Saturday, July 28, 2007

Madhesi Alliance Needed




ICG Report On The New Alliance
Indian Support For Democrat-Maoist Alliance A Must
Alliance Of Steel
Caution: Alliance Approaching
Possible Framework For A Maoist-Democrat Alliance
For Democrats Reinventing Self More Important Than Any Alliance With Maoists
Indo-US-EU Alliance Needs To Do A US-In-Haiti In Nepal
Indo-US Alliance For Democracy In Nepal Needed

Name: Madhesi Alliance (Madhesi Morcha)
Convenor: Upendra Yadav
Members: Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, Sadbhavana (Anandi), Goit, Jwala, and the other 10 armed Madhesi groups.
Two Step Agenda: Give an ultimatum to the government. Hold elections in November according to the following formula, or prepare for the elections to be disrupted.
  1. Completely proportional elections for 300 seats.
  2. Every third name on a party's list must be female. Other than that there are no rules. Lists must be submitted to the people.
  3. Majority coalition forms the government after the elections.
If elections according to this formula be secured, then go to the people with one slogan: One Madhesh, One State. Retain the Madhesi Alliance.

If the government does not agree to this formula, organize the April Revolution's third, final chapter to coincide with the elections slated for November 22. Launch it a week before that date.

Seek a Madhesi-Janajati-Dalit coalition for that movement.

Goals:
  1. Girija resign.
  2. Form a new interim parliament, 300 strong, 145 from the seven parties, 155 from the Madhesi-Janajati-Dalit Alliance.
  3. Form a new interim cabinet.
  4. The country is declared a federal republic.
  5. Upendra Yadav becomes first president of Nepal.
  6. The Yadav administration takes the country through elections to a constituent assembly according to the formula above, slated for April 2008.
  7. The constituent assembly is to get two years to hammer out a constitution whose provisions will have to pass through two third majorities.
The Madhesi MPs who disrupted the parliament for a month are better off floating a party of their own. Their Pahadi masters are not about to have an attitude change anytime soon. They should launch a party and join the Madhesi Alliance.

Tehelka: Madhesi
Ridiculous Bahun Poudel
Talk To Goit
एक मधेश एक प्रदेश
Bahun Conspiracy To Hijack Constituent Assembly Elections
उपेन्द्र यादव: संवाद
Rajendra Mahto: Three Hours Of Video
मधेशी अान्दोलनको गन्तव्य: नभम्बर चुनाव
Rajendra Mahto In Town
Violence Is No Solution In the Terai
ICG: Nepal's Troubled Terai Region
Upendra Yadav: Five Hours Of Video
Nepal Weekly: Front Cover Story On Madhesi
िगिरजालाई पदमुक्त गर
Unification Formula For The Sadbhavana And The Communists
समानुपाितक िनर्वाचनको बाहुन फर्मुला मधेशी िवरूद्धको षडयन्त्र हो
तराईमा िहंसाको राजनीितक समाधान छ
जनजाित र दिलतले पार्टी नखोल्नु मानिसक दासता हो
Nepali Times Poll: A Lot Of Room For New Parties

In The News

Leave it to us Nepali Times Prashant Jha
“The madhes wants options” We tried to make the new Congress more democratic, but the old ways and the old culture continued. ..... If the current law and order situation continues, a November election is impossible. Law and order must improve and the Maoists must honour their commitments. They have to sincerely tell us how they regard the election. The demands of different agitating groups including the madhesis have to be addressed, and the eight parties have to prepare a joint electoral program. ..... Despite major changes in the country, the mentality of the eight-party leaders has not changed. If they continue like this, the madhes will reject them. The Madhes has traditionally been the Congress’s vote bank, but even this party will find it hard to salvage a decent position if it does not internalise the changes and adopt a new approach. The same goes for the UML. The madhes is looking for options. ..... The big parties are more focussed on partisan interests, than madhesi rights. Instead of supporting the Madhes Movement, they are suppressing it. Madhesis are looking for a party that will represent them. We’ve frequently met with MPs from different parties, but I am yet to decide on a new party. My colleagues and public opinion are both in favour of a new party. .... Our fight is with state not with the region or pahadi people.
Brain deficit CK Lal When a society’s best and brightest move away in pursuit of better opportunities, the prospects of progress in their home countries diminish. Nepal’s experience is similar to that of any other Least Developed Countries (LDCs) dealing with a crippling outflow of competent individuals. And no amount of remittances compensates. An adequate pool of skilled professionals is as important as aid and investment for LDCs to get out of poverty. ....... 65 percent of all newly graduated doctors in Bangladesh seek jobs abroad. ..... Leaders, planners, and administrators have less and less emotional stake in national development as their entire families too start lining up at embassies. ...... in Nepal there is a contradiction: both unemployment of trained manpower and a shortage of skilled professionals. ..... returnee professionals are the most frustrated lot in any capital city in the developing world. ..... when more women, dalits, janajatis, and madhesis become doctors, engineers, technologists, and scientists, it will matter a lot less that the Bahun-Chhetri-Newar elite is trooping out of the country. As it is, we could do with fewer of them in almost every discipline.

PM Koirala 'rests' while Nepal drowns Times of India In political circles, however, Koirala's "ill health" has become a matter of scepticism, being regarded as a ploy to defer unpleasant issues or express his annoyance with the Maoists.

Nepal to probe abuses during civil war Hindustan Times, India Nepal has started setting up a South Africa-style truth commission to tackle rights abuses during a bloody civil war, officials said, as the UN warned offenders could go unpunished. .... will allow those behind atrocities to confess without fear of punishment .... Both the Maoists and government security services committed serious human rights abuses during the war, including disappearances, rape and torture.
Nepal Maoists; Hallowed Under Hallucinations American Chronicle, CA Why should a disciplined, loyal, responsive, united and democratic institution; the National Army plot a coup at this juncture, when, all the instruments of national power are seriously supporting the peace process. ..... Discharge of the General Manager of the National Television, expulsion of 49 innocent GORKHAPATRA employees, imposing of restrictions over the publications of daily national broad sheets SAMACHAR PATRA and ANNAPURNA POST suffice prove of Maoist Coup in Mass Communications.
Nepal: Goit for UN facilitated talks Telegraphnepal.com, Nepal This sudden change in their hearts has come at a time when the entire Terai has been hard hit by the flood that has inundated thousands of villages.
Nepal: India ready to assist unlock Terai deadlock, Koirala Indian leaders believed that it was necessary first mainstreaming the armed groups such as Jwala and Goit .... is ready to provide logistic supports for the CA elections and that further delay in the conduct of all important CA elections could bring an imaginable crisis, Sujata quoted Mukherjee as saying. .... During her stay in New-Delhi Sujata was reported to have met Nitish Kumar-Chief Minister of Bihar and other leaders such as Surendra Bhadauriya, Rambilash Paswan, and Sharad Yadav.
Government-Chure Bhawar talks on The CBES organizing a press conference this morning had said that the dialogue was cancelled as the government responded indifferently to their demands set as precondition for talks. .... The government is yet to release our arrested cadres, declare those killed during the agitation as martyrs and form a commission to investigate the damage done during the protest programs .. The government’s indifference is baffling, if this behavior continues, we are ready to carry weapons, Mainali threatened. .... The CBES, among other things, has been demanding an autonomous region for themselves.
After Floods, Famine Stalks Nepal
NEWSPost India, India




Tehelka: Madhesi

Tehelka Cover Story On Madhesi

Cover Story


Click map to enlarge
NEPAL’S OTHER INSURGENCY

Ethnic assertion? Autonomy offensive? Liberation movement? Sankarshan Thakur travels to Kathmandu and the Tarai to get a sense of the ominous new rumblings in the neighbourhood

An alarming, and unheralded, civil war is spiralling to intensity along the sweep of India’s open frontier with Nepal. Allowed to fester, it could torpedo the fragile peace plan taking shape in Kathmandu, unleash a cascade of refugees into Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, and present New Delhi the anathema of a un mission digging into its backyard.

