Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal
Encyclopedia
Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal or Madhesi People's Rights Forum, Nepal is a political party
in Nepal
. It was initially not a political party as such, but a political advocacy movement demanding ethnic self determination rights with the formation of a Madhes autonomous region, an election system based on proportional representation
, and the setting-up of a federal republic in Nepal. MJF includes former leaders of other political parties, like Nepali Congress
and CPN(UML). The party is registered with the Election Commission of Nepal
ahead of the 2008 Constituent Assembly election
.
' (general strike) on January 16, 2007, demanding amendments in the interim constitution in favor of a federal system and a new delimitation of electoral constituencies
. 14 MJF cadres, including Upendra Yadav and MP Amresh Kumar Singh, were arrested in Kathmandu after having burnt copies of the interim constitution. On January 18, MJF announced a chakkajam (vehicular strike) in Janakpur, in protest of arrests of activists of the organisation.
On January 19, 2007, Maoists opened fire in a MJF rally in Lahan, Siraha district. The clashes had begun as Maoists vehicles were stopped by MJF activists enforcing a chakkajam. One MJF sympathiser, 16-year old Ramesh Mahato, was killed in the incident. The killing caused an uproar on behalf of MJF, and the situation in the region became yet more intense. Ensuing violence in Siraha district left several dead in the following days. On January 24, 2007, MJF issued a call for bandh in the Biratnagar, Udaypur and Saptari districts. On February 6, 2007, MJF cadres abducted the CPN(M) MP Chinak Kurmi
and other Maoist cadres in Bhairawa. They were released after five hours.
On January 25, 2007 MJF and NSP activists vandalised the ancestral home of Madhav Kumar Nepal
in Gaur
. On January 26, 2007, police opened fire on MJF protestors in Kalaiya
, killing Asraf Ali Ansari, 22 years old, and injuring six others. The following day MJF held early morning rallies in Siraha, Saptari, Sarlahi, Sunsari, Mahottari and Rautahat districts. In Malangawa, government offices were padlocked by MJF activists and signs saying 'Nepal Government' were changed to 'Madhesh Government'.
On February 7, 2007, a government committee led by Agriculture Minister Mahantha Thakur sent an invitation to talks to MJF. On February 8, 2007, MJF suspended its strikes for a 10-day period. MJF declared three demands for enterings into talks with the government; removal of Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, probing into the Lahan killing and forming a high-level committee to look into atrocities during the agitations. On February 19, 2007, MJF gave a call for new protests, strikes and chakkajams. On February 21, 2007, 15 persons were injured in confrontations between Maoists and MJF in Bhairahawa.
On February 22, 2007 the government sent a second invitation for talks to the MJF. The MJF did however, not accept the invitation.
On February 23, 2007, around 150 activists from the Maoist-led Madhesi Rastriya Mukti Morcha attacked a MJF meeting in Bhairahawa. The following day, clashes erupted between Maoists and MJF in Rupandehi and Nepalgunj. On February 27, 2007, a 14 year-old schoolboy was killed during a MJF-Maoist clash in Puraina, Banke district.
On March 5, 2007, MJF activists detained 18 Maoists, including a CPN(M) MP in Nawalparasi. On March 6, 2007, MJF resumed its protest programme. The reassumption of the strike had been postponed for three days, due to the Holi
festival. As ofMarch 7 2007, the Sunsari, Sarlahi, Mahotttari, Dhanusha, Siraha, Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu, Banke and Bardiya districts were affected by the MJF strike. On March 9, 2007 clashes between MJF and Maoists erupted in Nepalgunj
.
On March 12, 2007, MJF announced a suspension of its indefinite strike call.
On. March 16, 2007 there were MJF cadres attacked an Eight Party Alliance (i.e. Seven Party Alliance
and CPN(M)) rally in Birgunj. MJF also vandalised the Parsa district
office of the Nepali Congress. In the afternoon, clashes took place between police and MJF activists in various parts of the city.
, as MJF and the Madhesi Rastriya Mukti Morcha organised simultaneous rallies. Yadav was supposed to have addressed the MJF rally. Later, 12 bodies were found at the clash site. 15 more bodies were found in Hajmaniya and Mudhbaliya, about 5 kilometers outside of Gaur. According to The Economist
, MJF activists had raped, burnt and speared the bodies of the victims. The majority of the killed were CPN(M) activists.
