3-4 provinces in Tarai not acceptble : Says Second rung Madhesi leaders
KATHMANDU, May 13: At a time when top leaders of major political parties are negotiating on 11 states federal model that includes four provinces in Tarai, second-rung leaders of madhes-based political parties have expressed serious reservation over the proposal.
Talking to Republica General Secretary of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum-Republican (MPRF-R) Atmaram Sah said multiple provinces in Madhes would not be acceptable to Madhesi peoples at any cost.
“Conspiracies are being hatched to divide Madhes but we are not going to accept multiple provinces in Tarai,” Sah added.
Sah said that formation of multiple provinces in Madhes would invite unavoidable conflicts in Tarai.
Joint General Secretary of Tarai Madhes Democratic Party (TMDP) Jitendra Sonal said the number of federal states should be finalized in the line with the report recommended by majority member of the State Restructuring Commission (SRC) and the report of the Constituent Assembly (CA) committee on state restructuring.
“On what basis did the leaders propose three or four provinces in Madhes even as the CA committee on state restructuring and majority members of the SRC did not recommend for more than two states in Tarai,” said Sonal.
Vice-chairman of Sadbhawana Party Laxmanlal Karna they still insist on “One Madhes, One Province´.
“Changing the boundary of Madhes would not be acceptable to us,” said Karna, adding, “Only Madhesis have right to finalize the number of provinces to be drawn in Madhes.”
Similarly, MPRF-D leader Sarba Dev Ojha stated that more than two states in Madhes would not acceptable to them.
“Even Madhesi leaderships do not have right to agree for more than two states in Madhes going against Madhesi people´s mandate,” Ojha maintained.
Likewise, General Secretary of MPRF Ram Sahay Yadav said they would not retract their stance on single autonomous Madhes state.
“Major political parties are hatching conspiracy to weaken Madhes by dividing it, but we will not let them succeed,” Yadav stated.
Meanwhile, a meeting of Broader Madhesi Front (BMF), a cross-party Madhesi alliance, formed a sub-committee in order to form a caucus of Madhesi lawmakers.
The sub-committee headed by Maoist lawmaker Bharat Sah comprises Om Prakash Yadav from MPRF-D, Jayaram Yadav from MPRF, Surita Sah from MPRF-R and Gauri Mahato from Rastriya Sadbahwana Party.
“The sub-committee will hold talks with Madhesi lawmakers from all party to form a caucus,” MPRF-D Lawmaker Pramod Gupta said.
Similarly, the meeting decided to form district level struggle committee to enforce banda called by the alliance on May 14, 17 and 18 across Tarai districts.from REPUBLICA
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