िगिरजा, माधव, प्रचण्ड सब एक जैसे हैं

िगिरजा, माधव, प्रचण्ड सब एक जैसे हैं। ये तीनों पहाडी बाहुन मधेसीके िवरूद्ध षडयन्त्र करना शुरु कर िदए हैं। वैसे षडयन्त्र बन्द ही कब िकए थे? लेिकन अब िफर कसके शुरु िकए हैं।

२०४६ के संिवधानका सब कुछ एक एक कर के गायब िकया जा रहा है। जैसे िक राजतन्त्रकी समाप्ती, या शाही सेनाकी लोकतानिन्त्रकरण, आिद इत्यािद। लेिकन उस संिवधानके अन्तरगतके जो २०५ संसदीय सीट हैं उनको कायम रखनेकी सािजश हो रही है।

िगिरजा, माधव, प्रचण्डका लोकतन्त्र एक व्यिक्त एक मतवाला लोकतन्त्र नहीं है। िगिरजा, माधव, प्रचण्डके लोकतन्त्रमें पहाडीको एक मत अौर मधेसीको आधा मत प्राप्त है।

दुखकी बात ये है िक ये तीनों मधेश से ही चुनाव लडेंगे, मधेश से ही चुनाव िजतेंगे अौर मधेश से ही राजस्व उसुल कर के मधेश पर ही शासन करेंगे। उसको उपिनवेशवाद कहते हैं। िगिरजा समाजवादी नहीं है, माधव मार्क्सवादी नहीं है, प्रचण्ड माअोवादी नहीं है। ये तीनो उपिनवेशवादी हंै।

एक समय हुवा करता था जब जगन्नाथ िमश्रा िबहारसे चुनाव िजत्ता था अौर मुख्यमन्त्री हुवा करता था। लेिकन हो गया उसका सफाया। ठीक उसी तरह इन तीनों का भी सफाया होना जरुरी है मधेशसे।

२०४६ के अान्दोलन के बारेमें गजेन्द्र नारायण िसंह कहा करते थे, पहाडी राजाने पहाडीयोको प्रजातन्त्र िदया, हम मधेशीयोको क्या िदया? अिप्रल क्रािन्तको भी हाइज्याक करने की सािजश कर रहे हैं ये पहाडी लोग।

६० लाख मधेशी को नागिरकता पत्रसे विञचत िकया गया है। वो नेपाली नही हैं, अगर िवदेशी हैं तो दे दो उनको अपनी जमीन वो जाके अलग देश खडा कर लेंगे। िकसीको नागिरकता पत्रसे विञचत करना मानव अिधकारका उलंघन है। राजाको तो ये लोग अन्तर्रािष्ट्रय न्यायालय नहीं ले जा सके, लेिकन प्रवासी मधेशी इनको नागिरकता पत्रके मुद्दे पर अन्तर्रािष्ट्रय न्यायालय ले जानेकी तयारी में जुटे हैं। संिवधान सभाके चुनावसे पहले अगर इन ६० लाख मधेशी को नागिरकता पत्र नहीं िदया जाता है तो ये लोग अपने अापको अन्तर्रािष्ट्रय न्यायालयके कठघरेमें खडे पाएंगे।

गावँ गावँमें अाठ दलीय सरकार बनाअो। अौर घर घर जाके नागिरकता पत्र िवतरण करो। अौर कोइ उपाय नहीं है तुम्हारे पास। नहीं तो देशमें अिप्रल क्रािन्त से बडी क्रािन्त िछडेगी। तब िसर्फ देखते ही रह जाअोगे।

संिवधान सभाके चुनावके िलए सबसे पहले तो २०४६ के संिवधानवाला २०५ संसदीय सीटको गोल करो। उसके बाद देशको बराबर जनसंख्यावाले कमसेकम ३०० सीटो में बाँडो। उसमें से ३३% सीट मिहला अारिक्शत सीट रहेंगे। उन मिहला अारिक्शत सीटों में से दो ितहाइ सीट दिलत, जनजाित अौर मधेशी मिहलाअोंके िलए रहेंगे। १७% सीट दिलत, जनजाित अौर मधेशीके िलए अारिक्शत रहेंगे। अौर प्रत्येक सीटमें प्रत्यक्श िनर्वाचन होगी।

