Rajendra Mahto's Proposed Madhesi Front

I am too far away from ground realities to give specific advice, but I am glad for the initiative taken by Rajendra Mahto to work to get together a Madhesi Front, and I do want to offer some broad outlines as to how this effort could morph. That is the only way. Before Madhesi leaders can talk to the Pahadis in power, they have to talk to each other. And if they can't talk to each other, they don't have much moral ground to talk to the Madhesi people and seek their vote and support.

Rajendra Mahto and I go back far. I have known him from the early 90s. We worked together back then. It was political work. I have always admired his warmth of personality and his people skills. He can bring people together. That is an important skill to have on a deck like politics where many egos are involved.

The first step would be to get all Madhesi groups to talk to each other. That means the two Sadbhavana factions, the two MJF factions, the three JTMM factions, and all the other armed Madhesi outfits. They will probably have to meet in some place like Patna or Lucknow. This is de ja vu all over again. This is like when the seven parties formed an alliance with the Maoists.

But before they talk to the armed groups, it would be a good idea for the four nonviolent groups to get together first, the two Sadbhavanas, and the two MJFs. That meeting could take place some place like Birgunj. That meeting would decide on the broad parameters of the talks to be held with the armed Madhesi outfits and the alliance to be formed.

The Madhesi Front is going to have to play out a few different scenarios. There is an urgent need for political clarity. A mass movement is going to have to be the weapon of last resort. The group is going to have to decide on a clear agenda and one leader. That one leader part is going to be hard. There is going to be a tendency to want to settle on a ceremonial monarch type person like Ram Raja Prasad Singh or Anandi Devi. I think that will be a mistake. You need someone with a broad mass base who is actually doing the work actively on a daily basis. I would say Rajendra Mahto and Upendra Yadav are best suited for the purpose. They could become president and co-president of the Madhesi Front. And if they can not see eye to eye like that, they are going to have a hard time telling the Madhesi masses to get behind them.

At this point I get the impression the Mahto faction of the Sadbhavana is busy talking to the various armed Madhesi groups through the back channels and less busy talking to the nonviolent groups like the other Sadbhavana and the two MJFs. That is not a good sign. The nonviolent Madhesi groups have to get together first. Imagine the Nepali Congress and the UML not getting together first before trying to forge an alliance with the Maoists. That would not have been a good idea.

The goal is to end up with a common minimum program. That common minimum program has to be as short as possible. If it is too elaborate, you are going to lose focus.

And the Madhesi Front, once formed, should have the authority to make all the armed Madhesi groups declare a ceasefire, and to call off all strikes in the Terai.

I would like to propose a four point common minimum program.

1. Fully proportional elections to the constituent assembly in April.
2. An election schedule that lets more new parties to register.
   
3. Ek Madhesh, Ek Pradesh.
   
4. Formation of a 30,000 strong national army in which Madhesi participation is proportionate to its share of national population. Proportionate participation also in the police and the armed police force.
   

A mass movement is the weapon of last resort. The only thing you need right now really is a fully PR election. Security sector reform will be carried out by the constituent assembly. So if you want a due share for the Madhesi in the security sector, you make sure there are plenty of Madhesis in the assembly. And you get plenty of Madhesis in the assembly by getting them to vote for you. And you get them to vote for you by bringing forth a ceasefire in the Terai, and an end to all strikes. And by forging a Madhesi Front around four words: Ek Madhesh, Ek Pradesh.

If all Madhesi nonviolent and violent groups could come together under one tent to form a Madhesi Front and rally behind the Ek Madhes Ek Pradesh slogan, that front will sweep the election in the Terai. It could even become the largest political group in the constituent assembly. And if not the largest, it could easily emerge the second largest. At that point it could get either the Prime Ministership or the presidency or the Speakership. It could be in power in a major way. At that point you are not demanding fair security sector reform, you are yourself implementing it because you are in power, you are in the driving seat.

I think the goal of the Madhesi Front should be to keep the Terai open seven days a week from now until the elections. Let the Madhesis make bountiful money. Let all the businesses flourish. So they can donate to the Madhei Front candidates when the time comes.

The relentless bandhs have not been helping the Madhesi cause. They have been chaos, not a movement. Bandhs are a sign of disorganization. You build organization, you don't call bandhs.

The problem with the Madhesi Movement this year has not been that the Madhesi people are not awake. The problem has been that the Madhesi leaders have not been awake and in conversation and united. You have got to talk to each other. The onus right now is on the Madhesi leaders, not on the Madhesi masses.

But this is not to say I am ruling out the idea of a mass movement. You always have to maintain that threat, and you have to carry it out if necessary. But before that can happen, you need utmost political clarity.

