon.
JTMM cadres ransack police post, loot weapons, ammunition in Siraha
Petrol, gas shortage worsens
समाधान खोज्न आज आठ दल बैठक
प्रधानमन्त्री निवासका १७ कर्मचारीलाई जन्डिस
राजधानीमा सद्भावनाको विरोध र्‍याली अन्तरिम संविधानमा तत्काल संशोधन गर, समानुपातिक निर्वाचन प्रणालीको व्यवस्था गर, सरकारी दमन बन्द गर, संघीय प्रणाली लागू गर लगायत नारा लगाएका थिए । प्रधानमन्त्रीको सम्बोधनले मधेसी समुदायलाई घोका दिएको र आन्दोलनमा गोली प्रहार गरी गृहमन्त्रीले दमन गरेकोले पुतला जलाएको सद्भावनाले जनाएको छ । .... नेपाल मधेसी प्राध्यापक समाज ..... तर्राई मूलकै नेताको अध्यक्षतामा वार्ता टोली गठन गरिए पनि सत्ता पक्षबाटै राजावादी, प्रतिगामी, उग्र हिन्दुवादी र साम्प्रदायिक तत्त्वहरूको घुसपैठ रहेको भनिरहेको उल्लेख गर्दै विज्ञप्तिमा यसलाई मधेस समस्यालाई सरकारीस्तरबाट पन्छाउने प्रयास र राजनीतिक षड्यन्त्र रहेको जनाइएको छ । मधेसी, आदिवासी, जनजाति, तथा उत्पीडित समुदायको जायज मागलाई समयमै सम्बोधन गर्नुपर्ने नत्र उत्पन्न हुने गम्भीर परिणामको जिम्मेवारी सरकारले लिनुपर्ने जनाएको छ ।
तर्राईमा अझै तनाव
सातादेखि सयौं यात्रु अलपत्र
अत्यावश्यक वस्तुका अभाव पूर्वी तराई र राजधानीमा खाना पकाउने ग्यास र अन्य पेट्रोलियम पदार्थको संकट सुरु भइसकेको छ । केही लिटर तेलका लागि लामो लाइन लागेका छन् । खाद्यान्न, हरियो तरकारीलगायत अन्य अत्यावश्यक वस्तु अभाव नभए पनि सुलभरूपमा बजारमा उपलब्ध छैनन् । उपभोक्तामा अत्यावश्यक वस्तु नपाइने हो कि भन्ने त्रास बढेको छ । त्रासले उपभोक्ता आवश्यकभन्दा बढी सञ्चय गर्छन् । यसले बजारमा थप अभाव सिर्जना गर्छ । सरकारी स्वामित्वको नेपाल खाद्य संस्थानले पनि यसको संकेत दिइसकेको छ । अस्थिरता र अभावले मूल्य वृद्धिको चापसमेत परेको छ । यसको सोझो असर न्यून र मध्यम आय भएका उपभोक्तालाई परेको छ ।.... आपूर्तिमन्त्रीले राजीनामा दिएका छन् जुन स्वीकृत नभएको अवस्था छ ।
मधेस, आगो र इन्साफ हाल मधेसभरि सकल मधेसी नरनारीको उत्ताल आवेगको आगो दन्दनी दन्किरहेको छ । यो आगो झन्डै अढाई सय वर्ष उच्च जातका हिन्दू सामन्ती खस शासकहरूले आफूमाथि थोपरेको शोषण, दमन र अपमानविरुद्ध प्रकट भइरहेको सामूहिक चित्कार हो । नागरिक आन्दोलनको टोलीमा नारिएर जाँदा मैले जब थलैमा मधेसी आगोको उर्लँदो ज्वाला देखेँ, म चकित भएँ । यो निःसन्देह जायज इन्साफको दाबी गर्ने अजेय आगो हो । अकल्पनीय भनिएको उन्नाइस दिनको जनआन्दोलनको आगोभन्दा यो आगो कता हो कता चर्को छ । अनि मधेसको घना बस्तीहरू भएको सामाजिक मानचित्रमा यो आगो कति हो कति व्यापक छ । ....... मधेस जानुअघि मधेसी आन्दोलनबारे ममा पनि केही आशङ्काहरू नभएका होइनन् । सीमापारिका र राजावादीहरूको घुसपैठ र भाँडभैलोका अनेकथरी किस्सा र अफवाहले कुमलकोटीले कीरालाई गाँजेझैँ मेरो मनमस्तिष्कलाई गाँजेका थिए । सोचेँ, थलैमा गएर हेर्छु र केस्रा-केस्रा केलाएर मधेसी आन्दोलनको यथार्थ बुझ्न जमर्को गर्छु । नागरिक टोलीको बीचमा उभिएर जब बुझियो, मधेसी आन्दोलनको विम्ब काठमाडौँमा बसेर, महेन्द्रवादी राष्ट्रवादका सङ्कुचित र अहंकारवादी आँखाले हेरेर बनाइएको भन्दा एकदमै फरक देखियो । ....... म गान्धीवादी वा माक्र्सवादी हुँ भन्ने कतिपय पहाडी र राजावादीहरूको बोली आपसमा घोलिएर एकदमै एकनासे भएको छ । यिनका माथिका उद्गारमा मधेसी आन्दोलनलाई अराष्ट्रिय र प्रतिगामी रूप दिएर मधेसको