In response to the Gaur carnage, CPN(M) chairman Prachanda
compared MJF with the Contras
of Nicaragua
, charging that MJF was used by imperialists
to derail the process in Nepal. CPN(M) drafted a resolution, unanimously passed in the interim parliament
, condemning the killings and ordering the arrest of the perpetrators. Local administrations began to prohibit the MJF to hold public rallies.
In April 2007, the Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Committee presented a study on the Gaur incident, and concluded that MJF had committedgross violations of human rights, like torturing people to death and raping 3 women.
A MJF spokesperson, Sitanandan Raya, claimed that the Maoists had been the attackers in Gaur, and that MJF had only retaliated. On April 11, 2007, MJF formed a three-member panel of its own to look into the Gaur killings, constisting of former Supreme Court Justice Balram Singh Kunwar, Surendra Mishra and Lal Babu Yadav. The findings of the panel stated that MJF had been attacked by MRMM, and that violence had be committed by other Madhesi outfits, leaving MJF without blame.
On March 28, 2007, there were clashes between Maoists and MJF in Barewa, Rupandehi district. According to media reports, firearms and bombs were used in the fights and three persons were injured.
On the evening of April 4, 2007, MJF and Maoist activist opened fire at each other in Ramgunj Belgachhiya, Sunsari district.
MJF organised a Madhes bandh April 20-April 22, 2007, leading to the cancellation of Nepali Congress rally in Janakpur, where the PM G.P. Koirala was supposed to speak. The strike disrupted transports in Morang, Sunsari, Bara, Parsa, Siraha, Sarhali, Saptari, Dhanusha, Rautahat and Mahottari districts. Biratnagar, Inaruwa, Birgunj, Rajbiraj, Lahan, Kalaiya and Gaur were the towns most affected by the strike.
On April 25, 2007, MJF presented a four-member team for talks with the government, constisting of Upendra Yadav, Sitanandan Raya, Kishor Kumar Bishwas Tharu and Mohammad Nasir Siddiqui.
On April 26, 2007, MJF registered itself as a political party with the Election Commission of Nepal
.
In May 2007, MJF put forward "three preconditions before holding talks with the government - formation of high level judicial commission to probe atrocities during Madhesi agitation, stopping government-supported attack against MJF cadres and resignation of Nepal Home Minister Krsihna Prasad Sitaula."
On May 9, 2007, Yadav and Poudel met for informal talks in Birgunj. MJF were however, not ready for talks at the May 18 deadline. After a judicial probe commission had been instituted by the government to look into abuses during the agitations, Yadav stated on May 26, 2007, that MJF was ready for talks if cases were dropped against MJF activists and guarantees for their security was given.
The talks between the Government of Nepal, whose team was headed by Poudel, and the MJF talk team began in Janakpur on June 1, 2007. MJF presented a list of 26 demands, restructuring of state, formation of commission to implement state restructuring, inclusion of Madhesis in all organs of state, federal system of governance, proportional representation, withdrawal of charges against leaders of MJF and compensation to those injured during Madhes agitation. During the first session of talks, agreement was reached on half of the MJF demands. The government side accepted MJF demands for forming a State Reconstruction Commission, giving martyr status for the people who had died during the agitations and compensations to their families.
A second round of talks were held on July 25, 2007, in Dhulikhel
. The talks ended inconclusively. According to Bishwas, the government had not fulfilled their obligations since the first round of talks. The talks resumed at the Godavari Resort Village in Lalitpur on July 28, 2007, after the government had asked for a 2-day break to do its 'homework'. After the conclusion of the session, Bishwas stated that there had not been any real progress on key issues like federalism, autonomy and election system.
The fourth round of talks was held on August 5, 2007, at Park Resort Village, Budhanilkantha. The session ended inconclusively, as MJF disagreed with the restructuring of the talks team of the government side. The proposal was that the government team would also include Dev Gurung
(CPN(M)), Prakash Sharan Mahat (Nepali Congress (Democratic)
, former Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Jhala Nath Khanal
(CPN(UML)). MJF rejected the inclusion of a Maoist member in the government team.