मधेशी अब जग गए हैं। जो इस बातको माननेको तैयार नहीं हैं, उन सभीका मधेशसे पत्ता साफ होगा, अौर बहुत जल्द। वैसी अगर नौबत अाती है तो प्रत्येक पार्टी से मधेशी अलग हो जाएंगे अौर एक नयी पार्टी खोलेंगे। तब तो िबल्कुल सफाया। ये तीनों मधेश जाएंगे अौर वापस अाएंगे, वो भी खाली हात।

Response by Sanjaya Shrestha: परमेन्द्रको पढनेके बाद

November 02, 2006

परमेन्द्रको पढनेके बाद

परमेन्द्र भगतका "गिरजा, माधव, प्रचण्ड सब एक जैसे हैं" पढकर मैँ बहुत चौँक गया था । मुझे मालूम नहीँ था की तराईके लोग ईतना आक्रोशीत हो चुके है पहाडीयोँ के शोषण और दोहन से । इसमे कोई शक नहीँ है की जसि तरह से चीनमेँ एक देश दो सिस्टम चल रहा है, उसी तरहसे नेपालमेँ भी दो तप्केके लोग मुलुक खुद पैदा कर रहा है । काठमान्डुमेँ पलबढकर भि मधेशके लोगोँके साथ मेरा एक स्नेह रहनेका कारण दादाजीका ब्यापार हि था । दादाजीके बहुत से ब्यापारीक मित्र तराई के थे और उनका हमारे परिवारका शादी-दावतमेँ आनाजाना होता रहता था । इसके अलावा दुसरा कारण था-रक्सौलमेँ उस वक्त चल रहा "शोले" देखनेकी ललक । बीरगँज जाने और "शोले" देखनेके लिए हम भाईयोँके बीच एक किश्मका होड सा चला हुवा था और उसके लिए हम सभि चाचाजीओँसे जब कभि घरमे दिखते तो हम घेरकर मिन्नते करना शुरु कर देते थे ।

पता नहीँ नौँ-दश सालके लडके भी कैसे लालची र मतलबी हो जाते हैँ । शायद बडोँसे ही सीखते हैँ वह । हाँ, काठमान्डुमेँ भीडीयोका प्रवेश हो चुका था उस वक्त-तबसे हमने भि तराईके चाचाओँको उतना भाव देना छोड दिया था। क्योँकी अब "शोले" और "क्रान्ती" देखनेके लिए रक्सौल जाने कि जरुरत नहीँ था । हम पूर्णरुपसे मतलबी हो चुके थेँ और कुछ दुसरी कीसमका कीडा हमारा दीमागमेँ कुलबुला रहा था । और वह था तराईके लोगोँके साथ बहुत बूरी तरह से पेश आना । नेवार परीवारके सदस्य होनेके कारण शायद हमेँ तराईके लोग माफ कर सकते हेँ । नेवार लोग खुद नेपाली अच्छी तरह से बोल नहीँ सकते हेँ। मेरी दादी जब भी घर मेँ मेहमान अाते थे, तब उपर जाईयेकी जगह "तल जानुस" कहती थी। नेपाली अच्छी तरह से नबोल पाने के वजहसे काठमाडौँके नेवार लोगोँने भी अच्छा योगदान दिया हे मधेशीयोँकी ओर बूरी तरहसे पेश आने मेँ । इस बात मे कोई भी शक नहँी हे की काठमाडौँने मधेशको बहुत दु:ख और ठेश पहँुचाया है । लेकीन, आम आदमीका रवैया जैसा भी हो- (इसमेँ भी सुधार होना बहुत जरुरी है,) कोई भी देश अपनी नागरीकके तरफ दोगला ब्यवहार नहीँ कर सकता है ।

