Fear in eastern hills as CA hangs in balance

ILAM, May 27: With just a couple of days left for the Constituent Assembly (CA) term to expire, a sense of fear runs deep in the eastern hills. Whether at district headquarters or in far-flung villages, the common people anticipate a rise in clashes and extortions in the days ahead.



At the heart of the looming fear lies a fresh threat issued by one of main ethnic outfits active in the eastern hills -- Federal Limbuwan State Council (FLSC) led by Sanjuhang Palungwa -- in face of the CA´s failure to introduce a new constitution within the stipulated deadline of May 28. [break]



At a recent program in Ilam, Palungwa had threatened to declare a parallel government, blaming the CA for not introducing a new constitution with Limbuwan, or land of the Limbus, as an autonomous state.



"We will run our own government in the nine districts east of the Arun River post May 28," Palungwa told myrepublica.com. "We no longer believe the CA will finalize a new constitution ensuring a separate state of Limbuwan, irrespective of how many more months the political parties in Kathmandu extend its term."



According to Palungwa, FLSC is drafting its own ´people´s constitution´ on a war footing, outlining the form of the parallel government.



Over two years ago, FLSC had spearheaded violent agitations ahead of the CA polls, exerting pressure on the interim government, formed at the end of the decade-long Maoist war, for speedily announcing a Limbuwan state.



FLSC had rolled back its strike and other protest programs only after the government struck a five-point agreement with the agitating ethnic outfit.




As per the deal, the government agreed in principle to ensure an autonomous Limbuwan state with the right to self-determination, under the new constitution. On the basis of this agreement, FLSC confined its activities to internal trainings alone.



"But now our wait is over," Dambar Lorinden, Ilam district acting president of FLSC, told myrepublica.com. "We will not hold back even if the political parties extended the CA term, as we think that would be unconstitutional."



FLSC has been conducting training programs in various villages for Limbuwan Volunteers (LVs), members of its paramilitary youth wing, in the use of staves and khukuri knives. "We need the LVs to run our government," Lorinden said, adding, "If need be we will be transforming them into a military force in future."



Another FLSC, headed by Kumar Lingden, also functions in the eastern districts, with its own organization of LVs. Unlike the Palungwa faction, the Lingden-led group, which is affiliated to the Federal Democratic National Front (FDNF) and also contested CA polls, has not decided to run a parallel government post May 28. However, it has also been training its LVs in recent weeks ´to pressure the CA.



"We are for a CA term extension," Lingden told myrepublica.com. "In the mean time, we are gearing up for another agitation as well by training our LVs and cadres." However, analysts view Lingden´s mild reaction to the CA´s failure to draft a constitution on time against the backdrop of his weakening position within FDNF.



In its recent face off with Laxman Tharu, whose Tharuhat Struggle Committee (TSC) is a FDNF component, FDNF teamed up with Madheshi People´ Rights Forum (MPRF) chief Upendra Yadav, and Lingden is believed to have emerged weaker. Rukmini Tharu and Rajkumar Nalbo, who represent FDNF in the CA, are also with TSC chief Tharu, further weakening Lingden.



The Lingden-led group had also led violent agitations in the eastern region before the CA polls. However, it made a U-turn following a deal reached with the government, and contested the CA polls.



People fearful



In the past, prior to their respective deals with the government, both factions of FLSC had exercised some forms of parallel government, especially in the eastern hills, though not with any formal announcement. The Lingden-led group had set up barriers in different districts and imposed tax on agricultural produce (mainly cardamom, brooms and cattle) being exported out of the villages.



The Palungwa-headed faction went beyond that. Apart from imposing tax on peasants and entrepreneurs, it operated its own judiciary. Anyone could be dragged into its ´people´s courts´ if someone lodged a case with FLSC against him or her. People were fined under arbitrary verdicts issued by so-called justices of FLSC. Also, it issued a diktat for all organizations to register under its administration.



"With FLSC threatening to repeat its parallel government and training its paramilitary cadres, the level of fear has risen," said Dharma Gautam, a prominent member of civil society here. "This sort of unlawful activity is sure to increase impunity. FLSC must not repeat its past mistakes under any pretext."

Related story

Fate of MCC agreement hangs in the balance