Another war erupts in Nepal

Another war erupts in Nepal
Sudeshna Sarkar
KATHMANDU,
- Four months after the Maoists and the new government of Nepal called a ceasefire, violence continues to erupt in southern Nepal, raising the spectre of another insurgency. Yesterday, gunfight broke out in Siraha district in south-eastern Nepal as Maoists clashed with a newly formed outfit, the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, and took captive a senior Morcha leader, Ram Bilas Yadav. Last month, the Morcha killed two Maoist leaders and abducted a government official, releasing him only after his family paid a ransom. The modus operandi of the Morcha seems to be patterned upon the Maoist method when the guerrillas began their “People’s War” 10 years ago. That’s hardly surprising, considering the fact that the Morcha is a disgruntled group that broke away from the Maoists two years ago under the leadership of Jaya Krishna Goit, who comes from Saptari district in southern Nepal. The Maoist war and its success has spawned a Madhesh war in Nepal with Madeshis ~ people of the terai plains ~ claiming their rights. There are no plains people in the army and just a handful in the bureaucracy and judiciary when plains people form about half of Nepal’s 27 million population. About 50,000 plains people have two citizenship, though they have been living in Nepal for generations, therefore cut off from government jobs, elections and the upcoming constituent assembly election that would decide Nepal’s future. Many of the plains people, who were once part of the Maoist revolt and suffered most at the hands of security forces, are now disenchanted with the guerrillas, accusing them of concentrating the leadership.The Nepal Sadbhavana Party, the only political party from the plains that is now a partner in the coalition government with a powerful minister in the cabinet, concedes Goit has just cause for grievance, Mr Rajendra Mahato, an MP from the party, has been urging both the government and the Maoists to call Goit for talks. “Peace talks shouldn’t take place piecemeal,” Mr Mahat says. “If the terai issues are not addressed, Nepal would know no peace in spite of the Maoist ceasefire. Ten years ago, no one listened to the Maoists. But after they took up the gun, they are getting a red carpet treatment. The example is spurring on the youth of terai and in another five years, the movement would escalate, just as the Maoist war did.”