Upendra Yadav met with PM G.P. Koirala on August 19, 2007. Yadav stated that the PM had been positive towards discussion of the demands of MJF. Talks resumed on August 20, 2007 and carried on for two days. MJF did however leave the talks, saying that the government was not seriously considering their demands. MJF then issued a warning for new agitations, and stated August 31, 2007 as the deadline for their demands to be met before they would call for a new revolt.
On August 30, 2007, MJF agreed to a 22-point deal with the government, which included a mixed election system, martyr status for those killed during the agitations and declaration of Muslim festivals
as public holidays. CPN(M) chair Prachanda rapidly denounced the deal as a 'conspiracy'.
In early September 2007, MJF formed a Central Election Board to lead the election campaign of the party, headed by Sitanandan Raya.
leader in Lumbini.
The MJF Central Committee held a meeting June 17-June 18, 2007. The meeting decided to dissolve the Central Committee, and form an ad hoc-committee to lead the party until the holding of a conference.
On June 22, 2007, MJF organised a bandh, protesting the abduction of its youth leader in Koteshwore, Jitendra Shah, by the YCL. The strike disrupted business activities and schools in Rautahat, Bara, Parsa, Siraha, Sunsari, Dhanusha, Saptari, Sarlahi and Mahottari districts. MJF had called on the government to ban YCL a few days earlier.
On June 30, 2007, Kishore Kumar Bishwas stated that MJF would sabotage the holding of Constituent Assembly election, if their demand for proportional representation was not met.
In the summer of 2007, MJF formed a youth wing, Madhesi Youth Forum
. According to a report in the daily newspaper Nepal Samacharpatra, MJF intended to provide combat training to the cadres of MYF. Nepal Samacharpatra stated that the motivation behind the formation of MYF had been countering the influence of YCL.
as the national language through the 22-point deal, and demanded that both Nepali and Hindi
be declared national languages. The expellees then formed a party of their own, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Madhesh
.
Prime Minister Koirala met with Yadav on November 16, 2007, and promised to fulfill the demands raised by MJF, thus cancelling the new wave of protest programmes scheduled for November 22. On November 17, 2007, Yadav called for the resignation of the Prime Minister.
MJF and the Rajendra Mahato
-led Nepal Sadbhavana Party
formed the United Madhesi Front, with a 9-point programme. The front called for the creation of a Madhes autonomous state. On January 19, 2008 the Front announced a protest movement starting January 23. On January 20, 2008, the Tarai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party
sided with the call for mass protests. A strike that began on January 23, 2008, had its greatest impact in Janakpur.
On February 3, 2008, UMF stepped up its protests, calling for a shut-down strike across several districts. On the second day of the shutdown, MJF activists clashed with police in Nawalparasi.
MJF, SP and TMLP formed a new front on February 9, 2008, the United Democratic Madhesi Front
. UDMF put forth six demands, including formation of a Madhesi autonomous state, right to self-determination, proportional representation of Madhesis, Janajatis and Dalit
s and recruitments of Madhesis to Nepal Army
. UDMF announced protests on February 11–12, and an indefinite strike starting February 13. On February 16, 2008, police open fire on protestors in Jitpur, Bara district. The strike was to last for 16 days, causing shortages of goods in the Kathmandu valley. The strike ended with a deal between government and UDMF, providing for a federal state structure with an autonomous Madhesi state, proportional recruitment of marginalised communities into Nepal Army, martyrhood status to be declared for the killed in the Madhesi movement agitations and free medical treatment for the injured. A special provision was also made so that the UDMF parties could file candidates for the Constituent Assembly election (the ordinary deadline had already passed).
election. The party also nominated 105 candidates for the First Past the Post seats. The party did however fail to meet the requirement of nominating 33% women. In the FPTP seats, only three MJF candidates were women. On March 16, 2008, MJF released its election manifesto. The manifesto proposed making Nepal a federal, secular
republic with an executive President. The parliament would have two chambers, the upper chamber would be an 'Assembly of Ethnicities'. According to the manifesto, regions of Nepal should have the right to self-determination and the formation of a single Madhesh province. The manifesto also demanded increased recruitment of Madhesi youths into the army.
