Kathmandu, September 14

Madhesi and Tharu leaders associated with Unified CPN-Maoist today meet party Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and criticised him for ‘surrendering to the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML and maintaining mysterious silence on the ongoing Madhes agitation.’

The team, which also included some Madhesi and Tharu CA members, met Dahal and said that if he did not support the ongoing Madhes agitation, people of Madhes would teach him a lesson, said Ram Kumar Sharma, chief of Madhesi Rastriya Mukti Morcha, a wing of the party.

Sharma said Dahal who sought Madhesis’ support during people’s war with the slogan of ‘Right to self-determination and autonomy, basis for Madhesis emancipation,’ was now labelling the Madhes movement as anti-national.

“Although Dahal says bringing a new constitution is necessary to foil the attempts of reactionary forces, nobody believes him,” Sharma said, and added that four people attained martyrdom in Madhes and tens of thousands of people were coming to the street everyday, yet the big three parties were not showing seriousness about addressing the concerns of Madhesi and Tharu people.

“I cannot understand why Dahal, who has achieved everything he could dream of — the prime minister’s post and party chairmanship — is surrendering to UML Chair Oli and NC President Koirala,” Sharma said. Other members of the team included Ram Chandra Jha, Bharat Sah, Prabhu Sah, Manpur Chaudhari and Aman Lal Modi.

Sharma said Dahal who won from Siraha-5 could change his constituency, but not the Tharu or Madhesi leaders of the party. He said Tharu and Madhesi leaders told Dahal, that the party should allow them to boycott the voting on constitutional provisions. “This constitution will not ensure the rights of Tharus and Madhesis and endorsing the votes on constitutional provision can be suicidal for Madhesi and Tharu CA members of the party,” Sharma added.

Sharma said he would head to his home district of Mahottari to organise mass funeral of those who were killed in police firing.

Meanwhile, Federal Democratic Alliance — an alliance of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Democratic, MJF-Republican and National Madhes Socialist Party deplored the arrest of Madhesi cadres in Bara, Parsa, Mahottari and Saptari.

NMSP Spokesman Keshav Jha said the alliance’s meeting today asked the government to stop police action against Madhesi cadres and not suppress peaceful movement. Jha said the alliance also asked the government to normalise the situation in Mahottari district so that the mass funeral of those who were killed in police firing could be performed.