Friday, March 16, 2007

What Girija Could Have Done


MPRF: A Few Scenarios

We did not refuse to hold talks with the Maoists until they had ceased their violent ways and laid down their weapons. We addressed their political concerns first. And the military aspects came in second. And that has been working.

Girija has not shown half that respect to the Madhesi Janajati Movement. Just look at some of the demands. Take the Home Minister's resignation. A new interim government is to be formed soon. The Nepali Congress is the largest party in the country. To say there is noone else in that party who can replace Sitaula is ridiculous. The UML is about to bring in a whole news team into the interim government on its part. Why can't the Nepali Congress change its Home Minister? This is Girija's way of showing disrespect to the Madhesis.

MPRF: A Few Scenarios

75 districts, 19 days, 21 martyrs = April Revolution = End of a regime, end of the monarchy
22 districts, 21 days, 38 martyrs = Madhesi Movement = Home Minister resign

MPRF: A Few Scenarios

A democratic party should be trying to lead the aspirations of the people. Here the Nepali Congress is busy destroying its mass base in the Madhesh. Used to be the Congress party in India ruled both Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Today it is nowhere to be seen in those two states. I get the impression the Congress in Nepal is about to get wiped out of the Madhesh and Tharuwan. It deserves to.

If a probe commission were to be formed, it would put out a report that might read something like this: Dipendra Jha: The Real Picture Of The Madhesi Movement.

This is a very done thing. This is so basic. I am flabbergasted Girija is not doing it.

MPRF: A Few Scenarios

And then there are the modalities to the constituent assembly elections.

Not long after the April Revolution, the country passed a law that said women will be one third of the parliament, among other state bodies. So, according to that law, at least one third of the members of the constituent assembly have to be female. If the constituent assembly will be 500 strong, 166 of those will have to be female. How do you ensure that? Easy math says have 1/3rd of the constituencies reserved for women, and make sure every third name on the lists put forth by the parties for the proportional election part is female, or something to that effect. But I don't see either being done. Girija and the Bahuns in power are about to do something that is actually illegal.

But if you do try to comply by the law, as you must, then, by extension, you also have to think in terms of the other marginalized groups besides women, namely the Dalit, Madhesi, Janajati. And the only way to do that is by treating the Madhesi Janajati Movement with respect and addressing its concerns. And you start that by getting the Home Minister to resign, and forming a probe commission. And then you talk about the modalities to the constituent assembly elections. And that is going to be a completely proportional election to the constituent assembly. The Madhesi Movement wants that. The Janajati Movement wants that. The UML wants that. The RPP wants that. The Sadbhavana (Anandi) wants that. The Jana Morcha wants that. The Deuba Congress wants that. Girija is the only opposed, and in classic Girija fashin, he does not feel the need to explain his position or defend it, he just states it and stands by it like there were not tomorrow.

The arrangement will also make life easier for the Election Commission. There is so little time left. One constituency is less work than 250 constituencies, although both might have a similar number of polling booths.

Hello, anyone home upstairs?

MPRF: A Few Scenarios

No Guns, Explosives, Weapons Outside Cantonments
MPRF: A Few Scenarios
It Is Tough For The Madhesi
New MJF Strategy: Hit The State, Not The People
Krishna Sitaula: Appeaser, Not Peacemaker
A Federal Republic Electoral Alliance Against The Maoists Needed
Sadist Koirala, Kans Sitaula, Pol Pot Prachanda

Further Compromise: Mixed Election With Reservations
5 Point Demand: Compromise Formula So Elections Can Be Held In June
MJF And NEFIN Must Become Political Parties
The Economist: Nepal's Ethnic Politics: The New Battlefront