नेपालका सबसे बडा समस्या जातीवाद और सम्प्रदायवादके साथ-साथ क्षेत्रीयतावाद भी हे । काठमाडौँके अन्दर देखो त नेवार खुद ही एक-आपसमेँ बटेँ हुए हैँ-हाँ उनके लीए एकही सुत्र भाषा की है। लेकीन जब भाषाकी बात आती है, तो पुरा पहाडी लोग पुरी तरह से विभाजीत है । उसी तरह से दलीत और गैर-दलीतका सवाल भी जबरजस्त रुपसे उठ रहा है, पहाडीयोँ के बीचमे । हम ईन्कार नहँी कर सकते हैँ की ईसकिश्मका विभाजन और दरारेँ तराई मेँ नहीँ है । मेँ तो जीधर भी देखता हँु, बस तोडनेका सुत्र ही देखता हुँ और जोडने की सुत्र ढुँढना बहुत मुश्कीलसा मालूम होता है । नेपाली लोग नेपालके अन्दर ही नहीँ, बाहर भी विभाजीत है । नेवार-नेवारके साथ ही रहता है तो ईसी तरहसे दुसरे तपकेके लोग भी अपना ही तपकेके लोगोँके साथ ही रहता है । मेँ अचम्मीत होता हुँ जब पढे-लिखे हुए लोग ईस किस्मका ईन्टलेक्च्युल घेट्टोआईजेशनमेँ विश्वास करते हैँ-विदेश मेँ भी ।

मेरे ख्यालमेँ भाषा, क्षेत्र और आत्मसम्मान हमारे लिए बहुत मायने रखते हैँ । लेकिन जीन्दगीके सामने ये सब चिजेँ उतना मायने नहीँ रखते हैँ। तराईमेँ आज सबसे बडा तनाव लोगोँके जीवनशैली और जीवनस्तरसे जुडा हुआ हे। जीस आदमीके पास खानेके लीए कुछ नहीँ और जीसका जीवन दो पलका है-उनके लीए कितना आरक्षण होगा और कौन उनका रक्षक होँगे उतना मायना नहीँ रखता है । ये आरक्षण और प्रतिनिधीत्वकी बातेँ नेता लोग करते हैँ और वो लोग करते हँै जीनको अपना नेतागीरीका भूत चढा हुआ है । ठीक है नेतागीरी होना चाहीये - लेकिन तोडनेकी शर्त मे कभी नहँी । भडकाव जीस किस्मका भी वो नेपालमे शान्ती और स्थायीत्वके लीए अच्छा नहीँ है । अभी दश सालका माओवादी विद्रोहका खात्मा नहीँ हुआ है, की दुसरा भडकावका खतरा बढ रहा है। ठीक है चुनावोँमे सफाया होता है तो इसमे कोई समस्या नही क्योँकी नेपालका अगला प्रधानमन्त्री या राष्ट्रपती तराई से भी हो सकता है र होने से कुछ बिगडने वाला भी नहँी है । बस डर इस बातका है की यह सफाया वगैरहके चक्करमेँ देशका बँटवारा ना हो जाएे ।

Posted by S.B.Shrestha at 11/02/2006 07:14:00 PM

Audio: Madhesi Rights 1, Madhesi Rights 2, Madhesi Rights 3

Google Video: Madhesi

Bindeshwar Shah On Madhesi Rights
Madhesi Gathering In Prospect Park 1
Madhesi Gathering In Prospect Park 2
Nepal Democracy 6

Seven Party Delegation At Yak
Aftab Alam, Nepali Congress 1
Aftab Alam, Nepali Congress 2
Ratneshwar Goit, CPN (UML)
Anil Jha, Nepal Sadbhavana Party 1
Anil Jha, Nepal Sadbhavana Party 2
Anil Jha, Nepal Sadbhavana Party 3

