Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha
Encyclopedia
The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) (Nepali
: जनतान्त्रिक तराई मुक्ति मोर्चा, Janatāntrika Tarāī Muktī Morcā, "Terai People's Liberation Front;" also Terai Janatantrik Mukti Morcha (TJMM)) is a revolutionary
organisation in Nepal
. It was formed in 2004 as a split from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) around Jay Krishna Goit. The group accused the CPN-M of not guaranteeing the autonomy
of the Terai
region, inhabited mainly by Madhesi
s of Indian origin who were the object of discrimination and neglect during the Shah Dynasty
.
The Jwala Singh faction of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-J) was formed by Nagendra Kumar Paswan AKA Jwala Singh in August 2006 after he broke away from the Goit-led JTMM. Jwala Singh is a former CPN-M cadre and had joined Goit when he floated the JTMM. Later, Singh developed differences with Goit over strategies for the liberation of the Terai and establishment of an independent Terai state. The Jwala and Goit factions have a history of competition, armed conflict, and assassination of each others' cadres, although they had moments of rapprochement in 2009.
The Rajan Mukti faction (JTMM-R), smaller but likewise the perpetrator of violent attacks, is led by Rajiv Jha.
and the coordinator of the Madhesi National Liberation Front within the CPN-M. Goit accused the Maoist leadership of betraying the Madhesi
people, and began to directly and violently oppose the CPN-M. The Goit faction is believed to comprise about a thousand main supporters; Goit's main lieutenant is Pawan Singh.
Jwala Singh is the leader of one JTMM splinter group, the JTMM-J. The group claims to have formed an armed militia in 12 of the 20 Terai
districts
. With a cadre strength of a few hundred, this group has an organisation modeled on the CPN-M, including central and district level governments and a Terai Liberation Army. Having fought against both the government and the Goit faction for several years, Jwala Singh indicated in January 2009 that eventual reconciliation and merger with the Goit faction was likely.
Another distinct group within the JTMM is the Rajan Mukti faction (JTMM-R), led by Rajiv Jha. This faction has also entered into independent negotiations with the Nepalese government, with which it has ties through Vice President
Parmanand Jha
's media secretary.
In April 2011, after at least six rounds of talks with the Nepalese government since 2007, these main factions of the JTMM claimed to lay down arms and end their violent campaigns.
state populated and governed by Madhesi
s. In pursuit of these aims, the JTMM and similar groups have sought to seize Terai lands from non-Madhesi owners, resulting in streams of non-Madhesis fleeing the region.
The JTMM claims to be a legitimate political party, however both of its factions have been involved in assassination
, murder
, abduction
, forceful donation (extortion
) and other human rights violations. The JTMM generally targets Pahadi
s and other non-Madhesi
s, those that resist extortion, and ordinary residents. Most of its activities are similar to those of the CPN-M during the Nepalese Civil War (1996–2006). It has formed a parallel government
and is actively involved in the collection of "taxes" from ordinary Nepalese citizens. The government of Nepal
recognizes the JTMM as a criminal group rather than a political party.
The JTMM is primarily active in the Madhesi
-populated Terai
region bordering India
in the districts of Siraha
, Sunsari
, Dhanusa
, Morang
, Sarlahi
, Bara
, Banke
, Bardiya
Nepali language
Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar...
: जनतान्त्रिक तराई मुक्ति मोर्चा, Janatāntrika Tarāī Muktī Morcā, "Terai People's Liberation Front;" also Terai Janatantrik Mukti Morcha (TJMM)) is a revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
organisation in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. It was formed in 2004 as a split from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) around Jay Krishna Goit. The group accused the CPN-M of not guaranteeing the autonomy
Autonomy
Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political and bioethical philosophy. Within these contexts, it is the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision...
of the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
region, inhabited mainly by Madhesi
Madhesi
The Madhesi are the native people of Nepal who reside in the southern, plains region the Terai which they refer to as Madhesh. Madhesis comprise about 40% of the total population of Nepal...
s of Indian origin who were the object of discrimination and neglect during the Shah Dynasty
Shah dynasty
The Shah dynasty was the ruling dynasty of the Kingdom of Nepal.-The Rajput Lineage :The former royal family of Nepal claims descent from the Parmar Rajput dynasty of the Narsinghgarh state in Malwa . The famous kings of the Malwa region were Raja Bhrathari, Samrat Vikramaditya, and Raja Bhoj....
