Need For Dialogue

The meeting of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) has outright rejected the demand of 'One Madhes: One Province' put forth by the agitating United Democratic Madeshi Front (UDMF), saying that neither the SPA nor the interim government had the authority to fulfill the demand that undermines national sovereignty and integrity. The parley between the SPA and the UDMF remained inconclusive on Friday when the latter continued to stick to its demand for 'One Madhes: One Province'' though the ruling parties agreed to meet all the other demands of the UDMF. All the SPA leaders after much discussion have reached a consensus that the government would accept all the other demands except the impractical one of 'One Madhes: One Province.' When the SPA and the government did not agree to meet one of the six demands, the UDMF leaders have threatened to continue their strike, which has already affected life across the Terai. No doubt, the present government is there only to hold the elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA) so that democracy and peace could be institutionalised in the country. It lacks authority to meet any demand that jeopardises national sovereignty and integrity. When the interim constitution has already declared Nepal a federal republic, it is inappropriate to come up with a demand for a particular province. In fact, Madhes does not belong to the elite Madhesi people, who are now launching the protest and strikes. It is the land of the people who have migrated from the hills, the Tharus, the Dalits, landless squatters and backward people who have been victimised by the people of the so-called high caste people of Madhes. Moreover, the Thraus, the indigenous people of the Terai oppose the demand of the UDMF. Indeed, it is a big irony that Nepal, which was never colonised by any power after its unification, is now in the verge of disintegration due to the inappropriate demands put forth by the different ethnic groups, including the Madhesis. The government and the ruling parties should discourage people from putting such up such demands that push the country towards disintegration. In fact, the government as well as the parties both in power and outside should work in a way to hold the CA polls within the stipulated time so that the people can have a new constitution drafted by their own representatives, which will, in turn, decide the fate of all the Nepali people, not of the people of a particular area.

Source: The Rising Nepal, February 25, 2008