Visitors

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UML Regression On The Madhesi Question
Email To All Madhesis From Rajendra Mahto
Pramukh Dar
Madhesi Rights
Three Emerging Poles
Janajati, Madhesi: Too Vague, Dalit: Not Assertive Enough
Rajendra Mahto: नागरिकता विधेयक खोतल्दा
Hands Off The Madhesi Activists
Citizenship Acquiring Process Eased
Madhesi Self Hate
Interim Parliament: 101 Members Total
Language Policy
Janakpur Gherao
Mainstream Jay Krishna Goit Also
Madhesi Caucus In Interim Parliament Needed
Hindi Is At The Core Of The Madhesi Identity
Girija, Resign
Hridayesh
Direct Elections, One Seat For Every 100,000 People, Reservations, Primaries
C.K. Lal: NRIs In Nepal
ANA Convention: My Hamro Nepal Speech
Madhesis, Social Justice, And The DaMaJaMa Equation In Nepal
June 17 Madhesi Gathering In New York City
MaMaMaMa
Abolish The Monarchy, Abolish The Army
Democracy Diwali At The Nepali Mandir
मधेशीसँग संख्या छ, शिक्त छैन
Internalized Racism Among Nepalis In NYC
The April Revolution Asks For A New Political Party
No Short Cuts: Madhesis Will Have To March
Chitralekha Yadav: Speaker
Madhesi Rights: Total Equality
My Most Controversial Blog Post To Date: On Madhesi Issue
April 20: March Onto The Palace, End The Monarchy
Aire Gaire Natthu Khaire Pahadis
First ANTA NYC Event, Times Square Marriott
ये तो क्रान्ित है
Constituent Assembly: 300 Seats Of Roughly Equal Population
BBC Calls
Hridayesh Tripathy Released
Dinesh Tripathi, Your Worst Nightmare
हृदयेश त्रिपाठी: मधेसी समस्या र राज्यको पुनर्संरचना
संघीय गणतन्त्र
"Robin Hood Im Internet"
Not Journalism But Politics At The Speed Of Thought
मधेशी अधिकारको कुरामा पहाडीहरुको सहभागीता
Hridayesh Tripathi Arrested
मधेशी पहचान
अइ आन्दोलनमें मधेशी अधिकारके बात
लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नै किन?
Dinesh Tripathi, "Arthur Kinoy Of Nepal"
Janakpur Rally, Biggest In Nepal Since 1990
Nepal Needs To Be Hitting The World Headlines: Write To The Media
PCP: Pahadi Chauvinist Pig
Phone Talk With Girija Koirala: Meeting History Itself
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In The Quest For Social Justice Feelings Are Going To Get Hurt
Madhesi
Anil Jha, Bimal Nidhi, Jimmy Carter
Sadbhavana Meets In Janakpur
September 16 Protest Rally
The King In Janakpur
Nepal's Terai People In Deplorable Conditions: Mahto
Words Matter
Madhesi Hum Lenge Sau Mein Pachas
Hridayesh Tripathy
The Kathmandu Media Ignores The Sadbhavana
Sangram Morcha: A New Political Party (1993)
Peace First, Then Democracy, Democracy First, Then Social Justice
Phone Talk With Hridayesh Tripathy
Madhesi Rights: Abhi Nahin To Kabhi Nahin
Pradip Giri: DaMaJaMa
Tibetans And Madhesis
Phone Interview With Rajendra Mahato
Hridayesh Tripathy In Delhi: Good News

Breakthrough

Breakthrough Reported In Arms Management Negotiations In Nepal Playfuls.com, Romania
Nepal Maoists agree on arms management: report India eNews.com, India
Nepal Maoists agree on arms management: report Telugu Portal, India
Breakthrough reported in arms management negotiations in Nepal Raw Story, MA
Nepal Preace Process: Breakthrough On Arms Issue, UML Has New ... United We Blog, Nepal
Breakthrough on arms issue Kantipur Online, Nepal all of the rebels' weapons will be stored and locked up in the respective cantonments where the combatants are cantoned, before the Maoists join the interim government. The Maoist leadership will keep the keys to the stores. But the UN will install fixed cameras to monitor the storage and will have the right to make inspections whenever it desires. ...... an element of reciprocity: Equal number of weapons belonging to the Nepali Army will be stored and locked up at the barracks and the UN will inspect these as well. Until the constituent assembly elections takes place, both the Maoist combatants and Nepali Army personnel will be confined within their respective cantonments and barracks. ........ A cabinet sub-committee, which might potentially evolve into a separate ministry over time, will be formed to take up the issues of restructuring and reform of the Nepali Army, integration of the Maoist combatants into the army and reform of the whole security system. It will also develop a comprehensive plan to "right-size" the army and to rehabilitate the extra combatants from both sides into society. ........ The parties and the Maoists have also agreed to form a powerful commission that will study and explore the options and modalities on restructuring the Nepali state to make it more inclusive and progressive. ..... agreed to form a 23-member interim government in which the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the Maoists will get five ministries each. The rest of the ministries will go to the Nepali Congress (Democratic) and fringe parties. ...... the interim legislature will have 300 members with more or less equal representation for the NC, the CPN-UML and the Maoists. The NC, CPN-UML and other parties will nominate all the sitting lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the upper house to the new legislature. ...... the Constituent Assembly (CA) will have 425 members. 205 members will be elected from the current constituencies and the parties will nominate 204 members in proportion to the popular vote they garner in the CA elections. The prime minister will nominate the remaining 16 members. The parties have agreed to decide the future of the monarchy through the first meeting of the constituent assembly.

