Madhesi Empowerment Is Possible Through Peaceful Route

Ver y well said Pramod ji. Peaceful route is always the best route. It is also always possible if the involved parties genuinely try. But the question is : Do they have enough incentive to go through this route? It seems everyone in the 7+1 party government believes that Madhesis have been marginalized even after the hard fought "democracy." They also know they will have to take steps sooner or later to make every marginalized group feel inclusive in the democracy. Then why are they letting people including kids being killed? And who is doing the killing? The Maoists , who are still carrying arms after promising to not to do so, and the police. All this started because Maoists killed a 16 year kid (Ramesh Mahato) when the protest was still peaceful. The government and the Maoists do not have incentive to take the peaceful route yet. They falsely believe because they have the guns, they can suppress the movement with fear. The international community is largely silent on this. The human right activists who were so vocal few months ago have suddenly gone mute. To the international community all Nepal means is the mountains.


It is important to realize that it is not just a fight for the madhesis. It is fight for all the marginalized groups. Fortunately, other marginalized groups are realizing this (see Indigenous community expresses solidarity with Madhesi movement).

Still divide and conquer mentality?

"Madhesis of various castes are 40 percent, the indigenous Tharus are 14 percent, and Muslims make up nearly nine percent." (Nepali Times Editorial)

Overall a positive article, but on what basis have Tharus and Muslims been categoried as separate from Madhesis? Ask the Tharus and Muslims of my village or anywhere else, and they will tell you they are Madhesis. And they are.

some encouraging news amongst mostly discouraging ones

It is impossible to not feel pain when your country is burning. It is a shame that people still need to die to be heard. But it is a greater shame that people who are entrusted with keeping peace themselves create violence (watch Nepalgunj video). I am surprised international reporters, even those who have been reporting on South Asia and Nepal for long, call madhesis "people of Indian origin" when distinguishing them from the people of hill (not that there is anything wrong in being people of Indian origin). Most madhesis have been in madhesh since prehistoric time of Buddha and Sita, long before hilly people including kings and Ranas came from India. Moreover except Tibetan Nepalis and Sherpas, to my knowledge, most Nepalis originally came from India anyway. What a shame that we are made foreigners in our own native land? What a shame that we have to prove our "Nepalipan"?

However, I am glad that there are some non-madhesi groups that are showing solidarity to the madhesi movement. It is very encouraging, and we still have hope for our country:

1) Indigenous community expresses solidarity with Madhesi movement

2) Sadbhavana warns of pull out

3) "Issuing a joint statement after a discussion in the capital on Friday, 32 noted civil society personalities, including intellectuals from Medhesi community, called upon the government to see to the demands of Madhesi groups without bias."

"..Those signing the joint appeal included Dr Sundar Mani Dixit, Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Charan Prasain, Prof Dr. Birendra Kumar Mishra, president of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists Bishnu Nisthuri and former Nepal Bar Association president Shambhu Thapa."

4) "Speaking at a press meet, civil society leader Dr. Devendra Raj Pandey said, “We will go to express solidarity with the genuine demands and urge protesting groups to maintain mutual harmony.”

"Pandey also informed that civil society groups have been putting pressure on the government to address the genuine demands of Madhesis."

“The genuine demands of Madhesis proportional election system and state restructure should be immediately addressed,” said one of the members of the group, Shyam Shrestha."

Source: nealnews.com

------
Hopefully, few bad elements that are giving genuine madhesi movement a bad name will not be successful.