Congratulations To Rajendra Mahto
Rajendra Mahto: Three Hours Of Video
Rajendra Mahto In Town
Upendra Yadav: Five Hours Of Video
Upendra Yadav Was In Town

In The News

Journalists across the country stage protest against Shah's murder NepalNews
UNMIN seeks role in security sector reform extend the term of the UNMIN, which expires this January, by another year. ....... three areas where UNMIN can have active role are: support to the implementation of the peace process and agreements signed by the parties, which is a need that is being increasingly stressed by Nepali political leaders and civil society; assisting a discussion on the future of the country's security sector including a managed transition from the current temporary Maoist army cantonments and restriction to barracks of the Nepal Army to long-term solutions without which there is no exit strategy from UNMIN's arms monitoring and; greater advisory support to promoting public security – the greatest concern of so many Nepalis and a critical requirement for a credible Constituent Assembly election. ...... an increased number of reports of unresolved abductions and killings, whether attributed to armed Madhesi groups, Maoist cadres, or local disputes. ....... bring murderers to justice, as the CPN(M) has committed to do in the tragic case of Birendra Sah, and as I have repeatedly said should be the case with the killers of Maoist cadres in the Terai ....... implementation of commitments made to Janajati, Madhesi and other groups ...... "I want in particular to put on record that UNMIN has not met or sought to meet with the leadership of armed Madhesi groups. This misunderstanding appears to have arisen because there was one meeting in India between United Nations humanitarian officials and the leadership of one armed group. Their purpose was to try to ensure that emergency food relief and other assistance could be delivered in the wake of flooding in the Terai earlier this year without attacks by armed groups against humanitarian workers."
Over 100 people killed between February and July: NHRC report
Prachanda, Nepal discuss ways to exert pressure for implementation of House directive
Process for third country resettlement of Bhutanese refugees begins
Maoist bandh cripples life in Rautahat
Mahato vows to form a united front in Madhes by involving even armed outfits Rajendra Mahato has said that he will form a united front with all Madhesi groups including the armed outfits and launch a decisive struggle from mid-November. ....... the formation of the front will be similar to the formation of seven party and Maoists' front before April, 2006 people's movement. ....... "We do not demand separate Madhes state but a united Madhes province" ..... the agitation by the front will press ...... he wants job guarantee to 10,000 Madhesi youths in army and police forces before election can be held. ....... he is forming Madhes Raksha Bahini – a force of youths who are both politically and physically trained – to prevent the agitation from becoming violent. He claims that such Bahini have been formed already in 12 districts
Goit's men shoot at overseer; JTMM-Jwala kills civilian

Forbidden City: Not So Forbidden: SEBS In The Metro

Long Time No See

Kapil Mishra sent out an Evite invitation. People showed up in batches. I was the first to show. People strolled in. Then the second round people showed up around midnight. The third round arrived at two in the morning. In all more than 30 people showed. These were SEBS members, their significant others, and friends. These were mostly the Manhattan crowd, people who had gone through the American undergraduate experience.

At some level, I have felt like an outsider for a while now. Partly by circumstance, partly by choice. That is not necessarily a bad place to be. That actually is the only place to be if you want to do out of the box thinking.

So we got together Saturday evening. I showed up at 9:30, on the dot. You won't believe it. I walked from home. It was a leisurely walk, with a drop by at the Park Slope Barnes & Noble.

When I first got the invite, I was not so sure I wanted to show up. Then I kind of got excited. I called up Kapil in the morning and said as much.

Everybody who showed was younger than me. As people get older, they seem to grow out of SEBS. They get more into family and their closest circle of friends. Me, I happen to be trying, working to regain my social muscles after two intense years online. I had individually met some of the people at various events and liked the conversations. Some people like Kedar and Bhupendra I have known a long time. I was their House Captain my Class 10 year. Bhupendra is now SEBS North America president. Most of SEBS business gets taken care of through conference calls, he said. Bhupendra drives a car. For someone living in the city, that felt exotic. The concept of driving a car.

One beer is enough for me for one evening. I don't get the concept of male bonding around beer. I get conversations. And at some level I fear the idea of a beer belly. But several of the others went for some hard liquor. Small glass vessels mean hard liquor. Alcohol is like cigarettes.

I hopped from one part of the joined tables to another. It was three different seats for me until we finally walked outside where there was no music and noise and so we could actually talk.