इन्साफको आगोलाई बलले कुल्ची-कुल्ची निभाउने मनसाय जान-अन्जान मुखरित भएको छ । यो यिनको अतिशय मूर्खतापूर्ण मनसाय हो । ....... चालू मधेसी आन्दोलनमा हिंसाको प्रमुख कारक को हो ? मैले त्यो कारक प्रहरीबल हो भनेँ भने नेपाल सरकारका कर्ता र यसका अन्धसमर्थकहरूमा क्रोधमय आवेग पैदा हुनसक्छ । तर यो अकाट्य सत्य हो । उदाहरण जति पनि छन् । कफ्र्यु थोपरिएको जनकपुर बजारमा टायर र अश्रुग्यासको धूवाँले निसासिँदै हिँड्दा हाम्रो नागरिक टोलीका नाकै अगाडि पागलतुल्य प्रहरीको एक झुप्पो उन्मादी वेगमा कुध्दै एक मुसलमान बस्तीमा पस्यो । त्यहाँ शान्तसँग आ-आफ्ना घरमा बसिरहेका मुसलमान महिलाहरू निर्घात कुटिए । हामीले देख्दा ती हात जोडेर जीवनको भीख माग्दै अत्यासको भावमा रोइरहेका थिए । उता परवानीपुरमा अर्को बस्तीमा घुसेर प्रहरीले गर्भिणी महिलालाई समेत निर्मम ताडना दिएछन् । जताततै लाठी र गोलीको अन्धाधुन्द वषर्ाको नृशंस कथा अर्कै छ । हामी जहाँ-जहाँ गयौँ, हाम्रो वरिपरि जीउभरिका आला नीलडाम देखाउँदै चित्कार गर्ने मधेसीेको धुइरो लाग्यो । ती सब अश्लील वचनमा घोर अपमानजनक गाली गर्दै पहाडी प्रहरीको प्रहारबाट आहत तुल्याइएका पीडित मधेसी थिए । ........ प्रहरी दमनको प्रकृति र त्यसको घनत्व हेर्दा हामीलाई शाही कुशासनको झल्झली सम्झना आयो । ....... गृहमन्त्री कृष्णप्रसाद सिटौलाको प्रहरी ज्यादतीलाई ढाकछोप गर्ने भाषा ..... यी हरफ लेख्दाको घडीसम्म मधेसमा सत्रजना नागरिकको ज्यान गइसक्यो । अङ्गभङ्ग र अपमानित हुनेको सङ्ख्या त झन् हजारौँ पुगिसक्यो ....... नेपाललाई अघोषित उपनिवेश बनाउने सन् ५० को सन्धि गरेको कसले हो ? नेपाल र नेपालीलाई ठग्ने र नेपालको अस्मितामै आँच पुर्‍याउने कोशीदेखि महाकालीसम्मका यावत् सन्धि-सम्झौता गरेको कसले हो ? कालापानीको विशाल भूभाग तलका 'असल छिमेकी' ठूलदाइका पाउमा चढाइदिएको कसले हो ? आखिर मधेसका अख्तियार र पहिचानविहीन मधेसीेहरूले त होइन क्यारे ! ...... देश भत्काउने खालका नारा अघि सारेर आन्दोलनमा च्याँखे थाप्ने मुठ्ठीभर मधेसी मनुवाहरूलाई निहुँ बनाएर सारा मधेसवासीका जायज आकांक्षा र सपनालाई बुटले कुल्चिन खोजियो भने त्यसो गर्न खोज्नेहरू आफैँ मधेसी चेतनाको आगोमा जलेर भष्मखरानी हुनेछन् । लामो र गाढा निद्रापछि अब मधेस जाग्यो । मधेसीहरू सङ्कीर्ण, क्रूर, असहिष्णु र अहंकारी राज्यको दास बनिरहन अब फेरि निदाउनेवाला छैनन् ।
मधेसले खोजेको सजगता निर्वाचित संविधानसभाले सबै विषयमा अन्तिम निर्णय गर्नसक्ने भए पनि स्वयम् संविधानसभाको संरचना र बनोटले यस सम्बन्धमा निणर्ायक भूमिका खेल्ने निर्विवाद छ । संविधानसभा निर्वाचनका लागि समानुपातिक निर्वाचन प्रणाली स्वीकार गर्दै निर्वाचन क्ष्ाेत्र निर्धारण जनसंख्याको आधारमा गरिनुपर्छ । यी दुवै व्यवस्था अन्तरिम संविधानमै संशोधनद्वारा गरिनुपर्छ ।
समानुपातिक निर्वाचनको अर्थ २०५ २०४ १६ ४२५ हिमाल र पहाडभन्दा तराईमा बढी जनसंख्या भए पनि प्रतिनिधि संख्या कम छ । ...... संविधानसभाका लागि ४२५ सिट निर्धारण भएको र मधेसीले ५२ प्रतिशत मत प्राप्त गरेको छ भने उसले ४२५ को ५२ प्रतिशतले २२१ प्रतिनिधिलाई सहभागी गराउन सक्छ । यसैलाई समानुपातिक निर्वाचन प्रणाली भनिन्छ । ... पहिलो विकल्प अन्तर्गत जनता र जनप्रतिनिधि बलियो हुन्छ । पार्टी कम्ाजोर हुन्छ । त्यसैले सरकारमा बस्ने पार्टीहरू कुनै पनि सर्तमा पहिलो विकल्प दिन तयार हुँदैनन् । उनीहरूले दोस्रो विकल्प दिन सक्छन् । तर मधेसमा चर्केको आन्दोलन तेस्रो विकल्पका लागि हो भने, काठमाडौं तथा लिम्बूले जारी राखेको आन्दोलन चौथो विकल्पका लागि हो । अब हेर्न बाँकी छ, सरकारले कुन विकल्प देला ?
