Birgunj, October 29

Tarai Madhes Democratic Party Chairman Mahanta Thakur today accused the government of not being serious towards the demands raised by the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front.

Speaking at a press meet in Birgunj, Thakur said the government had not come up with any concrete road map for settling issues raised by the UDMF during the talks.

“The government has not been serious towards resolving the crisis in the plains as it has not come up with any roadmap during formal and informal talks,” Thakur said. He further argued that Nepal government’s signing of Memorandum of Understanding with China to import petroleum products showed that the government was apathetic to their agitation.

He also said that the MoU signed with China was not in the interests of Nepal and the Nepali people as importing petroleum products from China would be very expensive and time consuming.

Thakur warned of giving continuity to the agitation in the plains until the government met their demands. He said the country had plunged into the current crisis due to the government’s failure to abide by the 22 and eight-point agreements reached with the Madhes-based parties in the past.

On the crippling impact of the Madhes agitation on the education sector, Thakur opined that the government’s failure to address their demands had prolonged the Tarai bandh and closure of schools and colleges. He also held the government responsible for the closure of academic institutions.

‘Constitution sans rights unacceptable’

RAUTAHAT: Tarai Madhesh Democratic Party Chairman Mahant Thakur today said that narrow nationality and a statute without rights would not be acceptable to Madhes and the Madhesi people. Speaking at a function at Miteri Bridge in Rautahat, Thakur said north-south delineation of provinces would not be acceptable to the Madhehsi people. He warned that the ruling parties’ reluctance to address the demands of the Madhesi parties would invite a disaster in the country.

“As the land stretching from Jhapa to Kanchanpur is known as Madhes, any attempt to merge the hills with the plains will not be acceptable to us,” said Thakur. He demanded that the new provinces be carved on the basis of identity.