KATHMANDU: Leaders of various Madhes-based parties today said they would intensify their protest until the government gave Hindi the same recognition as Nepali language and guaranteed their demand for ‘one Madhes, one province’.

Addressing an interaction organised by Maithil Civil Society here, Upendra Yadav, chairman of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, and Mahantha Thakur, chairman of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party, accused the Supreme Court of passing a biased verdict on the row over the Vice President Paramananda Jha’s Hindi oath.

“The decision was

made by the SC on the instruction of the government,” they alleged.

Yadav accused the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML of proposing anti-Madhesi and anti-federalist state structure to be enshrined in the new constitution. He also called on all to topple the ‘anti-Madhes government’ at the earliest.

“Hindi is the base of our identity so it should be treated at par with Nepali,” said Yadav. He said the Madhesis were forced to tolerate internal imperialism in the country due to domination of the non-Madhesi leaders.

Madhes movement will continue until the Madhesis are granted autonomy, noted Yadav. TMDP chairman Thakur said the stir was the only way out as the entire state mechanism was against Madhes and the rights of Madhesis. “The Madhesi people will continue their protests until they are given equal rights in the real sense,” he said.

Co-ordinator of CPN-Maoist Matrika Yadav accused the Madhes-based coalition parties of playing double-standards. He asked them to pull out of the government and fight for the cause of the Madhes and Madhesi people.