Kathmandu, April 12
At a time when leaders of the United Democratic Madheshi Front are threatening to wage a decisive movement against the KP Oli government, Dr Rajesh Ahiraj, a Madhesh analyst, has advised UDMF leaders not to shut the Madhesh again and put the lives of commoners on the line while their offspring continue to lead their lives in relative safety in Kathmandu.
With their families safe in Kathmandu, these leaders issue a whip from Kathmandu and mobilise local people on Madhesh streets, where they clash with police and lose their lives, he says. “They shut Madhesh’s educational institutions, denying local children their right to education, while their children continue their studies in Kathmandu.”
“These leaders should stop putting the lives of commoners on the line,” says Ahiraj, who is editor of Madheshvani (The Voice of Madhesh).
Here’s a translated excerpt of the Nepali interview that Onlinekhabar took with Ahiraj.
UDMF leaders are threatening to intensify their movement from Baishakh. Do you see the possibility of revival of the movement?
People of Madhesh get carried away. Suppression of the movement from the state and remarks coming from Madheshi leaders provoke them. While Madheshi leaders are saying they will revive the movement, the state is indicating that it may mobilise the army from the third week of Baishakh (in about three weeks). Together, these opposing feelers may make the people descend on the streets. It’s unclear whether the movement will move ahead as per the leaders’ desires, but one thing is clear. In Madhesh, racist politics has already begun. In Madhesh, movements are becoming a meeting point for not only political leaders and cadres, but also for apolitical people.
Are you a supporter of the movement?
I don’t support it.
Why?
From the beginning, I have been saying that Madheshi leaders have not been able to identify the main cause of apartheid against Madheshi people. Who is the main factor behind this apartheid? Singhadurbar? Leaders of major parties? Non-Madheshi segment? Madheshi leaders have not been able to identify their class enemy.
Madheshi leaders keep saying that Singhadurbar has not done justice to Madheshi people. And they blame major political parties for this. In fact, Madheshi leaders are close to these two sides. There are people from Hill communities, who have not discriminated against them. Madheshi leaders snap ties with them. Instead of seeking enmity with real enemies, they seek enmity with the ones, who are not their enemies.
Madheshi leaders visit the villages and tell people that Congress (Nepali Congress), CPN-UML and Maoists are exploiting the Madheshi people. But after winning elections, these leaders cowork with these parties and run the government. They go to the villages and say: Hill people are our exploitors, so we should drive them away. Back in Kathmandu, they cowork with Hill people and run the affairs of the state.
What should UDMF leaders do then?
They should be working together for the creation of a Nepal free of discrimination. Wherever there’s discrimination in Nepal, wherever corruption is rife, these leaders should raise their voices in protest. Leaders from Madhesh should lead the whole of Nepal in protest against discrimination, corruption and malgovernance, and make the country prosperous.
Do you mean agendas of the UDMF’s upcoming movement are wrong?
First, their agendas are not right. Secondly, their identification of class enemy is wrong. Thirdly, leaders should not do politics by making people captive. If Madhesh’s leaders take themselves as national leaders and their parties as national parties, they should launch a movement with the aim of putting pressure on Singhadurbar, on the state. They should change the course of the movement. They can opt for a hunger strike, a non-cooperation movement. They can say we will not join the government unless we get certain rights