The erupted eye of this storm is an anarchic movement for self-determination by the plains people of Nepal. There are parallel armed insurgencies gunning for liberation, rival political groups seeking varied degrees of autonomy, and an establishment party from the region desperate to put out the fires and regain a measure of credibility in its home borough.

Madheshi ire has long been on slow-burn for reasons of institutionalised political, economic and social discrimination at the hands of a Pahadi (hill people) hegemony that has held sway over Nepali affairs for centuries — under the Shah kings, under long spells of Rana dictatorship, under democratic interregnums as well. This January, a small incident close to the border with India became the flashpoint of a volatile upsurge that both Kathmandu and New Delhi will have to contend with.

Photographs by MIN BAJRACHARYA
Siege within : Nepali Armed Police await deployment near Birgun
Road cross: a Nepali Red Cross jeep gets stranded during a bandh
Nationalism’s ire: charred remains of symbols of Pahadi hegemony
Last bus: gutted state transport vehicles at a Madheshi crossroads
Flames of discontent: Madheshi activists set alight a truck
‘Jai Madhesh’: MJF activists on one of their many recent protest marches through the region
An armed Maoist patrol clashed with activists of the Madheshi Janjagaran Forum (MJF), currently the best-known face of the Madheshi rebellion, in a small town called Lahan. Ramesh Mahato, an MJF apparatchik, was shot dead. The next day, the tempers still high, Maoists snatched Mahato’s body from MJF custody and cremated it.

The chain of violence Lahan unleashed is yet to be stilled. Pitched battles have been fought between security forces and Madheshi rights activists. Government establishments have been attacked and symbols of Pahadi dominance such as the constitution, photographs of the king and the Nepali topi publicly burnt. Slogans of a new nationalism have flowered across the region. In many pockets, nervous Pahadi residents have begun to contemplate flight to the hills — properties are being put on sale, women and children are being shifted to Kathmandu, businesses are being shut. It isn’t a Pahadi exodus yet, but it could become one. “We are grabbing their illegally captured lands and handing them to poor Madheshi workers,” claims an insurgent commander in Janakpur in eastern Madhesh, “We don’t want them here and they know it.” Told that this could lead to a backlash against Madheshis in the hills, an aide retorts, “Good, that’s what we want, Pahadis in the hills and Madheshis in Madhesh.”

Scare has its reasons. More than a hundred people have been killed in street protests and organised intra-group massacres; last week alone, one or the other insurgent group struck daily, claiming 18 lives. West to east, Madhesh has remained paralysed, bandh-bound or curfew-ridden. Swept into the whirl of heated opportunity, political and insurgent groups have stoked the embers of Madheshi grievance into many flaring fires. A top un observer in Kathmandu says the situation could tip “overnight” into a perilous flashpoint. A senior Indian diplomat in the Kathmandu mission is more blunt about boil and its implications. “Take serious note now,” he says, calling both Nepal and his home country to attention, “Potentially things are very dangerous, you could have all of UP and Bihar battling fire tomorrow and the heat will reach Parliament. This movement has reared its head dramatically.”

Madhesh is an entity (see box) most Indians aren’t even aware of and Nepalis are only grudgingly beginning to recognise. There is good reason to be cautious about over-reading the signs of alarm, but it could be fatal to underestimate the implications of a suppressed nationalism exploding into protracted and violent strife through the belt. “Madheshi sentiment is running impatient,” warns Dhirendra Premarshi, a Madheshi radio artist, who keeps a firm finger on the Tarai pulse, “The foundations of Madheshi secession are probably being built, and they are being built by the Kathmandu Pahadis, who will not even recognise Madheshis as humans. The only problem is Madhesh has a crisis of leadership, there are too many people trying out too many different things to keep pace with the public mood.”

For many Madheshi leaders, this is a now-or-never battle. Elections for a new Constituent Assembly (ca) are scheduled for November, and Madheshi political groups see it as their last chance to grab their rightful share of power and consequent benefits. Rocked by the vehement powderflash in the plains, Prime Minister GP Koirala scrambled to grant placatory concessions in February — the promise of a federal state, more government jobs and nearly half the seats in the ca to Madhesh. But that has done little to assuage anger or aspiration. “Koirala made it sound as if he was a feudal granting us a favour,” says Vijaykant Karan, a Kathmandu-based political scientist and Madheshi activist. “And how can we be sure we will get the little he has promised? Madheshis don’t want to plead anymore, they will snatch what they think is theirs, they want to end centuries of slavery.”

The MJF’s manifesto is a scorching indictment of Kathmandu. “Madhesh is an internal colony of the ruling hill people. Madheshis have been subjected to extreme national oppression, poverty, exploitation and discrimination. They are politically, economically, socially and culturally depressed. They have been strategically forced to migrate to India. Their landholdings have been confiscated, their languages have been choked…” On the ground, anti-Pahadi feeling can find more visceral and graphic expression. “Saala log humlog ko dhoti-muji bolta hai aur apne hi jameen par daba ke rakha hai. Pahadi raj ab nahin chalega,” a Madheshi labourer in Janakpur tells us, “yahan Pahadi police aur Pahadi afsar kahe rahega, humko apna log chahiye. Yahi ladai hai.” (They refer to us as dhoti-wearers and pubic hair, they have suppressed us in our own country. Why must we live under Pahadi police and Pahadi officials? That can’t continue, that is the fight now.)

Kanak Dixit, journalist and Kathmandu intellectual both liberal and engaged, agrees the anger has basis. “Madheshis have never been made to feel part of Nepal, it is true,” he says. “The psychology of this country is a hill psychology, they always look down upon the plains, to the extent of there being an element of racism. Madheshis have had many issues with the Pahadis, although I must say everybody was surprised by the intensity of the outburst. The state will have to respond with sensitivity and a genuine desire to redress grievances, else this could spread.”