In The News

Where is evidence of royalist plot to assassinate US officials, Moriarty asks Prachanda Kantipur
Eight-party top brass discuss interim govt; taskforce to finalize interim govt's policy, programmes
Maoists lash out at govt for promoting NA, APF officials
Maoist MPs against Thursday's cabinet decision those guilty of suppressing the April movement and those who have been blacklisted as bank loan defaulters will not be allowed to contest in the CA elections ..... the bill also states that before the elections for proportional seats, all parties concerned should submit members' list to the Election Commission.
Eight royalists involved in Morang vandalism, arson arrested The police on Friday arrested eight people close to minister of the erstwhile royal government Badri Prasad Mandal for abetting and inciting cadres of Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) for locking up and torching of the government offices in Morang's Rangeli last week. .... former chairman of Rangeli VDC and central committee member of the Nepal Sadbhawna Party (Mandal group) Vijay Sharma, District Development Committee member of the erstwhile royal government and former chairman of Tapuwa VDC Khadananda Yadav and active leaders of the erstwhile royal government- Shankar Shah, Uma Lal Rajbanshi, Raj Kumar Yadav, Vijay Kumar Yadav, Chamru Yadav and Khadananda Yadav....... MPRF intellectual council regional co-ordinator Shyam Lal Sharma and member Manoj Mahato.
MPRF cadres vanadalise NC Parsa office, attack district chairman NC district chairman Rajendra Bahadur Amatya. ... Places like Ghantaghar, Maisthan and Adarshanagar remained tense throughout the day due to the clash. ..... the police baton charged a group trying to release air from tires of parked cargo trucks at Birgunj checkpoint. ..... 35 leaders and cadres of the agitating Madhesi People's Rights Forum (MPRF) who had been arrested while staging a relay fast-unto-death barricading the customs.
Deep-rooted discriminatory policies must be addressed at once: Arbour the deep rooted discriminatory policies and exclusion of marginalized groups in the "new Nepal" must be addressed at once.
Life affected by Chure Bhawar strike
Two protesters injured in Birgunj scuffle
NOC fuel supply cut triggers shortage
4 dozen security officials promoted
आन्दोलनका दोषीले चुनाव लड्न नपाउने प्रस्ताव
भेलामा आक्रमण
कांग्रेस मान्यतामा परिवर्तन’
थारू भेला हुने
बोक्सी आरोपमा कुटपिट
गैर-सरकारी संस्थाद्वारा दलित ठगिए
वीरगन्जमा फोरम र प्रहरीबीच झडप
चुनाव नभए प्रधानमन्त्री जिम्मेवार’
ऋण नतिर्न माओवादी चेतावनी
संघीय राज्यव्यवस्थाका र्सत
जातीय संस्थाहरूको समझदारी

Eight-party meeting ends inconclusively; taskforce to finalise CMP NepalNews discussed the formation of Maoist-included interim government, probable date for the constituent assembly polls and a second amendment in the interim constitution.
Prachanda claims conspiracies afoot to derail CA elections
Prachanda's comments have put US citizens at risk, says Moriarty
SC forms team to investigate bribery allegations
UML to send new team in interim govt; parties intensify parleys
Over three dozen injured in stray bomb blast in Jhapa
FNJ concerned over threats to journalists
Birgunj remains tense; six MJF activists injured in a clash a clash between the protesting activists of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) and Police .... Six persons including Parsa district vice-chairman of MJF, Birendra Yadav, were injured during a clash between police and activists of the MJF at Ghantaghar and Maisthan areas in Birgunj Friday morning. ..... police fired in the air and fired some rounds of teargas shells to disperse the protesters when MJF activists tried to padlock Birgunj customs office. ..... MJF activists, who were arrested Thursday when they were staging sit-in on Miteri Bridge ..... the MJF activists tried to enforce Birgunj Bandh in protest of the arrest.
Bandh hits Chure region; industries begin to close The bandh (general strike) called by Chire-Bhawar Unity Society around the Chure belt since last two days has badly affected life there. ..... Marketplaces and highways remain deserted while industries and educational institutions were largely closed in districts like Dhanusha, Udaypur, Rautahat, Bara, Sarlahi and Mahottari due to the strike on Friday. ..... Passenger buses plying on the East-West highway have been stranded in Hetauda, Lahan, Chandra Nigahapur and other towns .... the FNCCI said revenue collection in Birgunj and Biratnagar custom points have been very minimal. ..... The FNCCI further said many industries in the region are on the verge of closure due to shortage of raw materials. Few of the industries in Narayani zone have already been closed and more are likely to close from Saturday
NFIN to launch third phase of agitation to press their demands for ethnicity-based federal restructuring of state equipped with right to self determination. ..... For one month, the NFIN has decided to engage in peaceful protests including gheraos, sit-ins and rallies. And if their demands are not met, the NFIN will impose indefinite blockade on Kathmandu valley beginning April 16. ...... NFIN president Pasang Sherpa .... He expressed outrage over the government's attitude towards their demands. He also protested the unilateral amendment of constitution by the eight parties despite calling them for talks. .... the United Tharu National Front – formed recently by a group of Tharu activists led by Laxman Tharu aka Roshan who walked away from the Maoists – has announced to hold a national convention of Tharu people. ..... Roshan said that Tharus were against the moves to include Tharu region within Madhes province. He said he had to walk away from the Maoists as the latter had abandoned Tharu cause of late. He said Tharus wanted an autonomous state, appropriate rehabilitation of ex-Kamaiyas, waiver of loan on small farmers, etc.
A Tharu leader walks away from Maoists, forms new front Laxman Tharu alias Roshan, who was the head of the Maoists' people's government in Kailali, has formed Samyukta Tharu Rastriya Morcha including his 14 aides who also revolted from the Maoists. ...... the Maoist party has neglected over 3.5 million Tharus in the country. .... They have also announced boycotting the Maoists' mass meeting to be organised in Dhangadi on March 19 if the party continued to ignore the concerns of the community. Radio reports quoted him as saying that wider Tharu community supported his separation from the main party. ..... Manoj Tharu (former Kailali district secretary of the Maoists' people's government), Kiran Tharu (central member of All Nepal Peasants' Association–Revolutionary), Asha Tharu (central member of Jana Sanskritik Manch), Hari Charan Tharu (Maoists' Kailali district president), Mahan Tharu, Bali Tharu, Pratikshya Tharu, Milan Tharu, Abhishek Tharu, Santosh Tharu, Sitaram Tharu, Abhagi Tharu, Ramsammat tharu, Prakash Tharu, and Minram Tharu.

