Speaking at a face to face programme organized by the Reporters´ Club Thursday, the leaders of the opposition parties said the planned bulk entry of the Madhesis in the Nepal Army was not going to make the army organization any stronger.[break]
They said that none of the battalions of the Nepal Army has been named after the ethnic community of the country and decried the government´s decision to take in 3,000 youths of the Madhesi community in the Nepal Army in bulk as being indicative of authoritarianism.
The speakers alleged that the Madhesi parties that talked tall on the rights of the Madhesis have neglected the cause of the dalits and the indigenous nationalities living in the Madhes, the southern plains region of the country.
The leaders of different parties speaking at the face to face commented that decisions as bulk entry in the army would not contribute to the democracy and boost the policy of inclusion in any way, rather such rash decisions would put the country into a quandary.
Nepali Congress leader Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat accused the Unified CPN (Maoist) of taking irresponsible decisions as allowing bulk entry into the Nepal Army. He said the Maoist party was putting the country into difficulty.
He said the latest activities of the UCPN (Maoist) gave support to the suspicions that the peace process itself would be jeopardized.
CPN (UML) leader Bhim Rawal alleged that the peace and constitution itself has been hampered by the latest activities of the UCPN (Maoist). He suggested the government to take back its decision of allowing bulk entry of Madhesis in the national army, saying that it would threaten the national sovereignty and integrity.
UCPN (Maoist) leader Haribol Gajurel said the party is taking a decisive initiatives for concluding the peace process and that the people were evaluating the works of the party. He said there is no need for a change of government at this juncture as the government is pushing ahead the peace and constitution writing.
Chairman of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party and Irrigation Minister Mahendra Yadav urged the opposition parties not to make an issue out of the government´s decision for bulk entry of Madhesis in the Nepal Army as this had already been agreed upon by the parties when the late Girija Prasad Koirala was the prime minister.
He argued that the bulk entry of the Madhesis in the Nepal Army would rather make the Nepal Army more inclusive and strengthen the nationality.
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