Lahan became the flashpoint of a violent upsurge both Nepal and India will have to contend with
Madheshi protagonists, from the moderate MJF leader Upendra Yadav (see interview) to even mainstream actors like Ajay Chaurasia, a Nepali Congress MP, aren’t terribly sure of a transformation in the Pahadi mindset, even though they might hope and pray for it. “They are too used to being patronising,” Chaurasia says. “If they cannot learn now, there is bigger trouble coming, it is already too late.” Leaders such as him perhaps already sense the ground slipping underneath as Madheshi aspirations turn more radical and tug the goals of the movement beyond mere autonomy. And the MJF leadership, holding talks with the interim government in Kathmandu, might have good reason to sense they are losing support on the ground because they might be seen as people who jumped too quickly to compromise, or worse, as collaborators. “The issue is not what they will give or not give in the Constituent Assembly,” rails Rajan Mukti, a young underground militant who heads the operations of the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-Jwala) in Dhanusha district. “The issue is who are they to give? One Pahadi dies and he is officially named a martyr by the government, dozens of Madheshis die and there is not even a word on them. That is the issue, this is a battle for self-respect and in Nepal we will never get that, everybody knows.” Rival JTMM leader Jaikrishna Goit is more ruthless on moderates (see interview). “The Pahadis will manipulate and cheat them, they know it, this is nothing that can be sorted out through talks and compromise, this is a struggle for Madheshi self-determination, we are not looking for crumbs.”

Hero No More: Madheshi activists burn an effigy of Maoist leader Prachanda

There is reason to be cautious on over-reading the alarm, but it could be fatal to underestimate a suppressed nationalism
For centuries, Madheshis complained about not being heard by the Pahadis. Now, many of them are refusing to communicate. The widespread sense that there lies little merit in trying to negotiate a deal with leaders in Kathmandu could become a major roadblock to solutions. Even the Maoist chief Prachanda, who first spoke of addressing Madheshi self-rule during his days in the jungles, is now seen as part of the Pahadi (and therefore anti-Madheshi) clique. It is not uncommon in Madhesh to hear Prachanda being clubbed with the bourgeois Pahadi establishment — Nepal is ruled by four Pahadi Bahuns (Brahmins, traditionally the ruling elite along with Chhetris, or Rajputs) — GP Koirala, Madhav Nepal, Prachanda and Baburam Bhattarai. That rankles Maoists, but they concede they made mistakes. “We slipped up on Madhesh,” admits Anil Shreshtha, party secretary of Parsa, a central Madhesh district, “When we were negotiating our entry into the interim government, we did not talk Madhesh.” Maoists are eager to pledge corrections, but Madheshis appear to have convinced themselves their failure was not an ideological lapse, it was deliberate because somewhere they too believe in Pahadi hegemony. Much of the popular Madheshi anger today is directed at Maoists; Lahan was a symptom of it.

Revolution Online: Rajan Mukti, JTMM(J) commander of Dhanusha

There’s rising clamour for self-rule in Madhesh, but equally, there is lack of clarity on critical issues
Most of Madhesh is a doppelganger of what lies immediately south — UP and Bihar. A pitifully impoverished and under-developed rural stretch, riven by feudalism and other forms of social oppression. It lacks for good roads, power, water, healthcare, education, administration. You could land in Simra near Raxaul upon a 20-minute air-hop from Kathmandu and feel you have arrived to the worst Bihar can showcase. What’s different in Madhesh, though, is that it has seen none of India’s affirmative processes of democracy at work — no redressal of regional aspiration, no positive discrimination for the underprivileged, no sense of a political leadership that will speak for them and get purchase. For the better part, Madheshis have been subjects, not citizens. And during the few phases of democracy, they’ve felt defrauded by the Pahadis who rule Kathmandu. “We don’t have a sense of democracy,” says Chandrakishore Jha, a Madheshi editor, based in Birgunj. “How could we? The Pahadis imposed the slogan of ek des, ek bhes, ek bhasa (one nation, one dress, one language), everything about the Madheshis got crushed. All the chaos breaking out is a result of that, and the problem is nobody is sure where we are headed.”

Jha probably typifies the confounded confusion of the Madheshi mind. All around, there is a rising clamour for self-rule, but, equally, there is the absence of clarity on critical issues. What’s to be the framework of self-rule? Independence? Autonomy within Nepal? A federal self-government that gives Madheshis the right to conduct their affairs as well as a stake in power in Kathmandu? Their aspirations have spawned a hydra of militancies — too many leaders offering too many routes to salvation. “It is a movement that evolves almost daily,” says Pradeep Giri, one of Nepal’s seniormost politicians, a Pahadi who has made his home in Madhesh, “The consciousness of the Madheshi is changing, probably it is becoming more militant. It needs a leader to channel all that, but there is vacuum. But that does not mean Kathmandu can continue taking it for granted.” For the moment, perhaps, Madheshis are merely happy they have shaken the Pahadis’ many assumptions of divine right to rule.


THE THEATRE

WHAT IS MADHESH?
Nepal's southern-most strip of flat land, an 885km stretch contiguous to UP, Bihar and West Bengal. Large parts are still covered with thick malarial jungles, but this strip is also home to nearly half of Nepal's 27 million population. Also known as the Tarai, Madhesh is a recent nomenclature symbolising the region's new-found will for political self-determination.

WHY IS IT ON THE BOIL?
Because the majority plains people of Madhesh feel chronically discriminated against by the Pahadis who have always controlled power in Kathmandu. They had to fight for decades to obtain citizenship. The main Madheshi languages — Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Tharu — are not recognised. They occupy less than 12 percent jobs in key sectors and almost none in the top bureaucracy, police or army. They have little political voice. They believe they are an internal colony of Pahadi Nepalis.

WHY SHOULD INDIA BE CONCERNED?
Greater Madheshi turmoil could unleash a huge refugee influx into UP, Bihar and parts of West Bengal. There is already an active insurgency in the region; many armed groups work out of the Indian side. Culturally and socio-economically, Madheshis mirror UP and Bihar. Besides, people maintain cross-border social and family ties. If unrest builds, India will be forced to intervene. Strategically, trouble in Madhesh could bring international agencies such as the un close on India’s borders, something New Delhi is loath to accept.


THE DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Nepal Sadbhavana Party (ANANDI DEVI)
The Tarai’s traditional party, has championed regional issues. Currently lacks for ground credibility because it is part of the interim government and is seen as having been sold out to the Pahadi political establishment.

Madheshi Janadhikar Forum
A civil society group brought to the fore after the violence earlier this year. Stops short of secession but seeks autonomy and is currently in talks with the interim government. Has brand-recognition across Madhesh but is still trying to build an organisational base.

Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (GOIT)
Led by former Maoist Jaikrishna Goit, the JTMM(G) is fighting an armed struggle for liberation. Stridently secessionist, cadre strength is difficult to estimate, but could run into a few thousands. Not well equipped, constantly looking for arms. Although not a stated aim, they are seeking a Pahadi exodus as a prelude to independence.

Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JWALA)
A splinter faction of the JTMM(G), it has carried out most of the violence in Madhesh. Jwala, in his 40s, is more energetic than former mentor Goit, and is fast building a cadre-base in the eastern and mid-eastern Tarai. Is committed to independence, although not as ideologically grounded as Goit. Denies allegations of running a motley criminal outfit, sees himself as a serious claimant to Madheshi leadership.