stated in a report dated June 2007 that MJF was 'the most aggressive group towards journalists'.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
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 initially not a political party as such, but a political advocacy movement demanding ethnic self determination rights with the formation of a Madhes autonomous region, an election system based on proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, and the setting-up of a federal republic in Nepal. MJF includes former leaders of other political parties, like Nepali Congress
Nepali Congress
The Nepali Congress is a Nepalese political party. Nepali Congress led the 1950 Democratic Movement which successfully ended the Rana dynasty and allowed commoners to take part in the polity. It again led a democratic movement in 1990, in partnership with leftist forces, to end monarchy and...
and CPN(UML). The party is registered with the Election Commission of Nepal
Election Commission of Nepal
The Election Commission of Nepal is the body responsible for monitoring elections, as well as registering parties and candidates and reporting election outcomes, in Nepal. It was born out of the 1950 revolution in Nepal, and was established in law in 1951, although it has been changed somewhat by...
ahead of the 2008 Constituent Assembly election
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...
.
Spring 2007 agitation
MJF declared a 'Madhes bandhBandh
Bandh , originally a Hindi word meaning 'closed', is a form of protest used by political activists in some countries like India and Nepal. During a Bandh, a political party or a community declares a general strike....
' (general strike) on January 16, 2007, demanding amendments in the interim constitution in favor of a federal system and a new delimitation of electoral constituencies
Boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation, or simply delimitation, is the term used to describe the drawing of boundaries, but is most often used to describe the drawing of electoral boundaries, specifically those of precincts, states, counties or other municipalities...
. 14 MJF cadres, including Upendra Yadav and MP Amresh Kumar Singh, were arrested in Kathmandu after having burnt copies of the interim constitution. On January 18, MJF announced a chakkajam (vehicular strike) in Janakpur, in protest of arrests of activists of the organisation.
On January 19, 2007, Maoists opened fire in a MJF rally in Lahan, Siraha district. The clashes had begun as Maoists vehicles were stopped by MJF activists enforcing a chakkajam. One MJF sympathiser, 16-year old Ramesh Mahato, was killed in the incident. The killing caused an uproar on behalf of MJF, and the situation in the region became yet more intense. Ensuing violence in Siraha district left several dead in the following days. On January 24, 2007, MJF issued a call for bandh in the Biratnagar, Udaypur and Saptari districts. On February 6, 2007, MJF cadres abducted the CPN(M) MP Chinak Kurmi
Chinak Kurmi
Chinak Kurmi is a Nepalese politician, belonging to the Communist Party of Nepal and a leader of the Madhesi Rastriya Mukti Morcha. During the Nepal Civil War, Kurmi was arrested. He was released in 2003....
and other Maoist cadres in Bhairawa. They were released after five hours.
On January 25, 2007 MJF and NSP activists vandalised the ancestral home of Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal
Madhav Kumar Nepal is a Nepali politician who was Prime Minister of Nepal from May 25, 2009 until February 6, 2011. He was nominated as a PM through internal arrangements within the current ruling coaliation government of Nepal. Nepal announced his resignation as Prime Minister on June 30, 2010...
in Gaur
Gaur, Nepal
Gaur is a town in the Rautahat district, a part of Narayani zone, in Madhes Nepal. Gaur is close to the border with India.On March 21, 2007, supporters of the Madhesi People's Rights Forum clashed with supporters of Maoist resulting in death of 29 people, mostly of Maoist...
. On January 26, 2007, police opened fire on MJF protestors in Kalaiya
Kalaiya
Kalaiya is a town and capital of Bara District in the Narayani Zone of south-eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 18,498 persons residing in 3010 individual households....
, killing Asraf Ali Ansari, 22 years old, and injuring six others. The following day MJF held early morning rallies in Siraha, Saptari, Sarlahi, Sunsari, Mahottari and Rautahat districts. In Malangawa, government offices were padlocked by MJF activists and signs saying 'Nepal Government' were changed to 'Madhesh Government'.
On February 7, 2007, a government committee led by Agriculture Minister Mahantha Thakur sent an invitation to talks to MJF. On February 8, 2007, MJF suspended its strikes for a 10-day period. MJF declared three demands for enterings into talks with the government; removal of Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula, probing into the Lahan killing and forming a high-level committee to look into atrocities during the agitations. On February 19, 2007, MJF gave a call for new protests, strikes and chakkajams. On February 21, 2007, 15 persons were injured in confrontations between Maoists and MJF in Bhairahawa.