I think this political breakthrough puts October 31 almost in the same league as April 21. April 21 was when we ended the king's dictatorship. October 31 is when finally the eight parties saw light, like I had predicted they would. Finally they are now worthy of the trust of the Nepali people, although that trust is going to have to be renewed all the way to the country getting a new constitution. This is a major milestone and a cause for celebration.

The Summit Talks Will Succeed (October 6, 2006)

But I am alarmed that these leaders have not done right by the Madhesi people on the question of the constituent assembly itself. Perhaps now time is ripe for a full fledged Madhesi movement.

UML Regression On The Madhesi Question
Federalism: Four Layers Or Three Layers
Email To All Madhesis From Rajendra Mahto
DaMaJaMa Coalition: The Morcha Concept
Madhesi Rights
Three Emerging Poles
Janajati, Madhesi: Too Vague, Dalit: Not Assertive Enough
Rajendra Mahto: नागरिकता विधेयक खोतल्दा
Hands Off The Madhesi Activists
ANTA NYC Gathering In Prospect Park
Citizenship Acquiring Process Eased
50-30-10-10: Four Layers Of Government
Madhesi Self Hate
Language Policy
Global Federation Of Indigenous People Of Nepal
Janakpur Gherao
Mainstream Jay Krishna Goit Also
Madhesi Caucus In Interim Parliament Needed
Hindi Is At The Core Of The Madhesi Identity
Girija, Resign
In Solidarity With The Kamaiya Movement
C.K. Lal: NRIs In Nepal
Madhesis, Social Justice, And The DaMaJaMa Equation In Nepal
June 17 Madhesi Gathering In New York City
MaMaMaMa
Frustration, Chemical Imbalance, Mental Imbalance
Bahun, Chhetri, Sunni
Jay Prakash Gupta
MaDaMaJa
Democracy Diwali At The Nepali Mandir
Dr. Ram Krishna Shah
मधेशीसँग संख्या छ, शिक्त छैन
No Short Cuts: Madhesis Will Have To March
Chitralekha Yadav: Speaker
Declare Constituent Assembly On First Day Of Parliament
Madhesi Rights: Total Equality

The leaders have messed up on the modalities to the constituent assembly, but there is time. They are going to have to revisit this issue soon enough. The current 205 constituencies are a conspiracy against the Madhesi community and will not be allowed to stand.

As I watch these Pahadi netas, I become more and more convinced that there is no alternative to a full-fledged Madhesi movement. They keep shortchanging the basic issue of Madhesi equality. On that they are all one. Girija, Madhav and Prachanda all speak with one voice on that one. These Bahuns can not be trusted with Madhesi rights.

All Members To The Constituent Assembly Must Be Directly Elected
Dalit Diaspora Calls For 20 Percent Reservation
Interim Parliament: 101 Members Total
Direct Elections, One Seat For Every 100,000 People, Reservations, Primaries
Constituent Assembly: 300 Seats Of Roughly Equal Population

• All members to the constituent assembly have to be directly elected.
• There have to be at least 300 seats.
  
• Those seats have to have near equal population. No compromise on this one.
  
• There have to be reserved seats for the DaMaJaMa. 33% to the women, of those 2/3rds for the Dalit, Janajati, Madhesi women. 17% for the Dalit, Janajati, Madhesi.
  

This is ammunition for a movement in the making.