July 14 , 2007


Related Stories


Nepal's Other Insurgency
Ethnic assertion? Autonomy offensive? Liberation movement? Sankarshan Thakur travels to Kathmandu and the Tarai to get a sense of the ominous new rumblings in the neighbourhood
'I will talk, but not to compromise'
Former Maoist Upendra Yadav talks to Sankarshan Thakur
'We want a free country, neither Nepal nor India'
Jaikrishna Goit
, head of the underground Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-G), in conversation with Sankarshan Thakur
Meanwhile in Kathmandu...
The Palace keeps alive hopes of reign after revolution, reports Sankarshan Thakur


‘I WILL TALK, BUT NOT TO COMPROMISE’

A former Maoist, Upendra Yadav heads what is arguably the biggest overground platform for Madheshi autonomy. He is in negotiations with Kathmandu but remains clear that if fundamental demands are not fast-tracked to acceptance, he will pull out and impose more radical demands. “Had the Pandavas been given their villages, the Mahabharat would never have happened. That is where we are today,” he told Sankarshan Thakur in an interview in Kathmandu. Excerpts:


‘Complete autonomy, freedom to determine our destiny, because
the Pahadis can never give us justice’

Tehelka: Why the sudden eruption of this movement?

Upendra Yadav:The exploitation of Madheshis is not a new thing, it has been going on for centuries and we have been silent. They treat Nepal like a country that belongs solely to Pahadis. We are victims of internal colonialism; we are not even treated as humans. Now is the time to grab our due. The nation is on the brink of major changes and a new constitution is on the anvil. If Madheshis do not get their rights now, they never will. We are close to half the country’s population, we don’t want charity, we want what’s rightfully ours.

What is your basic demand?

Complete autonomy, freedom to determine our destiny, because the Pahadis can never give us justice. We want Madhesh and we want self-rule.

But not secession?

We think genuine autonomy is enough to meet the aspirations of the Madheshi people. We do not want to push Madhesh out of Nepal, but I cannot guarantee what turn things might take if Kathmandu continues to bully us.

Are you hopeful talks will succeed?

Difficult to say. Government leaders agree in principal to our demands, but we see no reflection of that in their decision-making. They are making key appointments and no Madheshis have been included. They are confused about the kind of federal structure they might have. They seem unprepared to give up Pahadi hegemony.

Why are you even talking then? Some Madheshi outfits say you have sold out. That you are agents of the King.

The allegation is preposterous. We represent genuine Madheshi sentiment, nothing else. That is our only agenda and we are in talks for two reasons: one, we do not want to plunge Madhesh in anarchy, there has been enough violence lately; and two, the government said it wanted to learn about our problems and discuss what can be done.

But what’s your claim to being the sole representatives of Madheshi aspirations?

The Sadbhavana Party is having a good time in power. They lack credibility in Madhesh. The armed groups are splinters, not important. They lack ideology, programme and public support. During the recent agitation, the Janadhikar Forum clearly emerged as the voice of the Madheshis.

But the Maoists were the first to speak of Madheshi aspiration and autonomy.

They did and I was a Maoist too. But it became clear to us that they were not genuine, and that is why I and many others left. The Maoists are a Pahadi outfit, the same as the Nepali Congress and other Kathmandu parties. By not putting the Madheshi agenda on the table when they negotiated participation in the government, they exposed themselves. That is why they have no place in Madhesh today. They are in poor shape and are struggling to maintain a presence.

What role do you see for India? Do you think overt Indian support might hurt you?

We are people of Indian origin, but remember we are Madheshis and Nepalis. This is our struggle. India can give us moral support, which is not forthcoming at the moment. The people of Bihar and UP are with us, but the Government of India is not taking any notice. If the situation in Madhesh worsens, India will be badly affected. The implications could be terrible. We do not want to invite Indian intervention but we do want a positive approach from India.


July 14 , 2007


‘WE WANT A FREE COUNTRY, NEITHER NEPAL NOR INDIA’

Jaikrishna Goit, head of the underground Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-G), in conversation with Sankarshan Thakur

We cross the dusty border into India on a rickshaw at a location we are committed not to disclose. We are then led to a poky hotel, a stone’s throw from no-man’s-land where the leader of the main Madheshi insurgent group is holed up. The JTMM (Goit) strikes every other day somewhere in Madhesh and is high on the security’s hit list. You expect to see a raging warlord. Jaikrishna Goit is a bespectacled sexagenarian who wields history texts more often than he wields guns to justify his armed enterprise to liberate his land. The professorial revolutionary refused to be photographed but spoke at length on why he wants to secede from Nepal. Excerpts


‘We were annexed and gifted away. I want to correct that historic injustice done to the people of the Tarai’
Tehelka: Most Madheshi groups want autonomy and a stake in how Nepal is run. Why do you want liberation?

Jaikrishna Goit: Because I am another country. The Tarai was annexed by Nepal’s Pahadi rulers and then parts of it were ceded to them by the British through treaties. By the Indo-Nepal agreement of 1950, all earlier treaties stood abrogated. This is not merely in the treaty, but also a part of un documents. The Tarai should have become free then. Am I to blame if my forefathers were not vigilant or smart enough to claim back their land? Even India cannot argue against me. India signed the 1950 treaty with Nepal and it clearly states all previous treaties stand scrapped. It is simple, we are free, we should be free.

You think it’s so simple? Do you think a new country on these borders can become a reality? Will anyone accept that in this changed world?

Many countries are getting liberated, that is the changed world. And I am not seeking anyone’s acceptance, I want my country, whether anybody agrees or not. I know what you are talking about — whether Nepal will be ready, whether India will want it. The fact is I am neither Nepali nor Indian nor of Indian origin. History proves that, I have texts to establish that. I want people in Kathmandu also to make themselves aware of their real past. The people of the Tarai are a separate people, they should have their country. I may not be able to achieve that in my lifetime but that is not the point. The aspiration for liberation is there and the coming generations will get it. I belong to the Tarai, I know the only thing people want is freedom.

But you were long part of Nepali politics, you were first a communist, then you turned a Maoist, why this sudden thrust for liberation?

Because I am the most exploited and colonised person in Nepal, because I have no way of correcting that other than being completely free to determine my circumstances. Those who are negotiating autonomy are collaborators, they will never get that from the Pahadis, they will only get tokenism. That is not what we want.

How do you justify this daily bloodshed?

Even Gandhi said it is better to be violent than to be a coward. The enemies of my country have to be eliminated, there is no other way. Ram fought and killed Ravan. Krishna fought the Kauravas. Nepalis do not treat us as human beings. There is no other way of dealing with them.

Can you fight the Nepali state with arms?

Why not? Most of Nepal’s great struggles have been fought in the Tarai by the people of the Tarai. We know how to fight. The myth of Gorkha bravery is just a myth; whatever they know about battle, we taught them. Read history carefully and you will know. And we are not killing innocents, we target people.

Many of them are Tarai people, many of them are from other Madheshi groups. Some people say your struggle has degenerated into petty crime and reprisal.

The enemies of liberation have to be eliminated, no matter who they are. And those who call us criminals merely want to defame us. Do I look like a criminal to you? Don’t you see I have been pushed into a corner where I have no choice but to pick up the gun? Nobody calls the Maoists and the Young Communist League criminals. They are in government and continue to kill and commit all sorts of other crimes everyday.

