Without Comment
Various political leaders have made a variety of analysis on the agitation in terai by Madheshi Janadhikar Forum
'The resignation of home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula is precondition to initiate the dialogue. Our forum is no different than political parties. Our organization is revolutionary" - Upendera Yadav, president of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, Kantipur February 4.
"If the government cannot address our demands, we will demand separate Madhesh" – Upendra Yadav, February 5
"We are committed for integrated and united Nepal and there is no demand for separate state." Upendra Yadav, February 8
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Yadav : Comments flying thick and fast |
"The government can not escape by just blaming external forces and regressive forces behind Madheshi agitation. Resignation of Home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula cannot solve the problems of terai. It is the rebellion of people against the state"- Rajendra Mahato, general secretary of Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP-Anandidevi), at Reporters Club, February 4.
"Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula should resign taking responsibility for killing in Madhesi andolan. His resignation will open the negotiations" - Rajendra Mahato February 12, Kantipur.
"Regressive forces are actively backing agitation in Terai. Our party also raised genuine demands like proportional representation and federalism but prime minister ignored them. Had other parties accepted our demand, the country would not have to face he present situation paving the way for regressive forces to make a comeback" CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal on Chhalfal weekly, February 4.
"Those leaders who charged Terai's agitation is part of conspiracy by the regressive forces are trying to devaluate the rebel of Madhesis against state. The agitation of Terai was spontaneous and voices of rebellion" - Dr. Banshidhar Mishra, CPN-UML parliamentarian at Reporters Club, February 10.
"There are definitely some regressive elements and palace behind the vandalism in Madhesi Andolan. The elements from palace penetrate the agitation to discredit them" - Sushil Koirala, vice president of NC, in Nepal Television, February 10.
"This is a time for revolutionary change. Thus, people's aspirations and expectations spontaneously burst. This is natural. There would be pain when there is change from one system to other but regressive elements always will try to take advantages in such agitation" - prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala in his first nation wide address on January 31.
"Terai's demands are genuine and they should be fulfilled. Had the government implemented the report of Rayamajhi Commission, the present problems in terai would not have erupted" - Nepali Congress general secretary Ram Chandra Poudel in Radio Nepal , February 3.
"People are dying in police firing and you are saying that they come from Bihar . Can Bihari come to face bullet of police and die for the cause of Nepali Madhesis? Leaders of political parties are ignoring genuine demands of Madhesis terming it as an agitation instigated by regressive elements" - Nepali Congress MP Surendra Chaudhari in Parliamentary meeting, February 4.
"People of Indian origins living in Terai in Nepal should not fear anything. The unrest is a conspiracy of the US and the Palace" - CP Gajurel, chief of CPN-Maoist foreign department addressing a press conference in New Delhi (The Himalayan Times, February 4)
"The recent agitation in terai is backed by regressive forces and Hindu fundamentalists from India. The present agitation in Terai provides additional energy to fulfill the demands raised by our ten years long people's war"- Maoist supremo Prachanda in Kantipur, February 3.
"We are the first party to raise the demand of federalism but some deserters of our party launched the agitation with the backing from foreign elements and palace" - CPN-Maoist leader Ram Bahadur Badal, in Nepal Samacharpatra, February 11.
"We have seen the agitation in terai is spontaneous with participation of all level of people of different kinds. The government has to show flexibility to fulfill the demands raised by the agitators in Terai" – Shyam Shrestha, leftist intellectual and member of civil society for peace and democracy.
"The regressive elements and some royalist elements infiltrated in the agitation in terai. As long as monarchy is there, palace will actively back these kinds of violent activities" - Krishna Pahadi, Channel Nepal , February 11.
"As long as Madhesias demanded their right peacefully, no political parties took any initiative. After Madhesias took the issue in street and forced the government to accept their demands with sacrifice of more than two dozen martyrs, all political parties are in the race to claim the credit" – Jaya Prakash Gupta Anand, Nepali Congress MP in Kantipur.
(Compiled by KESHAB POUDEL)
