Kathmandu, February 3

Leaders associated with the United Democratic Madhesi Front today said the next meeting of the front would change the form of its protests.

Senior leader of the Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party Nepal Ram Naresh Ray said the UDMF was likely to review its protest programmes in its next meeting, as one type of protest could not be sustained for a long time.

Speaking at an interaction organised by Reporters Club here today, Ray said the UDMF Secretariat members had adequately discussed the modes of revision of the protest programmes and they would put forth their views in the next meeting of the front.

Ray said the UDMF needed to expand its agitation in the hills and mountain with the cooperation of like-minded forces for the government was not feeling the heat, as the agitation was Tarai centric. He claimed that the UDMF agitation was meant to strengthen country’s nationality and integrity.

Co-chair of Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Rajendra Shrestha said the new forms of protest would be capital centric. “We need to change the form of our protest and make it capital centric,” he added. Shrestha, however, said the border blockade would continue till the UDMF continued its programme of general strike.

He said the Tarai standoff prolonged mainly because the government was not ready to give up its status quoits policies. Shrestha said Tarai agitation was a matter of concern for both Nepal and India, therefore it was not unnatural for Madhesi leaders to visit Bihar and seek moral support of the leaders there.

General Secretary of Sadbhawana Party Manish Kumar Suman said the Madhes agitation had affected Madhesi people the most and hence the agitating Madhesi forces were keen to end the agitation, provided the major parties addressed their agendas.

“It is natural for a person to visit his/her relatives in the times of difficulties,” he said and added that the UDMF leaders visited Bihar as per the front’s policy to make national and international communities aware of the front’s demands.

Suman said the number of Bihari women having marital relations in Nepal and Nepali women having marital relations in Bihar was   2.6 million and two million, respectively.

“We have familial, linguistic and cultural relations with the residents of Bihar. Therefore, it is natural for us to inform them of our grievances. We have sought their moral support but not material support,” Suman clarified.