.
The Jwala Singh faction of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-J) was formed by Nagendra Kumar Paswan AKA Jwala Singh in August 2006 after he broke away from the Goit-led JTMM. Jwala Singh is a former CPN-M cadre and had joined Goit when he floated the JTMM. Later, Singh developed differences with Goit over strategies for the liberation of the Terai and establishment of an independent Terai state. The Jwala and Goit factions have a history of competition, armed conflict, and assassination of each others' cadres, although they had moments of rapprochement in 2009.
The Rajan Mukti faction (JTMM-R), smaller but likewise the perpetrator of violent attacks, is led by Rajiv Jha.
Leadership and structure
The original faction of the JTMM was formed in July 2004 by Jaya Krishna Goit after splitting from the CPN-M. Goit had been a former leader of the Unified Marxist Leninist Party (UML)Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of Nepal , also known as CPN-UML, CPN, is one of the largest communist parties in Nepal. It was created on January 6, 1991 through the unification of the Communist Party of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal...
and the coordinator of the Madhesi National Liberation Front within the CPN-M. Goit accused the Maoist leadership of betraying the Madhesi
Madhesi
The Madhesi are the native people of Nepal who reside in the southern, plains region the Terai which they refer to as Madhesh. Madhesis comprise about 40% of the total population of Nepal...
people, and began to directly and violently oppose the CPN-M. The Goit faction is believed to comprise about a thousand main supporters; Goit's main lieutenant is Pawan Singh.
Jwala Singh is the leader of one JTMM splinter group, the JTMM-J. The group claims to have formed an armed militia in 12 of the 20 Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
districts
Districts of Nepal
Nepal's 14 administrative zones are subdivided into 75 districts . These districts are listed below, by zone...
. With a cadre strength of a few hundred, this group has an organisation modeled on the CPN-M, including central and district level governments and a Terai Liberation Army. Having fought against both the government and the Goit faction for several years, Jwala Singh indicated in January 2009 that eventual reconciliation and merger with the Goit faction was likely.
Another distinct group within the JTMM is the Rajan Mukti faction (JTMM-R), led by Rajiv Jha. This faction has also entered into independent negotiations with the Nepalese government, with which it has ties through Vice President
Vice President of Nepal
The position of Vice President of Nepal constitutes the deputy head of State of the country of Nepal and was created when the Nepalese monarchy was abolished in May 2008....
Parmanand Jha
Parmanand Jha
Parmanand Jha is the current Vice President of Nepal and a former Supreme Court judge. He was born and brought up in Darbhanga, Bihar, India. Jha resigned as a judge in December 2007 after he was not proposed by the Judicial Council as a permanent judge at the apex court, following allegations of...
's media secretary.
In April 2011, after at least six rounds of talks with the Nepalese government since 2007, these main factions of the JTMM claimed to lay down arms and end their violent campaigns.
Activities
The JTMM seeks to form an independent TeraiTerai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
state populated and governed by Madhesi
Madhesi
The Madhesi are the native people of Nepal who reside in the southern, plains region the Terai which they refer to as Madhesh. Madhesis comprise about 40% of the total population of Nepal...
s. In pursuit of these aims, the JTMM and similar groups have sought to seize Terai lands from non-Madhesi owners, resulting in streams of non-Madhesis fleeing the region.
