Madhesi Morcha rejects statute amendment, announces fresh stir

India on Sunday welcomed the passage of two amendments dealing with representation of Madhesis in Nepali Parliament as “positive” and hoped that remaining outstanding issues will also be dealt with constructively.

The amendments may, however, not be enough to end the protests because demonstrators’ third demand – that the entire stretch of flatland in southern Nepal called Madhes be part of one or two Madhes provinces – remains unmet.

All of these were aimed at helping the Madhesis, who have been protesting for months saying they were inadequately protected by the Constitution.

In a statement, the Madhesi Morcha asserted that their struggle would continue till all their demands were met in a package.

The amendments return the proportional representation in government jobs Madhesis were promised under an interim constitution, and increase the number of electoral constituencies where the community can dominate.

As many as 461 of the 468 lawmakers participating in the voting voted in favour of the first constitutional amendment bill while seven voted against in the 601-seat parliament.

The Madhesi agitation has led to tension between India and Nepal, with blockades along the border causing a shortfall in essential supplies to the tiny, landlocked nation.

The Madhesis have been protesting against the perpetuation of this very discrimination in the new Constitution, adopted on September 20 previous year. Three people were killed on Thursday when police opened fire on Madhesi protesters who tried to attack a political rally organized by Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli’s party in a southeast Nepal town.

“We have not been consulted with, while endorsing the bills”, he pointed out.

“But it will be too early to make any comment, as we are yet to go through the amendment proposal”, Shrestha said, adding that Morcha’s protests would continue unless “there is an agreement on redrawing federal boundaries”.

“The amendments do not address our demands”, Shukla told lawmakers before the walkout.

India should take initiative in resolve the problem and ending the hardship facing the people due to the months long border blockade, he pointed out.

The constitution, the first drawn up by elected representatives, was meant to cement peace and bolster Nepal’s transformation to a democratic republic after decades of political instability and a 10-year Maoist insurgency.