Sanjiv Shrestha was part of the second batch. He said he came from a momo party in Brooklyn. Well, that is two things I like, momo and Brooklyn. He went to Carlton. I met a Carlton graduate Asian American at the US embassy the summer before I came to the US who was on a year long world tour. Sanjiv said he almost went to Berea where I went. He now works at Goldman. Ends up he is a classmate and friend of my Janakpur neighbor and relative Sanjiv Shah, namesake. And then out on the pavement he told me my sister was also at the same momo party. And then he was into some matchmaking that involved me. I guess we two got very comfortable very fast.
If you are the same batch as your namesake Sanjiv, I must have seen you back at BNKS, I said.

It felt great. Then I left at two just when the rest of the people from the momo party also arrived. My sister was part of the crowd. I wish I had stayed for a few more hours. Shraddha Aryal was also part of the crowd. Sanjiv was trying to matchmake the two of us. I sent out an asking you out email the following day. That might have been a dead end. Since I have not heard anything back.

I have a lingering feeling this group should meet regularly, a few times a year. How about the first Saturday every other month at 8 PM at Rudy's near Times Square where the hot dogs are free, and beer is $3, pitcher $10. The place has a backyard, and it has a heated tent during winter.

Rabindra said he got married. Kedar I know is married although he came on his own. Bhupendra was there with his wife. Rahul was there with his wife who is from some place near Lahan. Kapila and Pratikshya are a couple, of course.

Rabindra and I talked at length about his industry. I have been following the news on the huge writedowns the banks are having to go through. It is a tough time for the big investment banks right now. A lot of big heads be rolling.

Samin is a medic. There was a Pratikshya relative, Girvan, like Girvan Yuddha Bir Bikram.

Kapil asked me about my startup. The music was so loud at that point, I was practically shouting.

He said Nepal having access to the Bay Of Bengal as a right was the best thing that could happen to the Nepali economy. I put forth the same view in my 1993 book: Sangram Morcha: A New Political Party (1993).

I talked about my startup. I said it has not been easy raising money. I said it is hard for other SEBSers, and other Nepalis to imagine that someone like me who looks like them could create a company that will get listed on Nasdaq. He said it was hard for anyone to create that kind of company.

Khaldo

Kapil Mishra: Diunso Consultant, Beluki Paparazzi

I believe he took all the pictures for the evening.

