Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Bharat Prasad Mahato, Member, Federation of Nepal’s Backward Community, Saptari

The allegations that the present Madhesi protests are either India or Palace sponsored are also an example of higher level of Brahminic hegemony in the country. This is just an illusion created by the present day Brahmin rulers of the country to deceive the people. The wave of protests going on since last three weeks in the Terai is voluntarily executed and actively participated in by the Madhesis who want an equal share in the overall state affairs.

I would like to declare that there is nothing India sponsored for our cause in the Terai.

In practice Madhesi grievances in Nepal are always looked upon with suspicion by the ruling classes that is pahade dominated. Presently I feel that the Indian establishment has instead betrayed the Madhesi community by sealing the border between the two countries. The Indian establishment by doing so has tried to throttle the age old ties that exist between the two countries.

This protest is strictly limited to the cause of the Janajatis, Dalits, Madhesis and other backward communities’ in the country and it is a new version of movement, so we have named it Janaandolan-III.

During the last ten months we have experienced that the Janaandolan-II was unable to deliver power to the people. So, our objective through this Janaandolan is to bring power to the people in real terms no matter whether they live in the Mountains or in the Hills or in the Terai.

The Prime Minister’s address to the nation last week was unable to solve our problem, if the forthcoming address does not address our issues properly this agitation will continue ad infinitum.

Present system is made for the pahade, by the pahade and to the pahade

Shiv Kumar Mahato, Central Committee Member , Nepal Kuswaha Students’ Union, Nawalpur, Sarlahi

In Nepal the main problem is whenever a pahade community start their agitation then it becomes a people’s revolt whereas, whenever the Madhesi community demand their rights peacefully it is termed as either foreign sponsored or palace sponsored. This is ridiculous and that’s where the discrimination lies. Let me explain you plainly that this revolt is executed by the Madhesis living in Madhesh- who are genuine Nepalese like you, that’s all.

I agree that few people representing our community are still in the main stream but minorities are always suppressed by the ruling class. I strictly believe that the present system is made by the pahades, for the pahades and to the pahades, leaving no space for the Madhesis. The main reason behind our leader’s dismal performance is the fear among them while putting forward their demands.

With all these discriminations all along the past 238 years we are still peacefully demanding an exclusive system whereby all have equal rights.

The Maoist leaders who claim to advocate the cause for the backward communities were also unable to make even participation in the interim parliament. The Kushwaha community was left behind by the Maoists as well. During the present revolt in the Terai the first martyr Shri. Ramesh Kumar Mahato, belonged to the Kushwaha Community.

And to the gesture by Maoist supreme commander Prachanda, I would say that the Terai grievances were never in the Maoist agenda. We have never hijacked the Maoist agenda; we feel that the Maoists forwarded the Terai grievances for mere political benefits long time back and as they left our grievances for some other political benefits we had to carry our own agenda.

Finally, the Madhesi community will ever remain obliged to the pahade brothers and sisters for showing their solidarity with us in the present crisis.

We do not need the Maoists’ to propagate our demands

Birendra Narayan Shah, Student, Department of Economics, TU, Rajbiraj

Where is the state mechanism? If there are reactionaries or even foreigners backing our revolt then the state should be able to capture them first, secondly show them to the public and finally charge them as per the laws of the land.

To the Maoists claim that we have hijacked their agenda, I would say that it is not their paternal right to carry our agenda. We are equally capable to convey our own demands. We do not need forces like the Maoists to propagate our views.

I agree there have been instances wherein pahade communities have been targeted in the Terai but they have come as an instant outrage, and I believe that they will not happen in the future. There are cultural and sentimental ties bonding the two communities.

The main idea behind the present revolt is that the Madhesi leaders themselves have to represent their community. Not doing so in the past this community is lagging behind in all aspects of development. The pahade leaders while representing the Madhesi community have utterly failed to raise Madhesi issues.

It is totally a false claim that the Madhesis are targeting the Brahmins and the Chhetris. We can disagree to the notion of brahminism or Chhetrism but targeting individuals on the basis of cast or ethnicity is totally unacceptable.

It is a sorry tale that we have to fight for our rights in the 21 st century

Sukram Singh, Secretary, Federation of Nepalese Kushwaha Association, Mahottari

We do not need India’s support to fight for our rights. We can assure that each and every individual living in Madhesh is a brave warrior of this country. In case of foreign aggression we will equally contribute to secure our national sovereignty and independence.

Some political parties in the country are trying to disrupt our nationhood for achieving mere political targets. If the Madhesis are intolerant beings then no pahade leader would have been elected from the madhesh in the past. Now these very political parties clearly want to untangle the age-old bond existing between the pahade and madhesi community. Even the last public appearance of the Prime Minister G.P.Koirala brought no concrete solution to our demands. The Prime Minister assured us many a things vaguely but he was not very clear on how they will be delivered to us.

I think to the present crisis the first and the foremost solution is that in all the decision making levels in the state mechanism people from all sectors must be assured equal share and participation.

Finally, it is indeed a sorry tale that even in the 21 st century Nepalese people are still fighting for their basic rights, whereas other contemporary countries have gone far ahead in development.

Sitaula must be sacked and charged for murder

Upendra Mahato, Member, Federation of Nepalese Kushwaha Association, Sarlahi

There are genuine demands and this is a genuine revolt. There are no darbaria elements in this issue as yelled by the Maoists and the likes.

I am giving you some figures, see in the UML Central Committee among 35 members there is only one Madhesi, similarly in the Nepali Congress among 35 central committee members there are just 3 individuals from the Madhesi community. To the surprise there is only one Madhesi member in the Maoist central committee. Isn’t this a glaring example of country-wide discrimination though we make 48% of the total population?

Another case of discrimination is that during the Janaandolan-II, Chitra Lekha Yadav was declared as the Speaker of the house in the street parliament, whereas when it came to formally acknowledge her as the Speaker of the restored real parliament or the Interim parliament, Subash Nembang was elected by majority support from the pahade community there.

In the end through your newspaper, the Kushwaha Community would like to demand ouster of home-minister K.P.Sitaula who has killed more men in Terai in the present peaceful protests than Kamal Thapa killed during the royal regime. I strongly demand that Sitaula must be sacked and charged for the murder.