Don’t you think the new Constituent Assembly might fulfil the aspirations of the Tarai people?

It will only renew the slavery of my people. Nepal has no right to conduct an election here and talk about a Constituent Assembly. We do not belong to them.

So there is no possibility you will talk?

No, I can. If they create the right atmosphere, I can go and tell them: pass legislation in parliament for an independent Tarai and we will live happily thereafter. That is all I have to say to those in Kathmandu. At the moment, there is no such atmosphere. The State and the Maoists are after us, we are running for our lives most of the time.

Do you have the strength to fight a sustained battle?

I am not saying I will achieve liberation tomorrow. We are in a movement, we are building cadres, opinion is turning towards us. An autonomous Tarai is a halfway house and you will not even get that. The only way is a complete break.

Is India protecting you?

I do not want to make any comment on that. All I can say is I am a freedom fighter and a guerrilla. And, legally speaking, India has to support the case that the Tarai was never a part of Nepal, it had only been annexed or gifted by imperial powers. That injustice has to be undone.


July 14 , 2007

Friday, July 27, 2007

Ridiculous Bahun Poudel


Poudel dismisses UN mediation in Terai talks Kantipur the government is, however, ready to accept any Nepalese citizen as a mediator but not an international mediator for talks. .... “We don’t understand what kind of forces they are,” Minister Poudel said adding, “What we want is to solve this internal crisis internally by ourselves. Even if they say that those people whom they trust should be appointed as mediators- we should try to solve the internal problem internally.” .... the UNMIN said that the UN body would consider the request only if the government and the agitating group call for such request formally in written. ...... the UN body can, however, send the request letter to the UN headquater and if any instructions come in this regard, then they would follow.
Talk To Goit

Poudel Bahun sounds like the king when he was trying to get the seven parties and the Maoists to surrender to his roadmap of first holding municipal elections, and then the parliamentary elections under his tutelage.

This is what Poudel Bahun has in mind. One, no UN mediation. You talk to me. Once we start talking, you listen to me. Better you listen to me even before we start talking, because you already know what I want. I want you to give up all your weapons. And then I want you to get out of the way of the November elections. And if we can't hold the elections in November because we were not able to do things like print ballot papers on time, we will blame it all on you, and we Bahuns will rule for another six months at least, and that is just so fine by us.

That is the Bahun gameplan.

Technically speaking, Goit, Jwala and the other 10 armed Madhesi outfits have it in their powers to disrupt the November polls. The Madhesi Janadhikar Forum also has that capability. Respectful talks with all these groups is a must. Those who want to skip that part are basically saying they are okay with not holding elections in November.

Poudel Bahun has a major attitude problem.

It is highly offensive and ridiculous that Poudel Bahun should bring up the sovereignty issue. The UN is already inside the country, damnit. Have you heard of the UNMIN, the biggest undertaking of its kind by the UN? The UNMIN has been doing great work. Arms management of the Maoists would not have been possible without the UNMIN's work.

So much blood, sweat and tears have gone to make possible the peace infrastructure that we are using now to mainstream the Maoists. Why not use that same infrastructure to mainstream also the Madhesi Maoists? Goit and Jwala are Maoists.

Poudel Bahun talking is Pahadi prejudice talking.

I hope the Madhesi Movement is not forced into looking at other options like waging the third, final chapter of the April Revolution.

I think the Bahun gameplan is to not hold elections in November and keep ruling. If you can stay on in power without holding elections, why would you want to hold elections? Especially if you will likely lose power if elections are held? That is what is going on.

If they will not peacefully let go of power, maybe they are asking for a mass movement to throw them out.

Poudel Bahun does not want a mediator.

Poudel Bahun does not want peace talks.

Poudel Bahun has no plans to put Madhesi fighters into cantonments.

Poudel Bahun has no plans to go for completely proportional elections to the constituent assembly.

Poudel Bahun is not for peace.

Poudel Bahun is not for elections.

Paudel Bahun Is Lying (February 5, 2007)



Video: New York City For Barack Obama 1

In The News

Poudel dismisses UN mediation in Terai talks Kantipur the government is, however, ready to accept any Nepalese citizen as a mediator but not an international mediator for talks. .... “We don’t understand what kind of forces they are,” Minister Poudel said adding, “What we want is to solve this internal crisis internally by ourselves. Even if they say that those people whom they trust should be appointed as mediators- we should try to solve the internal problem internally.” .... the UNMIN said that the UN body would consider the request only if the government and the agitating group call for such request formally in written. ...... the UN body can, however, send the request letter to the UN headquater and if any instructions come in this regard, then they would follow.
Poudel rules out UN mediation for talks with Terai rebels NepalNews We can look for a credible mediator within the country. .... UNMIN sources said Martin has already responded to the Goit’s letter, making clear that his office was unable to engage in any role outside of its mandate. .... he would request the UN headquarters for help if the concerned parties agree on the UN involvement
Cabinet meeting deferred was also scheduled to discuss progress in government's talks with Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, Chure Bhawar Ekata Samaj and others. ..... Maoist ministers were planning to table a proposal demanding dissolution of Ranger Force of NA at the meeting. .... The cabinet meeting was also going to decide about the music for the national anthem. ...... two by senior musician Ambar Gurung, one by Nhyoo Bajracharya and one by Nepali Army (NA).
Maoist and Janamorcha ministers complaint against cabinet procedure the cabinet was functioning as if it belonged to one-party government. They also demanded proper system of registering their notes of dissent over cabinet decisions. .... their parties were not taken into confidence while finalising the annual budget.
Possibility of Nepal-Bhutan talks almost over: Pradhan
Parliamentarians want Laxmanpur embankment demolished
CEC Pokharel asks all to be ‘very serious’ to hold CA polls
NAC domestic flights cancelled as employees go on strike
Dialogue and cooperation among parties crucial for CA polls: Martin "considerable challenges" remain for the holding of free and fair election to constituent assembly scheduled for November. .... "Improvement in the political and security situation is vital for the holding of credible polls." .... the peace process .... has become "increasingly more complicated as traditionally marginalised groups ask for fair representation in the process."
Remembering Sushila Koirala compassionate towards all including Biswa Bandhu Thapa, King Mahendra, Birendra and every one else ..... About Manisha, her grand daughter, proudly she said, “If any one of the family member was able to beat BP in their profession it is Manisha.” She was at peak in Bollywood at that time. That was a grand mother’s pride! ...... On BP, she said, “He always knew what he wanted.” ..... On King Birendra she said “We should respect him.” I asked, “But why so, he has made you suffer so much?” She replied, “Well, he is the Head of the State. Look at how much Thai people love their King.” ...... “Well the Kings (ours) were listening to wrong people. They needed better advisors. Let us remember he let us go for his (BP’s) treatment. That was humane gesture. He could have rejected the doctor’s request. He could have let him die in jail. It could have been worse.” ..... About King Mahendra she said, “I was rather shocked to see his action. Just a few weeks before Dec 15, 1960 we (BP and herself) were their personal guests at Pokhara. He and Queen Ratna were so nice to us. I even danced on their insistence. It was so much fun. I could never tell he was going to do what he did.” ...... I am so glad she visited me at Tempe, Arizona in my student days. She said though Arizona was hot, it reminded her of Biratnagar! Open and wide just like Tarai! She asked BP if they could extend the stay at my student’s housing. BP had this big smile on his face. It is about that “maiti” thing, he said, and gave in. ...... She was my oldest sister!
FNJ denounces sacking of 49 Gorkhapatra reporters
Jwala Singh's man killed in Rautahat
Triggered by natural disasters and prolonged conflict, food insecurity worsens in Nepal




Thursday, July 26, 2007

Talk To Goit


Dialogue is give and take. The Nepali Maoists were the top ultra left group on the planet when we decided to talk to them, and we were not even in power. We already know how to talk with the Maoists. We already know how to talk to these Madhesi Maoists. We should go ahead and do it.