On February 22, 2007 the government sent a second invitation for talks to the MJF. The MJF did however, not accept the invitation.
On February 23, 2007, around 150 activists from the Maoist-led Madhesi Rastriya Mukti Morcha attacked a MJF meeting in Bhairahawa. The following day, clashes erupted between Maoists and MJF in Rupandehi and Nepalgunj. On February 27, 2007, a 14 year-old schoolboy was killed during a MJF-Maoist clash in Puraina, Banke district.
On March 5, 2007, MJF activists detained 18 Maoists, including a CPN(M) MP in Nawalparasi. On March 6, 2007, MJF resumed its protest programme. The reassumption of the strike had been postponed for three days, due to the Holi
Holi
Holi , is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United...
festival. As ofMarch 7 2007, the Sunsari, Sarlahi, Mahotttari, Dhanusha, Siraha, Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Nawalparasi, Kapilvastu, Banke and Bardiya districts were affected by the MJF strike. On March 9, 2007 clashes between MJF and Maoists erupted in Nepalgunj
Nepalgunj
Nepalgunj , also spelled Nepalganj, is a municipality in Banke District, Nepal on the Terai plains near the southern border with Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh state of India. It is 16 km south of Kohalpur and the east-west Mahendra Highway....
.
On March 12, 2007, MJF announced a suspension of its indefinite strike call.
On. March 16, 2007 there were MJF cadres attacked an Eight Party Alliance (i.e. Seven Party Alliance
Seven Party Alliance
The Seven Party Alliance was a coalition of seven Nepali political parties seeking to end autocratic rule in the country. They spearheaded the Loktantra Andolan.The alliance was made up of the following parties:* Nepali Congress...
and CPN(M)) rally in Birgunj. MJF also vandalised the Parsa district
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...
office of the Nepali Congress. In the afternoon, clashes took place between police and MJF activists in various parts of the city.
Gaur carnage
On March 21, 2007, clashes erupted in GaurGaur, Nepal
Gaur is a town in the Rautahat district, a part of Narayani zone, in Madhes Nepal. Gaur is close to the border with India.On March 21, 2007, supporters of the Madhesi People's Rights Forum clashed with supporters of Maoist resulting in death of 29 people, mostly of Maoist...
, as MJF and the Madhesi Rastriya Mukti Morcha organised simultaneous rallies. Yadav was supposed to have addressed the MJF rally. Later, 12 bodies were found at the clash site. 15 more bodies were found in Hajmaniya and Mudhbaliya, about 5 kilometers outside of Gaur. According to The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
, MJF activists had raped, burnt and speared the bodies of the victims. The majority of the killed were CPN(M) activists.
In response to the Gaur carnage, CPN(M) chairman Prachanda
Prachanda
Puspa Kamal Dahal ; born Chhabilal Dahal on 11 December 1954, also known as Prachanda ]]. Prachanda led CPN as it launched an insurgency on 13 February 1996. In 2008 the ensuing civil war culminated in the overthrow of the Shah dynasty in favor of a communist...
compared MJF with the Contras
Contras
The contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua's FSLN Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's dictatorship...
of Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, charging that MJF was used by imperialists
Imperialism
Imperialism, as defined by Dictionary of Human Geography, is "the creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationships, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." The imperialism of the last 500 years,...
to derail the process in Nepal. CPN(M) drafted a resolution, unanimously passed in the interim parliament
Interim legislature of Nepal
On January 15, 2007 the Pratinidhi Sabha, the legislature of Nepal, was dissolved and a new Interim legislature was formed. The old parliament was elected in 1999...
, condemning the killings and ordering the arrest of the perpetrators. Local administrations began to prohibit the MJF to hold public rallies.
In April 2007, the Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Committee presented a study on the Gaur incident, and concluded that MJF had committedgross violations of human rights, like torturing people to death and raping 3 women.
A MJF spokesperson, Sitanandan Raya, claimed that the Maoists had been the attackers in Gaur, and that MJF had only retaliated. On April 11, 2007, MJF formed a three-member panel of its own to look into the Gaur killings, constisting of former Supreme Court Justice Balram Singh Kunwar, Surendra Mishra and Lal Babu Yadav. The findings of the panel stated that MJF had been attacked by MRMM, and that violence had be committed by other Madhesi outfits, leaving MJF without blame.