The JTMM claims to be a legitimate political party, however both of its factions have been involved in assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
, murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, abduction
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, forceful donation (extortion
Extortion
Extortion is a criminal offence which occurs when a person unlawfully obtains either money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution, through coercion. Refraining from doing harm is sometimes euphemistically called protection. Extortion is commonly practiced by organized crime...
) and other human rights violations. The JTMM generally targets Pahadi
Pahari people
The Pahari people, ; also called Pahadi, Parbati, Khāsā, or Chhetri, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group of the Himalaya living in Nepal, India, and Pakistan. In Nepal, the Pahari constituted the single largest ethnic group at about 20,000,000, or three-fifths of the Nepalese population through the 1990s...
s and other non-Madhesi
Madhesi
The Madhesi are the native people of Nepal who reside in the southern, plains region the Terai which they refer to as Madhesh. Madhesis comprise about 40% of the total population of Nepal...
s, those that resist extortion, and ordinary residents. Most of its activities are similar to those of the CPN-M during the Nepalese Civil War (1996–2006). It has formed a parallel government
Shadow government
Shadow government may refer to:*An opposition government in a parliamentary system, see Shadow Cabinet*A term for plans for an emergency government that takes over in the event of a disaster, see continuity of government...
and is actively involved in the collection of "taxes" from ordinary Nepalese citizens. The government of Nepal
Government of Nepal
The Government of Nepal, or Nepal Government, is the executive body and the Central government of Nepal. Prior to the abolition of Monarchy in Nepal, was officially known as His Majesty's Government....
recognizes the JTMM as a criminal group rather than a political party.
The JTMM is primarily active in the Madhesi
Madhesi
The Madhesi are the native people of Nepal who reside in the southern, plains region the Terai which they refer to as Madhesh. Madhesis comprise about 40% of the total population of Nepal...
-populated Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
region bordering India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the districts of Siraha
Siraha District
-Village Development Committees :*Arnama Lalpur*Arnama Rampur*Asanpur*Ashokpur Balkawa*Aurahi*Ayodhyanagar*Badharamal*Barchhawa*Bariyarpatti*Basbita*Bastipur*Belaha*Belhi*Betauna*Bhadaiya*Bhagawanpur*Bhagawatipur*Bhawanipur...
, Sunsari
Sunsari District
Sunsari District of 625,633.The area was originally part of Morang but became its own district in 1962 when Nepal was divided into 14 zones and 75 districts....
, Dhanusa
Dhanusa District
Dhanusa District of 671,364. It lies in the Central Development Region of Nepal. Also famous as a cultural center, the city attracts many Hindu pilgrims during festivals from both Nepal and India....
, Morang
Morang District
Morang District , a part of Kosi Zone, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. The district, with Biratnagar as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,855 km² and has a population of 843,220....
, Sarlahi
Sarlahi District
-Village Development Committees :*Achalgadh*Arnaha*Atrouli*Aurahi*Babarganj*Bagdaha*Bahadurpur*Balara*Bara Udhoran*Barahathawa*Basantapur*Batraul*Bela*Belhi*Belwajabdi*Bhadsar*Bhagawatipur*Bhaktipur*Bhawanipur*Brahmapuri*Chandra Nagar...
, Bara
Bara District
Bara District of 559,135. Pasaha, Dudhaura and Bangari are the main rivers of Bara. Gamahariya is one of the villages of Bara District which is situated near the border area of India....
, Banke
Banke District
-Geography:Banke is bordered on the west by Bardiya district. Rapti zone's Salyan and Dang Deukhuri Districts border to the north and east. To the south lies Uttar Pradesh, India; specifically Shravasti and Bahraich districts of Awadh. East of Nepalganj the international border follows the...