How could this move forward?

Both sides could start by accepting the UN as a legitimate mediator. Then before the talks could commence, the eight party government could ask Goit to drop its call for the Madhesh as a separate country before formal talks could begin. On his part, Goit could ask the government to drop all formal charges levelled against his party workers, he could ask the government to release all his jailed party workers before formal talks could commence. He could also ask that the Maoist party declare a ceasefire: no further attacks on Goit's men. Goit would reciprocate.

Then a safe venue would have to be sought. It could be in a border town where the government would guarantee Goit's safety as well exit after the talks. Goit would be allowed to bring along his own bodyguards.

There would be three dimensions to the talks. One, arms management. Two, political issues. Three, mainstreaming all armed Madhesi groups.

The arms management part would be easy. You do it like you did it with the Maoists. You put all of Goit's soldiers into cantonments. As it stands today, if you unite the Nepal Army and the Maoist army, you end up with a Pahadi army. It is only fair that the unified Nepal Army ends up at least one third Madhesi.

There will be a lot of posturing from both sides on the many political issues. But just like a constituent assembly was the only meeting point between the seven parties and the Maoists when both were in the wilderness, holding completely proportional elections to the constituent assembly is the only meeting point between the eight party government and the various armed and unarmed Madhesi and Janajati groups.

Right to peaceful assembly is a fundamental human right. Nepal may not bar the formation of Madhesi, Janajati and Dalit political parties. And it is ridiculous for Madhesi, Janajati and Dalit leaders to knock the doors of powerful Bahuns to seek rights for their people. Once completely proportional elections to the constituent assembly be secured, these leaders need to go to their own people, and not to the powerful Bahuns.

Somewhere along the way, while talking to Goit, the eight party government should also invite the other dozen armed Madhesi groups into the talks. They will come.

An immediate fallout of this roadmap will be that the law and order situation in the Terai will drastically improve. The political violence will come to a stop. If not, it will be vastly reduced.

Goit wants all of Terai to be one state. Jwala wants four states. Let them go to the people. It is not for Goit or Jwala to decide. It is for the people to make the final decision.

Jwala has been killing Pahadi bureaucrats in the Terai. It is fair to want mostly Madhesi bureaucrats in the Madhesh. But it is wrong to kill Pahadi bureaucrats. The way to go about it is to secure a Terai state in a federal Nepal and get yourself elected in that state, and then you get to spearhead the restructuring of the state apparatus in that state. You don't kill. You reorganize the bureaucracy. You downsize, your rightsize.

The army, once unified, will have to be downsized. That is inevitable. Similarly the bureaucracy of the central government will have to be downsized. You acquire the power to engage in that downsizing by winning votes in the constituent assembly elections.

The eight party government will have to make a political decision to go for completely proportional elections to the constituent assembly. That is the happy ending to all the peace talks being held with the various Madhesi and Janajati groups.


Ian Martin: James Bond Of The UN Peacemaking Ambitions
Ian Martin
Talk With Goit For The Same Reason We Talked With Maoists
Mainstream Jay Krishna Goit Also

एक मधेश एक प्रदेश
Bahun Conspiracy To Hijack Constituent Assembly Elections
मधेशी अान्दोलनको गन्तव्य: नभम्बर चुनाव
Violence Is No Solution In the Terai
ICG: Nepal's Troubled Terai Region
समानुपाितक िनर्वाचनको बाहुन फर्मुला मधेशी िवरूद्धको षडयन्त्र हो
तराईमा िहंसाको राजनीितक समाधान छ
जनजाित र दिलतले पार्टी नखोल्नु मानिसक दासता हो
Nepali Times Poll: A Lot Of Room For New Parties

In The News

UNSG stresses on 'credible' Nepal polls Hindu, India
UN Chief Says Nepal's Peace Process On Track But Challenges Remain AHN
Human rights situation in Nepal worrying: UN Gen Secy Press Trust of India
Nepal's peace process on track: UN chief Gorkhapatra
Nepal's monarch awaits his fate
Asia Times Online, Hong Kong The king has been publicly humiliated three times in the past two weeks. His highly publicized three-day diamond-jubilee birthday celebration on July 7 fell flat, with the government, top bureaucrats, even the once loyal Nepali army, and diplomatic corps staying away. ..... The next day, nearly everyone who had been invited was present at the traditional bhoto jatra function for the Rato Machhindranath deity presided over by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as head of state. Until this year the duty had always been the privilege of the Nepali king. .... Last week, outgoing US Ambassador to Nepal James F Moriarty appealed to Gyanendra to abdicate if he wished to save the monarchy. .... "If he wants to save the institution of monarchy, he has to take a dramatic step." ..... the unpopular Crown Prince Paras, has a reputation for drunken, angry behavior. ..... "Since there is such a concerted and calculated hate campaign against monarchy, let us go for a referendum," said Kamal Thapa, leader of the pro-palace Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP-Nepal).
China pledges logistic support for Nepal polls Hindu, India
China provides Rs 460 million to Nepal for road construction NewKerala.com
China offers Rs 8 billion line of credit to Nepal Nepalnews.com
China, Nepal mark 52 years of diplomatic ties
Xinhua, China
Alarm in Nepal as Maoists build up new clout Times of India, India Nepal's Maoists are cementing their new found political clout by establishing unions that could cripple the country ... have attracted thousands of workers from sectors ranging from tourism to education. .... The latest strike by a Maoist-affiliated union was on Tuesday, with 50,000 copies of a popular English language daily newspaper stuck at the printers due to a strike by delivery workers -- their second in a week. ..... "It's more political than industrial. They (the Maoists) want to put pressure on all sectors and show how powerful they are," he said. .... "The Maoists want to establish themselves and get recognised and that's why they've been building networks in almost every sector," said Prakash Shrestha, president of the Hotel Association of Nepal. .... If we fulfilled their every demand, the institutions would collapse," he said. .... Despite being given key government portfolios, allegations of mafia-style beatings and abductions persist. .... "Schools have become a playground for the Maoists to pursue their political goals," said Umesh Shrestha, president of the Private and Boarding Schools Organisation of Nepal. .... "We're operating our schools in constant fear and don't know when the union will close the schools down again," said Shrestha. ..... "They rely on physical action and threats to get support from workers." The Maoists, however, insist they are merely making their ideological mark on an economy accustomed to a subservient workforce. .... Rhoderick Chalmers of the International Crisis Group urged caution, saying it was premature to label the situation a crisis and that businessmen complaining about unions was not unusual. ... "The way they (the Maoists) are doing it is worrying and unpleasant, but in a way it's part of the mainstreaming process," said Chalmers.
Maoist Union Stops Distribution of Popular Newspaper in Nepal
Voice of America indicates, gives me a clear indication of what I can expect when they actually win the elections and be the elected government… I think they will be tougher," Pradan said. ..... Its members say they want to be employed directly by the newspapers and not by distribution companies that handle deliveries on behalf of the publications.
Southern Nepal rebel offers peace talks with UN mediation Earthtimes.org
JTMM-Goit ready for UN-brokered talks Nepalnews.com
JTMM-G ready for dialogue with govt under UN supervision Kantipur Online
JTMM-G ready for talks under UN supervision Kantipur Online
Nepal's government to hold peace talks with ethnic rights group to ...
International Herald Tribune, France
Southern Nepal rebel offers peace talks with UN mediation Media For Freedom, Nepal
JTMM-Goit ready for UN-brokered talks Media For Freedom, Nepal
JTMM-Jwala captures former CJ’s house in Siraha Media For Freedom, Nepal
JTMM-J activists leave party en masse Nepalnews.com, Nepal