On March 28, 2007, there were clashes between Maoists and MJF in Barewa, Rupandehi district. According to media reports, firearms and bombs were used in the fights and three persons were injured.
On the evening of April 4, 2007, MJF and Maoist activist opened fire at each other in Ramgunj Belgachhiya, Sunsari district.
Talks with the government
In April 2007, a new government talks team was formed, led by Peace and Reconstruction Minister Ram Chandra Poudel and an invitation to talks was sent to MJF. MJF put forth two conditions for entering into talks; suspension of delimitation of election constituencies and guarantees for security in the Madhes region. Upendra Yadav also stated that MJF demanded withdrawal of legal cases against MJF activists, an inquiry into killings during the Madhesi agitations and recognition of those killed as martyrs.MJF organised a Madhes bandh April 20-April 22, 2007, leading to the cancellation of Nepali Congress rally in Janakpur, where the PM G.P. Koirala was supposed to speak. The strike disrupted transports in Morang, Sunsari, Bara, Parsa, Siraha, Sarhali, Saptari, Dhanusha, Rautahat and Mahottari districts. Biratnagar, Inaruwa, Birgunj, Rajbiraj, Lahan, Kalaiya and Gaur were the towns most affected by the strike.
On April 25, 2007, MJF presented a four-member team for talks with the government, constisting of Upendra Yadav, Sitanandan Raya, Kishor Kumar Bishwas Tharu and Mohammad Nasir Siddiqui.
On April 26, 2007, MJF registered itself as a political party with the Election Commission of Nepal
Election Commission of Nepal
The Election Commission of Nepal is the body responsible for monitoring elections, as well as registering parties and candidates and reporting election outcomes, in Nepal. It was born out of the 1950 revolution in Nepal, and was established in law in 1951, although it has been changed somewhat by...
.
In May 2007, MJF put forward "three preconditions before holding talks with the government - formation of high level judicial commission to probe atrocities during Madhesi agitation, stopping government-supported attack against MJF cadres and resignation of Nepal Home Minister Krsihna Prasad Sitaula."
On May 9, 2007, Yadav and Poudel met for informal talks in Birgunj. MJF were however, not ready for talks at the May 18 deadline. After a judicial probe commission had been instituted by the government to look into abuses during the agitations, Yadav stated on May 26, 2007, that MJF was ready for talks if cases were dropped against MJF activists and guarantees for their security was given.
The talks between the Government of Nepal, whose team was headed by Poudel, and the MJF talk team began in Janakpur on June 1, 2007. MJF presented a list of 26 demands, restructuring of state, formation of commission to implement state restructuring, inclusion of Madhesis in all organs of state, federal system of governance, proportional representation, withdrawal of charges against leaders of MJF and compensation to those injured during Madhes agitation. During the first session of talks, agreement was reached on half of the MJF demands. The government side accepted MJF demands for forming a State Reconstruction Commission, giving martyr status for the people who had died during the agitations and compensations to their families.
A second round of talks were held on July 25, 2007, in Dhulikhel
Dhulikhel
Dhulikhel is the administrative centre of Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census it had a population of 9812 people in 1624 households. Dhulikhel lies along the B.P. Highway and Arniko Highway. Arniko Highway connects Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city with Tibet's...
. The talks ended inconclusively. According to Bishwas, the government had not fulfilled their obligations since the first round of talks. The talks resumed at the Godavari Resort Village in Lalitpur on July 28, 2007, after the government had asked for a 2-day break to do its 'homework'. After the conclusion of the session, Bishwas stated that there had not been any real progress on key issues like federalism, autonomy and election system.
The fourth round of talks was held on August 5, 2007, at Park Resort Village, Budhanilkantha. The session ended inconclusively, as MJF disagreed with the restructuring of the talks team of the government side. The proposal was that the government team would also include Dev Gurung
Dev Gurung
Dev Gurung is a Nepalese politician, belonging to the Communist Party of Nepal . Gurung became Minister of Law and Justice on August 22, 2008. In 2002, B.S., Gurung became the president of the All Nepal National Free Students Union....