In The News

Russia interested in Ktm-terai expressway Kantipur the expressway between Hetauda and Kathmandu
India likely to accept Nepal Standard
पुनर्संरचनामा जातीय सवाल
इतिहास बदल्ने महान् अवसर
एमालेद्वारा तीन भिन्न अडान
टुक्रिएको राप्रपा जनमतसंग्रहको पक्षमा

UML Regression On The Madhesi Question

Nepal Preace Process: Breakthrough On Arms Issue, UML Has New ... United We Blog, Nepal UML’s stands come at a time when all parties have almost reached consensus on major issues. UML stands are following: 1. The voting list of the referendum of 2037 BS should be the basis of distributing citizenship. [A bill with the provision of providing citizenship to all people born before or in 2046 is under consideration in the parliament. Earlier, UML agreed on the bill. When the cabinet passed the bill, no UML ministers raised voice against that.] 2. A referendum must be held to decide the fate of monarchy. [The summit talks on Bhadra 24 had decided that the first meeting of the CA would decide the fate of monarchy: to continue it or not. Nepali Congres is strictly against the referendum arguing that going for voting will give opportunity for the king to play the game. Even Maoists are now against the referendum saying that April Uprising was the biggest referendum in which people expressed their vote against monarchy. The party thinks that to have voting again on the same issue will be ‘regressive’.] 3. The whole country must be taken as one constituency and proportionate voting procedure must be opted. UML thinks that with this procedure, the agendas of parties will get importance than the individual contestants. This will, UML thinks, will strengthen political parties’ representation in CA. [Parties in the last summit had almost agreed on holding elections via mixed voting method. That means 205 (out of 425) members will be elected from current constituencies and parties will nominate other 204 in proportion to the popular vote they get. The Prime Minister will nominate the remaining 16 members.]
Koirala Should Lead Us All: UML leader Adhikari Himalayan Times, Nepal
CPN UML General Secy talks contentious issues with Maoist Supremo Mero Sansar, NY
CPN-UML not to join Republican Front proposed by Maoists Zee News, India
Moriarty meets UML chief Gorkhapatra, Nepal

This asinine stance of the UML on the citizenship issue raises many large questions. Of all the large parties, it is the central committee of the UML that is most eskewed towards the Bahuns. They are the one who have most excluded the Dalits, Janajatis and Madhesis in the top ranks of their party, Madhesis more than most.

And now that Bahunbaad is exhibiting itself. If the 60 lakh Madhesis who have been denied the same do not get their citizeship papers then Nepal will see another movement larger than the April Revolution.


Madhesis Unite: A Two Point Program To The Constituent Assembly
(sent to NepalNews.com)

Prithvi Narayan Shah colonized the lands of the Madhesis and every ruler since then, autocratic or democratic, has only maintained that status quo. There is little hope from those in leadership positions in the large parties today. These are people who are more likely to express solidarity to the Nepali speaking Bhutanis and Indians than to the Madhesis of Nepal.

The constituent assembly elections offer hope for the Madhesis to become part of the Nepali identity for the first time ever, but that can not be taken for granted. Rights are earned, they are snatched, they are taken. Rights are seldom offered as gifts. The April Revolution itself is a great example to that basic tenet.

The Madhesis all over Nepal and spread across the globe are going to have to organize around a common minimum program, to be achieved through negotiation with the eight parties, and failing so, through massive street agitations reminiscent of the April Revolution itself.

There are Madhesis in all eight parties, although not in large enough numbers or in top leadership positions that might reflect the Madhesi composition of the national population. I would argue the Madhesi-Pahadi dynamic is the number one social justice issue in Nepal. There is anti-Madhesi prejudice within the women's rights movement, within the Dalit rights movement, and within the Janajati rights movement. There is anti-Madhesi prejudice in the media.

We have to form a Madhesi Caucus in the interim parliament. All Madhesis regardless of party affiliation would join this caucus. And we have to form a Madhesi Mahasangh. This would be the umbrella organization for all Madhesi organizations and NGOs in the country. And the Association of Nepali Teraian in America, ANTA, has to rename itself to ANT, and launch branches in all countries where there are Madhesis.

Together we have to bang heads and come up with a simple common minimum program that all Madhesis can get behind for the purposes of the constituent assembly. The eight parties had and still have many differences, but they got together to push the king aside. We have many differences among us, but we have to get together to attain total equality for the Madhesis in Nepal.

I am alarmed that the big parties in Nepal have been playing foul on the citizenship paper question. I am alarmed that they are about to hijack the whole constituent assembly process to maintain the staus quo. The 1990s were a sham decade for Madhesi rights. There is no going back.