JTMM-G ready for dialogue with govt under UN supervision Kantipur
Chure Bhawar group rolls back strike
Maoist ministers' security issue to be probed
Next govt-MPRF talks on Saturday
ँसरकारी संयन्त्र चुनावमुखी भएनन्’ तराईका केही जिल्लामा अहिलेको जस्तो अवस्था रहे चुनावी कार्यक्रम सञ्चालन गर्न कठिनाइ हुने भएकाले सुरक्षा स्थिति अझै सुधार्न आयोगले सरकारको ध्यानाकर्षण गराएको हो । ..... छलफलमा उठेका कुरामात्र सुनेर बाहिरिएका मन्त्री सिटौलाले आयोग परिसरमा सञ्चारकर्मीहरूसँग भने- 'राजनीतिक रूपमा हुने समाधान राजनीतिक तवरबाटै हुन्छ ...... दललाई ४० दिनको प्रचारप्रसार अवधि दिने, १० हजार केन्द्र र १ हजार १ सय ५० मतदाता बराबार एक हुने गरी २२ हजार बुथ राख्ने योजना रहेको पोखरेलले बताए ।
सरकार-फोरम वार्ता जनकपुर वार्तामा मधेस आन्दोलनका क्रममा उठाइएका २४ मागमध्ये २० वटामा सहमति भएको थियो । .... 'सहमति कार्यन्वनका क्रममा देखिएका कमी-कमजोरी र नैराश्य हटाउने सहमति भयो । मूल एजेन्डामा अर्को वार्तामा छलफल गर्नेछौं,' फोरमका अध्यक्ष एवं वार्ता टोली संयोजक उपेन्द्र यादवले भने । उनले समानुपातिक निर्वाचन, स्वायत्त शासनसहित संघीय प्रणाली, सबै क्षेत्रमा समावेशी प्रतिनिधित्व आफ्ना मुख्य माग रहेको बताए । पहिलो वार्तामा आन्दोलनका घाइतेलाई उपचार, राजनीतिक नियुक्ति समावेशी बनाउने, कब्जा सम्पत्ति फिर्ता गराउनेलगायत सहमति भएको थियो । यादवले तराईमा आन्दोलनरत अन्य समूहलाई पनि वार्तामा ल्याई समस्या समाधान गर्नुपर्ने बताए । 'सबै समस्याको समाधान वार्ता हो,' उनले भने । वार्तामा फोरम तर्फबाट सीतानन्दन राय, किशोर विश्वास र नसिर सिद्धिकी सहभागी थिए ।
विद्रोह गरी ६ सयभन्दा बढी गोइत समूहमा
जनताकहाँ जाऊ सरकार चलाइरहेका आठ राजनीतिक दल एकीकृत रूपमा जनताकहाँ जान आवश्यक छ । तिनले वडा तहसम्म आठ दलीय संयुक्त राजनीतिक संयन्त्र खडा गरेर समस्या समाधान गछौर्ं भन्ने बाचा गर्न सक्नुपर्छ । ...... अहिले राजनीतिक दलहरू एक्लाएक्लै यदाकदा स्थानीय तहमा जाने प्रक्रिया सुरु भएको छ, त्यसलाई व्यापक संयुक्त गतिविधि बनाउनुपर्छ ।
दलित भएर सोच्दा छुवाछूत मुक्त राष्ट्र घोषणा गरिसक्दा पनि नयाँपन आएको देखिँदैन । छुवाछूतको समस्या जहाँको तहीँ, जस्ताको तस्तै छ । .... जनसंख्याको एक चौथाइ भाग ओगट्ने दलितको कुनै अस्तित्व छैन । पुरातनवादी सोच र सामाजिक संरचनामा जकडिएको छ, यो समुदाय । मागेर लिने, जति दियो त्यतिमै सन्तुष्टि हुने चलन छ । ..... कसैलाई गाली गर्दा कस्तो कामी-दमाईजस्तो भन्ने थेगो अझै विद्यमान छ । दलित भएकै कारण उच्चशिक्षा हासिल गर्न वञ्चित हुनुपरेको छ । दलित भएकै कारण राजधानीमा समेत डेरा नपाउने तथा जात ढाँटेर बस्नुपर्ने स्थिति छ । अन्तरजातीय विवाहका कारण परिवार, गाउँ, समाजबाट बहिष्कृत हुनुपरेको छ ।
एकीकरणमा वरिष्ठता विवाद दुई कांग्रेसबीच एकताका लागि औपचारिक गृहकार्य सुरु भएपछि एकीकृत पार्टीको 'पोर्टफोलियो' मा शेरबहादुर देउवा र सुशील कोइरालामध्ये कसलाई 'माथि' राख्ने भन्ने सवालमा विवाद उत्पन्न भएको छ । ...... देउवाले विभाजनअघि एकीकृत पार्टीमा आफू दुई/दुईपटक संसदीय दलको नेता निर्वाचित भई प्रधानमन्त्री भइसकेकाले सुशीलभन्दा आफू मर्यादाक्रममा माथि हुनुपर्ने अडान राखेका छन् ......... कोइराला र देउवाबीच दुवै पार्टीका केन्द्रदेखि गाउँ इकाईसम्मका कार्यसमितिलाई एकीकृत गर्ने र दुवैतर्फका महाधिवेशन प्रतिनिधि र महासमिति सदस्यलाई एकीकृत पार्टीको महाधिवेशन प्रतिनिधि र महासमिति सदस्य मान्ने सहमतिसमेत भएको छ । सहमतिअनुसार दुवैतर्फका भ्रातृ तथा शुभेच्छुक संगठनहरूलाई समेत त्यही आधारमा एकीकृत गरिनेछ । ...... एकीकृत पार्टीको केन्द्रीय सभापति कोइरालालाई नै बनाउने सहमति भइसकेकाले केन्द्रीय समितिको समायोजन गर्न कुनै अप्ठ्यारो छैन । .... कांग्रेसको केन्द्रीय कार्यसमिति ३७ सदस्यीय र प्रजातान्त्रिकको २७ सदस्यीय छ, त्यसलाई एकीकृत गरी ६४ सदस्यीय बनाइनेछ, दुवैतर्फ केन्द्रीय समितिमा जो-जो जुन-जुन पदमा छन्, पदसहित समायोजन गरिनेछ । ..... कार्यदलले पाँच विकास क्षेत्रीय, ७५ जिल्ला र २०५ निर्वाचन क्षेत्रीय, ५८ नगर र वडा तथा ३,९१३ गाउँस्तरीयका पार्टी इकाईका सभापति कसलाई बनाउने भन्ने गृहकार्य सुरु गरेको छ ।

