Why Krishna Sitaula Has To Go

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This Maghe Kranti has lasted longer than the April Revolution. This Maghe Kranti has produced more martyrs than the April Revolution.

The April Revolution got rid of an entire regime. The Maghe Kranti is not asking for the ouster of the entire government. A Home Minister is a small price to pay. But if the Maghe Kranti goes on for longer, Girija himself will have to go.

Krishna Sitaula has to go on moral grounds. Krishna Sitaula as Home Minister has to take moral responsibility for the police brutality, for the shoot to kill orders. Crowd control does not mean you can shoot to kill. You can only shoot below the waist. But heads have been targeted. That is how most people died.

Everybody who is in power today is in power because of the April Revolution. Of all people, these people in power should understand why the Madhesi are defying curfews. Defying curfews was the trademark of the April Revolution itself.

These seven Pahadi parties are digging their political graves in the Madhesh. The more they postpone the obvious resolution, the more they hurt themselves.

These Pahadis in power are not democratic politicians competing for Madhesi votes and aspirations. These are prejudiced Pahadis who want the Madhesis to know their place in the scheme of things. They have colonial mindsets. They are fast losing relevancy in the Madhesh.

Krishna Sitaula's ouster is the very first thing. Without that the political solution to the movement does not even start.

In a parliamentary democracy, a minister resigns on moral grounds for much smaller things. This Maghe Kranti has been too big. Krishna Sitaula's resignation is about cultivating the proper political culture in Nepal's new democracy.

In The News

Eight parties close to understanding, preparing draft for PM's address NepalNews They have decided to increase the number of electoral constituencies and adopt proportional representation system on those increased constituencies.
US to continue assistance even after Maoists join interim government
Biratnagar unrest worsens, two killed in protest Talu Hasda and Nirmal Rajbanshi ..... police opened fire after protesters hit them with bows and arrows. .... The administration of Biratnagar had clamped indefinite curfew from 11 am Wednesday morning. The city has been reeling under constant curfew with sporadic breaks since past nine days. ..... Malangwa of Sarlahi district is also under curfew .... Protest demonstrations, however, have continued in Janakpur, Birgunj and Siraha, among other places. ..... 27 people have already died in the unrest
Terai unrest paralyses economy the prolonged unrest in Terai – the nerve center of business and trade activities. ..... With the sudden unrest in Terai, the community is really demoralised," said leading industrialist Rajendra Kumar Khetan. .... Terai plains in the eastern and central region constitute the major trade and transit point for Nepal. Almost all of its trading activities are carried out through the points like Biratnagar and Birgunj. From petroleum products to other essential goods, these are the major points from where they are transported to capital valley and elsewhere. The Parsa-Bara and Tankesinwari-Duhabi corridors are the major industrial and manufacturing hubs. ...... "For the past three weeks, all the industries there have simply shut down," said Khetan. Apparently shell-shocked by the speed and intensity with which the unrest gripped the region, the business leaders have become subdued, of late. ....... Since non-agriculture sector contributes 60 percent to our GDP, this will have serious impact," he said. Dr. Sharma added that the paralysis of trade, manufacturing and transport will have enormous impact on the GDP growth. ....... this unrest will cause serious impact on Nepal's ability to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) ...... At the micro level, the livelihoods of daily wage earners have been seriously threatened. Due to constant curfews, bandhs and strikes, thousands of laborers have already lost their earnings. ....... the unrest is certain to trigger further rise in inflation – which is already too high and growing at over 7 percent .... multiplier effect pulling down the country's prospects of achieving four percent growth this year. ....... due to unrest, revenue collection has trickled down almost to nothing at prime custom generating points like Birgunj and Biratnagar in the last three weeks. ....... Tourism, always a sensitive industry, has been left high and dry ..... hitting at the economic nerve center of the nation – is causing nightmares to the business leaders. ..... business sector will be haunted by feelings of insecurity and unpredictability if the situation is not immediately brought under control. ..... at a time when two of Nepal's immediate neighbors –India and China – are hugging the international limelight due to their stupendous economic growth reaching double-digit, Nepal continues to struggle to even achieve four percent growth
MJF reiterates demand for Home Minister’s resignation Sita Nandan Raya, the talks coordinator of the MJF, said at a programme in the capital on Wednesday that Home Minister KP Sitaula must resign by taking responsibility for the loss of lives and damages during the “peaceful protests” of Madhesi people. He also reiterated the stance that no talks would start with the government as long as Sitaula remained in his post. .... Raya, a former CPN (UML) leader, further insisted that the government was not serious about meaningful dialogue for addressing the Madhesi demands. .... demanding proportional electoral system for the upcoming constituent assembly polls, delineation of election constituencies on the basis of population and a federal system
27 people killed in Terai unrest; protests not peaceful: NHRC 21 protestors were killed in the course of agitation, 3 were killed by the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, two by unidentified people and one by the Maoists. ....The NHRC has recommended the government to immediately address the demands of Madhesi people ..... NHRC also asked the government to provide appropriate compensation to the families of deceased, provide treatment to the injured and also provide appropriate compensation to the damages incurred during the protests. ...... asked the government to file a criminal case against the Maoist who killed Ramesh Kumar Mahato in Lahan and take legal action against security personnel using excessive force against general people in peaceful demonstrations. ..... requested the demonstrators to hold their protest programmes peacefully, allow journalists to disseminate information freely and not to take domestic weapons in course of their agitation. ...... not create obstacles that affect the work of rights activists, health workers and ambulances. ..... the NHRC is continuing its monitoring work in coordination with other organizations as well. ... a large number of people outside the city areas had also participated in the protest programmes
Eight parties resume discussion on Terai crisis Although the meeting was prescheduled at 1 pm, the leaders started formal discussion only at 4:45 pm. CPN (UML) leaders came late due to the ongoing meeting of the party’s central committee ..... are divided over two other demands of Madhesi groups - proportional representation and delineation of election constituencies on the basis of population. ..... Koirala will announce the decisions of the meeting through a press conference
Government taking major decisions to resolve terai unrest soon: PM
Addressing the Terai issue with federalism they disappointed people when they could not include federalism and proportional participation in the interim constitution ....... Various forms of federal models exist around the world under different names but the basic idea of the system is the same: to free and empower local body that are entitled to decide their own fate in most of the policy making and development plans. ...... Recent unrest in Terai is mainly because of nation’s biased vision on Terai from the beginning. Number of visionless rulers and their followers ruled Nepal for centuries who forced majority of the population to remain in an illiterate, poor and powerless situation. ....... the situation did not turn better during 15 years of multi party democratic period ..... The system can be compared with the system in USA or India where the states act as separate entity. Terai would get its own state and the government will be run by Terai people. ..... after introducing the federal system, especially in Terai region which is the main region for Nepal’s GDP, if all the resources are allocated by state/regional government’s decision, remaining Nepal would have to live under resource crunch ...... the federal system promotes the idea of competitiveness among regions and urges them to become independent politically and financially. ....... The Constitution should reserve the power for the central government on sensitive areas such as national defense system, foreign policy and big investments in the nation. But minor social and economical issues can be decided by regional/state government where the need of one region may differ with the need of another. ....... Dividing the regions/states is one of the most important tasks in this system.
UML supports Madhesi movement party should remain firm on its demand for proportional electoral system, which is also one of the main demands of agitating Madhesi groups, and the federal system of governance
Thakur committee writes letter to MJF
Leaders gather at Baluwatar to resume discussions over Terai demands The meeting had ended inconclusively on Tuesday evening after the leaders failed to concur on the issue of Proportional Representation-based electoral system and population-based reconstitution of electoral constituencies – two of the major demands of protesters in Terai.
Rules for interim parliament finalised; draft committee recommends constitution amendment