कार्यालयमा महिला हाकिम
हवाई यात्रु चौगुना बढे

Army men ordered to remain on ‘high alert’

BY PREM NEPALI

POKHARA, Feb 6 - Hinting that Nepali Army (NA) could be mobilized to contain the ongoing violent activities across eastern and central terai, Dilip SJB Rana, acting chief of NA's Western Divisional Headquarters, on Monday directed his subordinates to remain on "high alert".
Rana informed that NA has requested the government to take initiatives to develop interim agreement with the UN and CPN (Maoists) to mobilize its personnel for limited period. Addressing the Western Divisional Headquarters Conference on Monday, he said, "I direct Number 22 Brigade Headquarters to remain alert by keeping themselves mentally and physically trained to be mobilized under Aid to Civil Authority concept."
The Brigade is based in Butwal.
Rana was apprehensive that the country could once again fall into the quagmire of violence due to continued vandalism and arson in the names of Madhesi People's Rights Forum and Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM), a Maoist splinter group. "I direct the Brigade, foreseeing this extreme situation, to observe necessary precaution and keep its army personnel always on high alert by making appropriate preparation and execution plans," he added.
The function was attended by representatives of major political parties, senior army officials and battalion commanders of different army bases under the Western Divisional Headquarters.
Reading out his 15-page long speech, Rana said that Maoist violence had taken birth in the country due to political instability, rampant corruption and poor governance seen after the restoration of democracy in 1990. He added that NA relentlessly fought the Maoists for the cause of the nation and forced the latter to renounce the politics of violence and sit for dialogue.
Rana alleged that people could never feel good governance as the government would change invariably every six months during the period. He concluded that vested activities on the part of political parties had added fuel to the fire of Maoist violence. He opined that National Investigation Department could not act as anticipated as political parties had turned it into a recruitment centre for their cadres.
Rana also highlighted the country's ailing economy. He said the economy could not prosper as large borrowers did not repay their loan and large tax payers tried their best to evade taxes under political backing.
Meanwhile, local level political leaders alleged that Rana's critical statement of parties was a conspiracy to push the country into civil war.

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