(CPN(M)), Prakash Sharan Mahat (Nepali Congress (Democratic)
Nepali Congress (Democratic)
Nepali Congress was a political party of Nepal, which was formed due to vertical split of Nepali Congress. Nepali Congress divided to two parties, the Nepali Congress led by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and the other led by Girija Prasad Koirala.-Merger of Nepali Congress and Nepali...
, former Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Jhala Nath Khanal
Jhala Nath Khanal
Jhala Nath Khanal was the 34th Prime Minister of Nepal having taken office in February 2011. He holds the positions of Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal and Leader of the Constituent Assembly Parliamentary Party of the CPN .-Life and early career:Born in Sakhejung in the Ilam District,...
(CPN(UML)). MJF rejected the inclusion of a Maoist member in the government team.
Upendra Yadav met with PM G.P. Koirala on August 19, 2007. Yadav stated that the PM had been positive towards discussion of the demands of MJF. Talks resumed on August 20, 2007 and carried on for two days. MJF did however leave the talks, saying that the government was not seriously considering their demands. MJF then issued a warning for new agitations, and stated August 31, 2007 as the deadline for their demands to be met before they would call for a new revolt.
On August 30, 2007, MJF agreed to a 22-point deal with the government, which included a mixed election system, martyr status for those killed during the agitations and declaration of Muslim festivals
Muslim holidays
There are two main holidays in Islam, Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha. The way that holidays are recognized can vary across cultures, as well as across sects of Islam, Sunni and Shia. Muslim holidays generally follow the lunar calendar, and thus move each year relative to the solar calendar. The...
as public holidays. CPN(M) chair Prachanda rapidly denounced the deal as a 'conspiracy'.
In early September 2007, MJF formed a Central Election Board to lead the election campaign of the party, headed by Sitanandan Raya.
Post-settlement situation
On June 13, 2007, MJF activists killed a regional Young Communist LeagueYoung Communist League, Nepal
"Youth Of All Communist Countries Unite"Young Communist League, Nepal is the youth wing of Communist Party of Nepal . The president of YCL is Ganeshman Pun and the general secretary of YCL is Dilip Kumar Prajapati...
leader in Lumbini.
The MJF Central Committee held a meeting June 17-June 18, 2007. The meeting decided to dissolve the Central Committee, and form an ad hoc-committee to lead the party until the holding of a conference.
On June 22, 2007, MJF organised a bandh, protesting the abduction of its youth leader in Koteshwore, Jitendra Shah, by the YCL. The strike disrupted business activities and schools in Rautahat, Bara, Parsa, Siraha, Sunsari, Dhanusha, Saptari, Sarlahi and Mahottari districts. MJF had called on the government to ban YCL a few days earlier.
On June 30, 2007, Kishore Kumar Bishwas stated that MJF would sabotage the holding of Constituent Assembly election, if their demand for proportional representation was not met.
In the summer of 2007, MJF formed a youth wing, Madhesi Youth Forum
Madhesi Youth Forum
Madhesi Youth Forum is the youth wing of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum in Nepal. As of April 2007, Jitedra Sen was the president of MYF....
. According to a report in the daily newspaper Nepal Samacharpatra, MJF intended to provide combat training to the cadres of MYF. Nepal Samacharpatra stated that the motivation behind the formation of MYF had been countering the influence of YCL.
Split
A split occurred in MJF in September 2007, as the MJF vice chairmen Bhagyanath Gupta and Kishor Kumar Bishwash and Ram Kumar Sharma and Jitendra Sonal were expelled from MJF. They had opposed the 22-point deal with the government, demanding fully proportional election system and declaration of republic before the election. They had also disagreed with Yadav's recognition of NepaliNepali 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...
as the national language through the 22-point deal, and demanded that both Nepali and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
be declared national languages. The expellees then formed a party of their own, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Madhesh
Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Madhesh
Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Madhesh is a political party in Nepal, and a splinter-group of the main Madhesi Janadhikar Forum. The split occurred in September 2007, as the MJF vice chairmen Bhagyanath Gupta and Kishor Kumar Bishwash and Ram Kumar Sharma and Jitendra Sonal were expelled from MJF...
.