EU concerned over terai unrest “It recognizes that there are genuine grievances which need to be addressed,” the statement said
Nemwang for amendment in interim constitution to resolve terai issue
Eight party meeting ends inconclusively; will be held again on Wednesday
Violence subsides in Terai
Brigadier Rana will face action for his comments, army chief tells parliament
MJF releases Maoist lawmaker, others

Interaction program on the terai problem

Home Minister’s resignation a pre-condition for talks: MJF Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), which is organising agitation across the Terai belt, has said formal talks with the government cannot start before the Home Minister resigns. .... the Home Minister should quit owning up responsibility for the “brutal clampdown on peaceful agitations”.

New Government Seeing Bad Reflections In Nepal Violence As one protracted conflict that gripped the country for a decade came to a close, a new one - possibly more explosive fuelled by complex ethnic mix - is now looming on the horizon. ..... There is a common agreement among the eight main parties which includes the Maoists ex-rebel, that the demand of the Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) for a federalist structure is valid. But that is as far as the agreement goes. ...... senior leaders including Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala along with senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal represent the Terai region, but under MPRF classification they are not ethnic Madhesi. ....... the parties are trying to distance themselves from the government's action that may be deemed unpopular to preserve their voter base ...... "Giving in to MPRF demands as it now stands will mean great political losses for both the Nepali Congress and the Maoists. Nepali Congress will lose significant amount of its voter base and the Maoists will lose the initiative of championing the causes of marginalised people, especially in southern Terai." ........ "If we are to give in to violent tactics of each small group then what will happen to the country?" Maoist leader Prachanda said in a recent news conference. ....... there are a dozen ethnic autonomous areas spread across the nation. .... It is natural for decades of suppressed feelings to explode in a changed political context. ..... the new rulers find themselves using police force against demonstrators, and already more people have died from police action in Terai than during the People's Movement in April 2006 which toppled the King Gyanendra's government. ....... violence already in its third week and many towns and cities still under curfew, the government is fast running out of options. The political parties may find themselves sidelined by the growing anger in the Terai and ultimately lose their goodwill among the people. Giving in to Madhesi demands completely may be the only way to avoid further bloodshed.
Nepal King is leaving the country: Reports Faced with a growing possibility that monarchy may be abolished in Nepal, King Gyanendra is contemplating leaving the country ...... the monarch has been holding a series of hectic consultations with royalists to find a way out. ..... is now ready to abdicate and leave the country to save monarchy ..... the king was ready to abdicate in favour of his grandson, Prince Hridayendra, a primary school student, since Crown Prince Paras is even more unpopular than the king. ..... Before the new constitution was promulgated, King Gyanendra reportedly tried to meet Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala with his abdication plan ...... Prachanda reportedly said the king had sent an emissary to him, suggesting a meeting and saying he was ready to abdicate. ..... 'But he laid down some conditions and we were not ready to accept them,' the weekly reported Prachanda as saying. If the royal family leaves Nepal, London is regarded as their most desired destination. ..... The quick-tempered crown prince .... is said to have no qualms about losing his inheritance. ..... 'I was never interested in being king,' the golf-playing, bike-riding prince is said to have told people close to him. ..... 'I am ready to give up my claim if that will help preserve monarchy.'
Nepal's Madhesis protest low representation in parliament, govt. jobs The Government can't stop us by firing bullets at us. We have suffered for the past 238 years. Democracy has not really helped us in any way," said Bhaginath Prasad Gupta, the General Secretary of the Madhesi People's Rights Forum. .... The Madhesi have been demanding more positions in parliament, political parties, government and security agencies. ...... They say their community is underrepresented because of the dominance of the Pahadis, the "political elites" from Nepal's mountains. ..... Angry demonstrations by the Madheshis have hit the impoverished nation