After a brief calm, Madhesi parties have started knocking at the doors of Kathmandu once again demanding Statehood for 22 Terai districts, as per a 2008 agreement.
A movement for protecting political and ethnic rights of Madhesis in 2007 and 2008 forced Nepal to yield to their demands that was also vetted by the State Restructuring Commission and the first Constituent Assembly.
However, in a U-turn last year Kathmandu hurriedly demarcated seven States in the run up of the promulgation of the Constitution such that the domination of hill districts remained intact in six out of seven States.
This coupled with the shape and size of constituencies ensured that the power balance remain tilted in favour of the hill people.
After a near-five-month-long agitation, including blockading the main India-Nepal trade point at Birgunj, by the four-party Madhesi Morcha, Kathmandu finally moved some amendments in January to address at least one key demand: delineating constituencies based primarily on population.
It also promised to resolve through dialogue the core Madhesi demand for demarcation of two plains provinces.
Upendra Yadav, founder of the Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum and a pioneer of the Madhesi rights movement, now claims that Kathmandu has done little to implement its promises. Describing the Oli government as “racist”, Yadav said unlike last time the Madhesi leadership was now keen to include all other ethnic communities which, he claimed, are also suffering from the “discriminatory” policies.
“We have launched a Federal Alliance of 27 parties and organisations including representation of all marginalised communities like Limbuwan, Kirat, Sherpa, Tamsalilng, Newa, Tamuwan, Magarat, Tharuhat and Khasan in the hills and Dalits and Tharus in the plains,” Yadav said.
Considering the sudden end to the last round of agitation, when people removed the trade blockade at Birgunj, the Alliance is now concentrating on well-preparing the ground. It has started off by sending a 26-point demand charter to all districts heads.
“We are not considering any big bang movement (like strikes and blockades),” Yadav said. Also, unlike the last time, when the agitation was concentrated in the Madhesi heartland, the epicentre of the present movement will be Kathmandu.
While Madhesi leaders and analysts see the movement growing bigger, Uddhab Prasad Pyakurel, assistant professor of international relations in Kathmandu University, feel Madhesis are yet to forge a strong alliance with ethnic groups from the hills.
“There are differences and rivalries on leadership issues between Madhesi parties and the communities from the hills,” he said. Pyakurel, however, felt, that the movement may gain strength in Madhesi dominated districts in the plains.