JTMM-Goit ready for UN-brokered talks NepalNews After rejecting several talks offers of the government, the Jaya Krishna Goit-led faction of Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) has said it is ready to hold dialogue with the government provided the United Nations or any other credible international agency agrees to broker it. Goit hinted at the possibility of talks in his letter to Chief of United Nations Mission in Nepal, Ian martin, on July 13. However, he also cautioned that it would be impossible to hold talks with the government until it “builds an amicable environment”. Saying that his group would continue to fight for the rights of Madheshi people, Goit said they were, however, not against talks. Goit latest reaction came after repeated calls for dialogues by the government. Meanwhile, senior official at the UNMIN confirmed that Martin had received Goit’s letter, but added that the UNMIN was yet to take up the issue. Martin is currently in New York to apprise the UN top brass about Nepal’s peace process. Earlier, saying that there’s no significance of talks with the government, the JTMM had issued an ultimatum to all non-Madheshi government employees to leave Terai or face dire consequences.
JTMM-Jwala captures former CJ’s house in Siraha
Dalit Morcha to launch agitation Maoist-affiliated Samyukta Ganatantrik Dalit Morcha .... 10-point demands. ..... Tilak Pariyar, coordinator of the Morcha, addressed a press meet at the Maoist parliamentary party office, Wednesday, announcing the agitation. He said Dalit were continuously being marginalised. ...... The Morcha also submitted a memorandum at the Prime Minister's Office. They plan to send delegations to political parties, hold protest rally in Kathmandu on July 29, and hold countrywide torch-lit demonstrations on August 10. The Morcha has also announced to impose Chitwan bandh on August 18 and Kathmandu valley bandh on August 22.

Govt-MJF talks inconclusive NepalNews MJF vice-chairman Kishor Kumar Bishwas, one of the MJF negotiators, said, “The government side said it needed two days for homework on the issues raised by our party.” According to him, the MJF reiterated its demands, which includes "constitutional guarantee of federal system of governance with autonomy" and fully proportional electoral system for constituent assembly polls. .... The three-hour long meeting held amidst tight security did enter into these demands, but there was no serious debate on them. .... the MJF team was represented by party chairman Upendra Yadav, vice-chairman Bishwas, Sitanandan Raya and Nasir Siddiqui. ..... “Since the government has not implemented what was agreed in the Janakpur meeting, we have little hope for a breakthrough,” Bishwas said.
UNSG stresses on credible election on time the overall human rights situation continues to be worrying, with the main concerns linked to inadequate public security and law enforcement and to unresolved issues of discrimination with regard to representation and inclusion in the political process. ....... the national political scene has become more complex and challenging in recent months. ..... the parties to the peace process will also need to improve their record of implementing commitments they have made already
Mahara meets with PM; claims NA changed guards without Koirala's knowledge
JTMM-J activists leave party en masse More than six hundred activists, including dozens of influential leaders belonging to the Jwala Singh led Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-J) Sunsari branch, have defected from the party en masse to join the Jay Krishna led faction of the armed outfit. .... former Sunsar-Morang incharge of JTMM-J said they had rebelled from the party as “it had intensified abduction, killing, violence and extortion in the Terai.” ...... “we would fully abide by the Geneva convention in this armed struggle to form a separate Terai state.”
Dalit Morcha to launch agitation

One by one Nepali Times “no election in Nepal has ever been held under ideal conditions.” .... The janajatis feel they are close to a deal. “The government has assured us that the current electoral law actually works, and for now we are ready to accept that,” Pasang Sherpa, president of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities .... a strong consensus is emerging among the eight parties that a more diplomatic approach in the tarai could help kickstart those talks. ..... The MJF is talking again with the government this week, and most of its demands have already been fulfilled. With the MJF on board, “the armed factions in the tarai can either be talked to or be bought,” says a commentator. ....... The UML seems to be sensing that the tide is turning in its favour, while the NC and the CPN-M are uncertain. The two Congresses need to be unified, and the Maoists are making overtures to the UML for leftist unity.
Securing a future The Maoist leadership is concerned it will have less bargaining power in the SSR process if the verification reduces the size of the PLA substantially. .... The strict questioning in the verification process is not helping. “Most of our company commanders have been disqualified, and those found qualified have been categorised as recruits. ..... They feel humiliated and degraded
Lost in seminar space It is difficult enough being interesting in one language. But to say something original in a non-native tongue is almost impossible. Research shows that children who begin to learn in English rather than their mother tongue are slower by about 10 percent. It’s even worse when the lingua franca of a country is their second language, and English, learnt at later stage, the third or fourth one. ..... the Valley’s socio-political elite choose to converse among themselves in English. .... public figures have a taxing schedule that leaves little time for preparation. After a while, each speech elicits yawns even from co-panellists. Politicians suffer acutely from this: the more seminars they attend, the less time they have for their constituents. Consequently, they have almost nothing new to say after a while. ....... Rumour is, anyone who can write a decent proposal can have a few million rupees from various donors to ‘create awareness’ about the constituent assembly election.

House directs govt to publicise Rayamajhi Commission report NepalNews a 1400-page report .... recommending action against more than 200 people for widespread human rights abuses and misuse of state funds. .... At least 22 pro-democracy activists were killed and over 4000 others wounded in the three-week long mass uprising in April 2006.
PM holds series of political parleys demanding at least one 'A' category mission for their party. ...... Nepal requested Koirala to make personal initiative to bring the agitating groups in Terai to the negotiating table in order to ensure that the constituent assembly polls are held without obstruction.
Govt offices halt services as employees go on protest
Dr Bhattarai sees ‘little significance’ of Maoists remaining in govt he party has taken serious note of Maoist ministers becoming worried about their personal security ..... his party might decide to quit the government since "it is increasingly becoming hard to work in the interest of the people by being a part of it.” .... Accusing Nepali Congress of trying to run the government single-handedly rather than through consensus even though it is a coalition government, Dr Bhattarai also said there were deliberate attempts to taint the image of the Maoists by dragging it into the "wrongdoings of others".
Congress will be finished if it does not support republic, warns MK Nepal
Don't drag Maoist name into labourer-employer dispute, says Mahara
Talks with Terai groups soon: Minister Poudel
India’s 'age-old mentality' should change regarding Nepal: Yechuri