In The News

Maoists admit their cadres killed scribe Sah Kantipur
Maoists to snap ties with NC if it defies House directive
UML, Maoists at parting of ways
Mahato-led NSP gears up for armed movement in Terai The chairman of disgruntled faction of Nepal Sadbhavana Party Anandi-Devi (NSP-A), Rajendra Mahato, Monday said that his party was forming a joint front with the armed outfits in the Terai to launch the decisive movement in the region by mid-December. He claimed that the movement will enforce the article 33 of the interim constitution to ensure proportional representation of Madheshi people in all the organs of the state and will give rights to them through the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections. Unveiling his plans to launch the movement at a press conference at Nepalgunj Monday, Mahato said, “Now, we are conducting a Mechi-Mahakali programme to form the front and battalions to defend the Madhesh.” He said that the youths are being recruited in the battalions and deployed to avert the agitation from turning into violent and communal as in the past. Mahato further said that such battalions have been formed in 12 districts, and one hundred youths are associated with each district battalion and the number would be increased according to the need. Expressing hopes that the agitating armed groups in the Terai will participate in peaceful movement, Mahato expressed confidence that the front would materialize like the alliance of the seven parties. Mahato, who was also a former minister in the seven-party alliance, claimed that he was urging the armed agitating groups in Terai to join the peaceful movement as the CA elections would not be possible as long as the violence persists in the Terai. He also clarified that his party was not seeking a separate Madhesh state but autonomy for the entire Terai, and went on to denounce activities like burning national flag.
UML rules out political polarisation, change of guard in govt
Maoists call indefinite Rautahat banda
निणर्ायक मधेस आन्दोलनको तयारी' आनन्दीदेवी) को विभाजित समूहका अध्यक्ष राजेन्द्र महतोले सशस्त्र समूहसहितको संयुक्त मोर्चा बनाई मंसिरमा शान्तिपूर्ण निणर्ायक मधेस आन्दोलन गर्ने बताएका छन् । 'मोर्चा बनाउन सबै सशस्त्र समूहसँग वार्ता भइरहेको छ,' आन्दोलन तयारीमा विभिन्न जिल्लामा पुगेको उल्लेख गर्दै उनले सोमबार नेपालगन्जमा आयोजित पत्रकार सम्मेलनमा भने- 'उक्त मोर्चा जनआन्दोलन ०६२/६३ मा सात दल र माओवादी बीचको सहकार्यजस्तै हुनेछ ।' आन्दोलनले राज्यका हरेक निकायमा मधेसीको समानुपातिक सहभागिता सुनिश्चित गर्ने र संविधानसभा निर्वाचनमार्फत मधेसीलाई अधिकार दिलाउने उनले दाबी गरे । आन्दोलनलाई सफल पार्न सद्भावनाले 'मधेस रक्षा वाहिनी' गठन गरिरहेको जानकारी उनले दिए । गत माघको मधेस आन्दोलन अनियन्त्रित देखिएकाले नियन्त्रित गर्न र हिंसात्मक तथा साम्प्रदायिक हुनबाट जोगाउन वाहिनीमार्फत युवाहरू परिचालन गरिने उनले बताए । महतोका अुनसार अहिलेसम्म १२ जिल्लामा त्यस्ता वाहिनी गठन भइसकेको छ । प्रत्येकमा १६ देखि ३५ वर्षभित्रका एक सय युवा आबद्ध छन् । 'आवश्यकताअनुसार युवाशक्ति बढाउँदै लगिनेछ,' उनले भने- 'उनीहरू राजनीतिक शिक्षाबाट सुसज्जित र निशस्त्र हुनेछन् ।' तराईका सशस्त्र समूह मोर्चामार्फत शान्तिपूर्ण आन्दोलनमा सहभागी हुनेमा उनले आशा व्यक्त गरे । मधेसमा हत्याहिंसा जारी रहे निर्वाचन नहुने .. भएकाले सशस्त्र समूहहरूलाई शान्तिपूर्ण आन्दोलनमार्फत संविधानसभामा लैजान सद्भावनाले प्रयत्न गरिरहेको उनले बताए । 'हाम्रो पार्टी छुट्टै मधेस राज्यको नभई सिंगो मधेस प्रदेशको पक्षमा छ, राष्ट्रिय झन्डा जलाउने काम कुनै पनि हालतमा राम्रो होइन,' उनले भने । 'सद्भावना सशस्त्र विद्रोहमा विश्वास गर्दैन । त्यसैले शान्तिपूर्ण आन्दोलनको एजेन्डामा गोइत र ज्वालालाई ल्याउन खोज्दैछ । रगत नबगाई जनताले अधिकार पाउनुपर्छ,' उनले भने- 'शान्तिपूर्ण आन्दोलन असफल भयो भने मधेस उनीहरूको एजेन्डा -छुट्टै मधेस राज्य) मा जान्छ ।' महतोले अविलम्ब संविधानसभा मिति तोक्न गठबन्धन सरकारसँग मागसमेत गरे ।
INTERVIEW WITH Dr AMBIKA PRASAD ADHIKARI has worked in 26 different countries as an urban planner, consultant and teacher, planning and designing cities, and training a whole new generation of planners, environmentalists and architects over the past three decades ........ the first Nepali to gain a PhD from Harvard University. ....... There should be absolutely no controversy at all about dual nationality. Out of the 200 countries in the world, some 90 countries offer dual nationality.

Left parties press for implementation of motions passed by House NepalNews nation will be clearly divided into pro-republic forces and "status-quoist forces led by the Nepali Congress" if the House directive on republic and fully proportional voting system are not implemented. ...... might break the ties of left parties with the Nepali Congress. ...... “The nation will see a serious political crisis if the government does not implement the motions passed the House,” senior UML leader Bam Dev Gautam said ..... Janamorcha Nepal chairman Amik Sherchan ..... the government has no alternative than to follow the parliament's order.
Cabinet decides to formulate strict law on abduction the cabinet also approved all the agreements reached with the ethnic groups in the past and decided to forward the drafts to concerned authorities for implementation. ...... the government was also going to give holidays to all ethnic and religious groups in their festivals considering the fact that Nepal is a secular nation.
Vote division feared to create rift within ruling alliance "The communist parties came together to pass meaningless proposals" ..... could trigger polarisation between leftists and democrats. ..... some reports say that communist parties are now talking about changing the government's leadership in order to implement the passed proposals.
Maoists, UML back each other’s proposals; House passes Maoist motion on PR system The House passed the UML’s amendment motion on republic and the Maoists’ motion for adopting proportional representation based voting system, by a simple majority. ....... The Maoists and the UML together make up majority in the parliament, but an amendment in the interim constitution, if the two issues are to be incorporated, will require 2/3 majority.
The passed proposals do not have constitutional meaning, say legal experts the RPP supported the proposal on PR only
Role Of UNMIN
NAJA shocked by reports of Shah's murder The Nepal America Journalist Association (NAJA) has said it was shocked to read reports that journalist Birendra Shah was killed soon after the Maoists abducted him from Bara district a month ago.