MJF-D severs ties with Big Three

Kathmandu, August 21

The Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic, a signatory of the 16-point deal, today quit the Special Committee over its differences on the boundaries of the provinces and decided to back the ongoing agitation launched by Tharus, Madhesis and Janajatis.

After walking out of the SC meeting held at Singha Durbar today after the Big III — the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the Unified CPN-Maoist — reached a deal on seven province, MJF-D Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar organised a press conference, saying he decided to quit the SC after the three other parties refused to address the concerns of Tharus and Madhesis.

He said if eight provinces were created on the basis of identity and economic capability as stated in the 16-point deal, it could end the current conflict and address everybody’s concerns. “Parties had the opportunity to address the concerns of Tharus even in the seven-province model. They could address the issue of Kailali, Kanchanpur, Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari, but the leaders did not pay any heed to people’s concerns,” Gachhadar said in a written statement.

Gachhadar said his party would intensify stir on the streets and in the CA against the latest demarcation of boundaries.

He said he wrote a note of dissent on the six-province model because he did not want to be blamed as the spoiler as far as the constitution-making process was concerned.

He blamed NC President and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and NC leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ramchandra Paudel for unnecessarily dictating the terms of boundaries.

“Kailali and Kanchanpur were included in the far-west province to please a former prime minister (Deuba). Rapti, Bheri and Karnali are basically in one province just because the PM wants them that way. Paudel took rigid stance on the districts of western region,” he added.

Gachhadar said when the UCPN-M Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal proposed to go for seven-province model in the SC meeting as presented by the ruling parties to the Constitutional Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee on November 3, he had supported it and he only had questions about the status of some districts, including Kailali, Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari. Gachhadar said he had proposed to carve out three provinces in Madhes and five in the hills and no leader had opposed his idea then. He said if the Special Committee deemed necessary to hold talks with him again he would readily express his opinion on the constitutional issues.