Kathmandu, September 9

As protest related death toll continues to rise in Madhes, Madhesi CA members of Nepali Congress and the Unified CPN-Maoist have piled pressure on their leadership to hold dialogue with the protesting forces.

Despite repeated calls for dialogue by the prime minister, protesting Madhesi and Tharu forces have refused to sit at the table citing ‘non-fulfilment of their conditions’.

Twenty-one UCPN-M CA members and over two dozen Congress CA members from Tarai districts, submitted memorandums requesting the top leaders to bring the protesting forces to the negotiating table.

“Tarai cities have been witnessing general strikes for almost a month now. The ongoing agitation has crippled life in the region, yet the government continues to ignore the protesting forces.

Instead of bringing them to the negotiating table, the government has mobilised security agencies and resorted to state terrorism,” UCPN-M CA members said in their memorandum, adding that if the concerns of people were ignored, it could tax the patience of the common people in Madhes.

Chandra Mohan Yadav said they told Koirala that the entire population of Madhes was protesting against the draft constitution, and therefore, it was urgent to address their concerns.

Yadav said NC CA members told Koirala that the parties should seek negotiated settlement of constitutional issues even if that entailed halting the constitution making process for some time.

“We are aware that the constitution making process should not be derailed, but if halting the constitution making process helps bring the agitating forces to the negotiating table, that option must be explored,” Yadav said and added that the big three parties might not be able to meet all the demands of the agitation forces’ but they should still try.

Yadav said none of the CA members threatened to defy party discipline. According to Yadav, the NC CA members submitted a memorandum to the leaders demanding a review of the boundaries of federal units, election constituencies mainly on the basis of population, and citizenship on the basis of mother’s Nepali nationality.

Another CA member Ganesh Kumar Mandal said they suggested that the chiefs of three major parties directly send their message to the people of Madhes and request the protesting forces to come to the negotiating table.