Reviving protest movement and negotiations
On October 6, 2007, MJF stated that the government had failed to fulfill its parts of the 22-point agreement and was failing to safeguard communal harmony. MJF called for the formation of a neutral 'election government' ahead of the polls. The party announced a withdrawal from the election campaign and initiation of a new wave of protests on November 22, 2007.Prime Minister Koirala met with Yadav on November 16, 2007, and promised to fulfill the demands raised by MJF, thus cancelling the new wave of protest programmes scheduled for November 22. On November 17, 2007, Yadav called for the resignation of the Prime Minister.
MJF and the Rajendra Mahato
Rajendra Mahato
Rajendra Mahato is a Nepalese politician. In the 1994 parliamentary election, he stood as the Nepal Sadbhavana Party candidate in the constituency Sarlahi-2. He came second with 10173 votes...
-led Nepal Sadbhavana Party
Sadbhavana Party
Sadbhavana Party is a political party in Nepal. The party emerged out of a major split in the Nepal Sadbhavana Party in the summer of 2007. Initially the party also used the name 'Nepal Sadbhavana Party ', but the party was not recognised by the Election Commission of Nepal by that name...
formed the United Madhesi Front, with a 9-point programme. The front called for the creation of a Madhes autonomous state. On January 19, 2008 the Front announced a protest movement starting January 23. On January 20, 2008, the Tarai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party
Tarai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party
Tarai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party is a political party in Nepal, formed by former Minister for Science and Technology and Nepali Congress leader Mahantha Thakur. The foundation of the party was announced on December 27, 2007. The party has four members in the interim parliament .On December 31,...
sided with the call for mass protests. A strike that began on January 23, 2008, had its greatest impact in Janakpur.
On February 3, 2008, UMF stepped up its protests, calling for a shut-down strike across several districts. On the second day of the shutdown, MJF activists clashed with police in Nawalparasi.
MJF, SP and TMLP formed a new front on February 9, 2008, the United Democratic Madhesi Front
United Democratic Madhesi Front
United Democratic Madhesi Front is a political coalition in Nepal, constituted of three Madhesh-based political parties;*Sadbhavana Party*Tarai-Madhesh Loktantrik Party*Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal...
. UDMF put forth six demands, including formation of a Madhesi autonomous state, right to self-determination, proportional representation of Madhesis, Janajatis and Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
s and recruitments of Madhesis to Nepal Army
Nepal Army
The Nepalese Army is the army of Nepal and a major component of the Military of Nepal. The NA includes the Nepalese Army Air Service and is considered to be superior to Nepalese Police Force. Service is voluntary and the minimum age for enrollment is 18 years...
. UDMF announced protests on February 11–12, and an indefinite strike starting February 13. On February 16, 2008, police open fire on protestors in Jitpur, Bara district. The strike was to last for 16 days, causing shortages of goods in the Kathmandu valley. The strike ended with a deal between government and UDMF, providing for a federal state structure with an autonomous Madhesi state, proportional recruitment of marginalised communities into Nepal Army, martyrhood status to be declared for the killed in the Madhesi movement agitations and free medical treatment for the injured. A special provision was also made so that the UDMF parties could file candidates for the Constituent Assembly election (the ordinary deadline had already passed).
Election campaign
On March 3, 2008, MJF submitted a list of 101 candidates for the proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
election. The party also nominated 105 candidates for the First Past the Post seats. The party did however fail to meet the requirement of nominating 33% women. In the FPTP seats, only three MJF candidates were women. On March 16, 2008, MJF released its election manifesto. The manifesto proposed making Nepal a federal, secular
Secularism
Secularism is the principle of separation between government institutions and the persons mandated to represent the State from religious institutions and religious dignitaries...
republic with an executive President. The parliament would have two chambers, the upper chamber would be an 'Assembly of Ethnicities'. According to the manifesto, regions of Nepal should have the right to self-determination and the formation of a single Madhesh province. The manifesto also demanded increased recruitment of Madhesi youths into the army.
Views by NGOs
In a report, INSEC (which had participated in the previous probe on the Gaur killings) accused the MJF of 33 killings and 7 adductions in the period of November 2006-November 2007. Reporters Without BordersReporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
stated in a report dated June 2007 that MJF was 'the most aggressive group towards journalists'.