KATHMANDU, JANUARY 24
Despite the fact that Madhes-centric parties and Madhes province observed the sixth Sacrifice Day on January 19 (Magh 5 of Nepali month each year) to commemorate the martyrdom of Ramesh Mahato, who was killed during the Madhes protest at Lahan of Siraha on January 19, his martyrdom has gradually received less attention from regional parties and dismal from the centre.
Ramesh, a 15-year-old student at Little Star Boarding School in Lahan, was killed during a clash between demonstrators and police on January 19, 2007, intensifying the Madhes movement's agendas of federalism and inclusion.
Following the incident, the movement became increasingly violent throughout Madhes. The then-Madhesi People's Rights Forum, which led the movement, established January 19 as Sacrifice Day; however, alliances demolished among various factions and leaders formed different political parties, undermining the sacrifices made by various people.
So far, three major Madhesi movements in Nepal have claimed approximately 117 lives, and all have been declared martyrs. It occurred, respectively, in 2006, 2007 and 2015.
The 2015 movement recognized Madhesi identity, helped Nepal become a federal nation, and integrated the idea of inclusion, which helped the country as a whole rather than just the Madhesi.
However, experts and analysts claim that the Madhesi have suffered greatly due to the power-hungry tendencies of Madhesi-centric party leaders.
Two astute political analysts, Dr. Vijay Mishra and Chandra Kishore, stated that Madhesi leaders and others have toyed with the aspirations of the Madhesi people.
"Madhesi movement was not limited to Madhesis; it encompassed the entire country," stated Chandra Kishore. "Profit has been extracted from the sacrifices made by the Madhesis by each of the leaders."
However, Madhesi leaders could not address it on a national scale, which, in Chandra Kishore's opinion, has proven costly for Madhesis.
"The wrong message about martyrs has been disseminated in Madhes; federalism implementation is dire, and the central government has delegated responsibility for dealing with martyrs to the Madhes province," he said.
"As the movement was not separatist, all levels of government should address the responsibility of martyrs. It was intended for everyone."
He added, "Leaders are needed to revive the new wave of revolution in Madhes, particularly young, morally-driven leaders."
In contrast to Chandra Kishore, Vijay Mishra stressed that political parties are addressing the concerns of martyrs, but not in a mass manner because doing so would be expensive.
"Both C.K. Raut and Upendra Yadav offered garlands to the Ramesh Mahato statue. Martyr family members are getting allowances and a chance to work," he said.
However, the Madhesi community is suppressing other oppressed clusters as well. For instance, because casteism is ingrained in Madhes-centric parties, Madhesi Dalits, such as Chamar, Mushar, Dom, Dusadh, etc., have not been able to make their voices heard.
"Through the Proportional Representation system, the same leaders who are close to the political parties have been elected repeatedly," he said. "Such a practice has encroached on other marginalised community rights."
As such, their incorporation is critical to the Madhes movement's success. The central government has a negative attitude toward Madhes and Madhesi parties.
That is why people in Madhes question Madhesi leaders: "We did movement after movement, but what did we get?" he said.
Mishra believes that Matdhesi parties must either band together to combat forces that oppose Madhesi identity or change their ways. "Because people sent them to the cabinet several times, but they have yet to address the Madhes demand. So, instead of being weak as factions and being taken advantage of by the other parties, they should all unite, keeping their differences aside."
But the rise of C.K. Raut and Prabhu Shah has made a significant contribution to addressing the issues raised by marginalized and Dalit Madhesi people, according to Mishra.
"Madhesi parties have exploited the votes of forty percent of the Madhesi Dalits, whose voices have not also been heard by the Dalit commission," he stated.