, Bardiya
Bardiya District
Bardiya DistrictBardiya DistrictBardiya DistrictBardiya DistrictBardiya DistrictBardiya DistrictBardiya DistrictBardiya DistrictBardiya District' onMouseout='HidePop("28963")' href="/topics/Kailali_District">Kailali
, Kanchanpur
, Parsa
, Rupandeli
, Janakpur
, Saptari
, Mahottari
, Birganj
, Rautahat
, Rolpa
, and Hetauda
.
s, comprising nearly half the population of Nepal, felt marginalized by the 2006 peace deal between the government and the CPN-M that ended the decade-long Nepalese Civil War. Frustrated Madhesis feared they would not have a place in any future government under the agreement.
Throughout its period of militancy, the JTMM remained in a heated battle with its parent organization. In August 2005, several leading JTMM members were killed in fighting with the CPN-M. In July 2006, the CPN-M declared war against JTMM, accusing the JTMM of assassinating Maoist cadres.
In January 2007, JTMM activists defied a curfew and clashed with police, resulting in the death of at least 24 people. On January 31, 2007, the JTMM made a truce with the government to create conditions for negotiations. Its demands included that imprisoned JTMM cadres be released and the charges against them be dropped. In the beginning of March 2007, JTMM declared that it would resume its armed insurgency because, it claimed, the government had not fulfilled its commitments regarding the truce.
In March 2008, the JTMM claimed responsibility for separate attacks that killed two CPN-M workers and one leftist candidate ahead of the 2008 Elections
. The group continued to carry out attacks, bombings, and abductions through April 2011. The JTMM purported to lay down its arms in March 2011. Its current chairman Rajiv Jha AKA Utkarsha stated the Madhesi revolution would continue in a peaceful fashion, pledging to continue talks with the Nepalese government.
has designated the CPN-M, in which many JTMM cadres formerly served, a terrorist organization. In its country reports, the United States Department of State
has referred to the JTMM as a "terrorist group" on at least one occasion. Under United States law, knowing past or present membership in or material support (including payments) to any organization that seizes, abducts, or threatens to kill, injure, or ransom persons renders aliens inadmissible to the United States on terrorism grounds, whether or not a group is individually listed.
Kailali District
Kailali District of 616,697. Dhangadhi is a center of attraction of not only Kailali district but of the whole seti zone. The district also contains Tikapur Park, one of the biggest parks in Nepal, and Godha-Ghodi Tal lake.-Towns and villages:Baliya...
, Kanchanpur
Kanchanpur District
-Basic statistics:* District: Kanchanpur* Headquarters: Mahendranagar* Area: 1610 km²* Total Population: 377,899* Literacy rate: 57.60% -Political divisions:* Political constituencies: 4...
, Parsa
Parsa District
-Village Development Committees :*Alau*Amarpatti*Auraha*Bagahi*Bagbana*Bageswori*Bahauri Pidari*Bahurbamatha*Basadilwa*Basantpur*Belwa Parsouni*Beriya Birta*Bhawanipur*Bhedihari*Bhisawa*Bijbaniya*Bindabasini*Biranchibarba*Birganj...
, Rupandeli
Rupandehi District
-Village Development Committees :*Aama*Aanandaban*Amari*Amawa Marchawar*Amuwa Paschim*Asurena*Babhani*Bagaha*Bagauli*Bairghat*Balarampur*Bangai*Bangai Marchwar*Baragadewa*Barsauli*Basantapur*Betakuiya*Bhagawanpur*Bisunpura*Bodabar*Bogadi...
, Janakpur
Janakpurdham
Janakpur, also known as Janakpurdham, is one of the historical and religious city of Nepal. Janakpur is the administrative headquarters of Dhanusa District of the Janakpur Zone and has a population of approximately 80,000...
, Saptari
Saptari District
Saptari District of 570,282. Saptari is renowned for its agricultural output, and is bordered on the east by the massive Sapt Koshi river.Significant towns are Rajbiraj, the district centre, Hanumannagar, and Fattepur with the area government "Matsya Palan Kendra" fish farm.The famous Chhinna...