We have to make sure we do not allow our energies to be dissipated into dead end causes. Violence is a dead end cause and out of question. A separate country for the Madhesis is another dead end. We live in an era of regionalization and globalization where countries are getting ready to form economic unions.

But I do propose nonviolent militancy. We have to get offended and agitated by the stark racism the Madhesis have had to experience in Nepal for generations. That has to come to a total end. We are not putting up with it anymore. Enough is enough.

Forming a Madhesi Caucus in the parliament is key. Should the party leaders get in the way, the Madhesis in all political parties should be ready to walk out of their parties and take their mass bases with them to launch a new political party from scratch. That threat has to be maintained. And it has to be carried out if necessary.

I propose we get around a two point program.

The first is citizenship papers for the six million Madhesis who have been denied the same. You are eligible for the papers when you are 16 years of age. So in the year 2006, the year 1990 can be an okay cutoff year. Any year before that as a cutoff year is unacceptable. It is for the state to find out who those six million Madhesis are and organize teams that go into all the villages to distribute the papers. This is to be a one time thing and has to be done. And it has to be made easy. All villages and towns should have eight party governments and all people who get recommended by at least three members of such local governments should get the papers. There should not be any provision to punish those three should something go wrong. Nepal is not America, and India is not Mexico. Indians are not dying to come to Nepal. The thrust is the other way round. Face it.

The second is to have the country demarcated into constituencies of near equal population for the constituent assembly, and have all members to the constituent assembly directly elected. On this there can be no compromise. Only if we can have this arrangement will we force all parties and all party leaders to cater to the political needs of the Madhesis, be it federalism or language rights, or strong local governments, or fair budget allocations.

There is talk of not holding direct elections and instead having something called proportional representation where people vote for a party, and that party gets a number of seats proportional to how many votes it earned, and the party decides who gets those seats. That will make the parliamentarians subservient to the Pahadi Bahun party bosses. The Madhesis will not get a fair number of seats, as can be seen in all the government appointments by this government since April.

There is also talk of retaining the 205 constituencies demarcated by the 1990 constitution. That is hogwash, and has to be opposed with all might.

If we can secure these two things - citizenship papers for the six million Madhesis, and have the country demarcated into constituencies of near equal population for the constituent assembly, and have all members to the constituent assembly directly elected - then I believe we can have the rest based on the foundation of these two, the rest being federalism, and language rights, strong local governments, and fair budget allocations.

My message to Madhesis worldwide is, organize, organize, organize.

(Paramendra Bhagat is the founding president of Hamro Nepal, the world's first digital democracy organization, and Chairperson of the Nepali Convention 2007, to be organized in New York City in May. He blogs at http://demrepubnepal.blogspot.com and can be reached at paramendra@yahoo.com)

Audio: Madhesi Rights 1, Madhesi Rights 2, Madhesi Rights 3

Playing Hardball With The Maoists: Negotiating From A Position Of Strength
Langhali Association: Govind Thapa Magar
Dinesh Tripathi In Austin
Solve The Bhutani Refugee Crisis: Send Them West
Federalism: Four Layers Or Three Layers
Girija: A Ceremonial Monarch Wannabe
BK Rana: Paper On Kusundas
March And Rally For Full Immigrant Rights
Hamro Nepal Constitution
Maoist Transformation From Parallel State To Political Party: An Essential Precondition
Seven Party Delegation
Rename The Mahendra Highway After BP Koirala
Email To All Madhesis From Rajendra Mahto
Summit Talks And Obstinate Congressias
Summit Talks And Maoist Nonsense
Summit Talks: Four Heads Talking
Mero Sansar Videos
Televise The Summit Talks
The Summit Talks Will Succeed

Google Video: Madhesi

Bindeshwar Shah On Madhesi Rights
Madhesi Gathering In Prospect Park 1
Madhesi Gathering In Prospect Park 2
Nepal Democracy 6

Seven Party Delegation At Yak
Aftab Alam, Nepali Congress 1
Aftab Alam, Nepali Congress 2
Ratneshwar Goit, CPN (UML)
Anil Jha, Nepal Sadbhavana Party 1
Anil Jha, Nepal Sadbhavana Party 2
Anil Jha, Nepal Sadbhavana Party 3

Visitors

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