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A report by the International Crisis Group, a conflict management NGO, says that unrest in the Terai plains has exposed the weakness of Nepal's peace process and could derail elections for a constituent assembly in November if not properly addressed. The political exclusion of the Madhesis, who form one-third of Nepal's population, has resulted in assertive demands for equal rights in the face of longstanding discrimination.
"The Terai, a long-neglected borderland, now occupies the center of Nepal's political stage," says Prashant Jha, the crisis group's Nepal analyst. "The demands for political representation raised by the region's Madhesi people cut to the heart of the peace deal and constitutional process."
People in the region, which has vast economic potential and political importance, have adopted an increasingly confrontational attitude toward the central authorities in Kathmandu. There have been frequent clashes between political rivals and communal tensions have been at an all time high between Pahadis, or hill-origin people, and the Madhesis, people of the plains.
Although the governing Seven Party Alliance-Maoist coalition has offered to address electoral representation for marginalized groups, it has been reluctant to create a more robust, flexible and inclusive constitutional framework. Poor communications between different groups, lack of legal reforms, and the unresolved Maoist insurgency have only aggravated the situation.
In contrast to the popular image of Nepal -- dominated by a snow-capped Mt. Everest, the world's highest peak -- the Terai is a flat, fertile piece of land stretching from east to west and occupying almost 17 percent of Nepal's land mass. The origins of the Terai movement date back six decades. The struggle against the state's discriminatory policies, and the fight for economic, cultural, and political freedoms, started in 1951, when the Nepal Terai Congress was formed by Vedananda Jha to advocate regional autonomy for the Madhesis.
In 1983, Gajendra Narayan Singh established the Nepal Sadbhavana Council to fight discrimination against the Madhesis. The group turned into a political party called the Nepal Sadbhavana Party in the 1990's, advocating a federal system of governance, a liberal policy on citizenship and inclusion of a separate Madhesi battalion in Nepal's armed forces. However, successive autocratic Nepali governments lacked the political will to resolve these ethnic issues.
The Madhesi movement also failed due to internal splits among the leadership. The assortment of ethnic and caste groups among the Madhesis has resulted in several splinter groups, weakening their cause. Language is the main basis for segregation into various groups in the region. Those who speak Maithali, Bhojpuri and Avadi are referred to as Madhesis, while those speaking Bengali, Tharu (Rajbamsi), and Nepali are considered separate groups. In addition, other ethnic groups do not accept people of hill origin as Madhesis in spite of being residents of the Terai.
The growing influx of various parties has also complicated the political process. In 1997 a group of Madhesis, the Madhesh Janaadhikar Forum, got together to review and assess the gains that Terai inhabitants had made following democratic reforms that replaced the local village or Panchayat system of governance. This group concluded that the new constitution and democratic process had not benefited the Terai region and called on local people to agitate for effective reforms. The MJF originally wanted inclusion in the political system and access to economic, political, and social opportunities akin to a quota system. In general, they wanted the Terai to be recognized as an autonomous region.
Other political groups include the Madhesi National Liberation Front and the Jantantrik Terai Mukti Morcha. These groups are ideologically, organizationally and tactically Maoist, but do not accept the leadership of Prachanda, the main Maoist leader.
There are other individual leaders in the far west, such as Laxman Tharu, who split from the Maoists in order to control the region inhabited predominantly by an ethnic group called the Tharus. While the MJF considers the whole of Terai one unit, the Tharus and other ethnic groups consider themselves separate entities.
There are at least nine other armed groups whose demands and causes range from the formation of an autonomous federal region to a separate and independent state. Not surprisingly, many of these groups are in conflict with each other, resulting in many killings between groups and government factions.
In resolving these issues, much depends on how the interim Parliament drafts a new constitution. If it fails to take into account the welfare and rights of the various ethnic groups of the Terai, the recent violence in the region will be only an indication of more chaos to follow.
The recent protests and confrontations by Madhesis have shocked the political elite in Kathmandu, who have largely ignored the discontent brewing in the region. The International Crisis Group has recommended that government leaders in Kathmandu address the reasonable demands for political participation of all excluded groups. It has asked the government to revise its electoral system to boost Madhesi presence in the civil service and security forces, and proposed that discussions on options for federalism be initiated while the final decision is left to the constituent assembly.
For their part, Madhesi political leaders must avoid replication of exclusive models at the regional level and develop a clear political agenda. "Reshaping state identity and institutions to make all Nepali citizens feel part of the nation is a long-term task that will present challenges," said Rhoderick Chalmers, the crisis group's South Asia deputy project director. "But a balanced and determined approach from a united Kathmandu can still deliver a reasonable outcome."
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(Nepali journalist Kamala Sarup writes for mediaforfreedom.com. She specializes in in-depth reporting and writing on peace, women's issues, terrorism, democracy, and development. She is the author of several works on women's issues as well as two story collections.)