Nepal parties discuss interim government Hindu, India
King Of Nepal To Lose More Than 500 Members Of His Staff
All Headline News
King's aide crosses swords with Nepal media Indian Muslims a trusted aide of King Gyanendra has crossed swords with the media, saying he did not read out the monarch's message at a Hindu ceremony in India, as reported by some dailies. ...... the Maoists, who are accusing monarchists of plots to incite violence. The rebel allegations have been refuted as baseless and malicious by the palace.
UN in Nepal Concerned At Reports That Maoists Retain Arms
PeaceJournalism.com, Nepal
Ethnic unrest affects fuel supply in Nepal
Hindu, India
Nepal: the Terai problem
Equilibri.net (Abbonamento), Italy

MPRF civil disobedience halts all govt works in Sunsari Kantipur Online, Nepal
Talks still possible if govt serious: JTMM-Jwala Singh Kantipur Online, Nepal
Global Media Ignoring Madhesi Movement In Nepal NewsBlaze, CA
NATIONAL INTEGRATION THROUGH FEDERALISM Telegraphnepal.com, Nepal
Ethnic Groups and Race Based Federalism In Nepal Scoop.co.nz, New Zealand
MJF START THIRD PHASE OF PROTEST PeaceJournalism.com, Nepal
AdvocacyNet: Nepalis abroad demand right to vote International Nepal Solidarity Network, Nepal
Premier Indian steel group to pull out of Nepal Indian Muslims, CA
Ethnic Federalism in Nepal is a Recipe for Disaster United We Blog, Nepal 13,000 Nepalese people lost their lives as a direct result of the so called people’s war started by the Maoists insurgents. Another 26,000 committed suicide because they could not bear the pain and suffering caused by the war. Over a million people were internally displaced. Many more people left the country in total despair without any hope for themselves and for their children. Today, there are hundreds of thousands of Nepalese people working as laborers (often doing the most dangerous and life threatening jobs which nobody else would do) in many Gulf countries as well as in Malaysia and South Korea.... Several millions if not billions of dollars of worth infrastructure including government offices, schools, transmission towers, bridges, roads, etc have been destroyed. ...... They continue to extort money and threaten the villagers. ..... 1 CHHETRI 15.80 2 BRAHMAN - HILL 12.74 .... The recent revolts by the Terai residents and the various ethnic groups from the mountains have been claiming the fair representation in administration, army, police, etc. There is no question that their demands are appropriate and justified. However, these demands cannot be addressed by CA election or the introduction of Federalism. ....... there are only 164 Kusundas in Nepal and these people are no where else in the world. ......


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