, Mahottari
Mahottari District
Mahottari District of 553,481.Its headquarters is located in Jaleshwor, a neighbouring town of historical city, Janakpur. The name Jaleshwor means the 'God in Water'. One can find a famous temple of Lord Shiva in Water there...
, Birganj
Birganj
Birganj is a sub-metropolitan municipality and border town in Parsa District in the Narayani Zone of southern Nepal. It lies 283 km south of the capital Kathmandu, 3 km north of the border of the Indian state of Bihar. As an entry point to Nepal from Patna and Calcutta it is also known...
, Rautahat
Rautahat District
-Village Development Committees :*Ajagabi*Akolawa*Auraiya*Badharwa*Bagahi*Bahuwa Madanpur*Bairiya*Banjaraha*Bariyarpur*Basantapatti*Basatpur*Basbiti Jingadiya*Bhalohiya*Bhediyahi*Birtipraskota*Bishrampur*Bisunpurwa Manpur*Brahmapuri...
, Rolpa
Rolpa District
Rolpa of 210,004. Livang is the district's administrative center.By Nepalese standards, Rolpa is an underdeveloped area plagued by low life expectancy and poverty . It was a major flashpoint in the 1996-2006 Civil War.Adjoining districts are Dang to the south, Pyuthan to the east, Salyan to the...
, and Hetauda
Hetauda
Hetauda is a town in the Makwanpur District of the Narayani Zone in southern Nepal. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Makwanpur district. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 53,836 people living in 10,420 individual households...
.
History
In 2004 the JTMM, led by Jay Krishna Goit, split from the CPN-M. Many MadhesiMadhesi
The Madhesi are the native people of Nepal who reside in the southern, plains region the Terai which they refer to as Madhesh. Madhesis comprise about 40% of the total population of Nepal...
s, comprising nearly half the population of Nepal, felt marginalized by the 2006 peace deal between the government and the CPN-M that ended the decade-long Nepalese Civil War. Frustrated Madhesis feared they would not have a place in any future government under the agreement.
Throughout its period of militancy, the JTMM remained in a heated battle with its parent organization. In August 2005, several leading JTMM members were killed in fighting with the CPN-M. In July 2006, the CPN-M declared war against JTMM, accusing the JTMM of assassinating Maoist cadres.
In January 2007, JTMM activists defied a curfew and clashed with police, resulting in the death of at least 24 people. On January 31, 2007, the JTMM made a truce with the government to create conditions for negotiations. Its demands included that imprisoned JTMM cadres be released and the charges against them be dropped. In the beginning of March 2007, JTMM declared that it would resume its armed insurgency because, it claimed, the government had not fulfilled its commitments regarding the truce.
In March 2008, the JTMM claimed responsibility for separate attacks that killed two CPN-M workers and one leftist candidate ahead of the 2008 Elections
Nepalese Constituent Assembly election, 2008
A general election for the Constituent Assembly was held in Nepal on 10 April 2008 after having been postponed from earlier dates of 7 June 2007 and 22 November 2007. The Nepalese Constituent Assembly will draft a new constitution; it will therefore decide, amongst other things, on the issue of...
. The group continued to carry out attacks, bombings, and abductions through April 2011. The JTMM purported to lay down its arms in March 2011. Its current chairman Rajiv Jha AKA Utkarsha stated the Madhesi revolution would continue in a peaceful fashion, pledging to continue talks with the Nepalese government.
Terrorism
The JTMM has not been listed individually as a terrorist organization by any country, however the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has designated the CPN-M, in which many JTMM cadres formerly served, a terrorist organization. In its country reports, the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
has referred to the JTMM as a "terrorist group" on at least one occasion. Under United States law, knowing past or present membership in or material support (including payments) to any organization that seizes, abducts, or threatens to kill, injure, or ransom persons renders aliens inadmissible to the United States on terrorism grounds, whether or not a group is individually listed.
