Releasing a report on Monday, the ICG said that the depth of social discontent, lack of fruitful negotiations and disillusion with Madhesi parties is creating room for radical positions."Mainstream national parties are also in the Tarai, and some are inclined to launch counter protests, which likewise lead to clashes. The security forces are seen as discriminating against Madhesis and using excessive force. Employing them repeatedly to quell local protests fuels anger and radicalization," stated the report.
The ICG has recommended to the government and the ruling political parties to restore trust with Madhesi and Tharu populations by forming an independent mechanism to investigate the protest-related deaths and avoid a heavy-handed security response during protests. Likewise, the group has suggested refraining from ultimatums and provocative comments and addressing the economic and humanitarian consequences of the earthquakes and blockade.
Urging the Madhes-based political parties to rebuild trust with all social groups which live in the plains, the ICG asked them to refrain from arbitrary protest strategies, provocative speech and violence.
"The blockade was an extreme form of protest with complex consequences, including grievous harm to the weakest and poorest sections of Nepali society and alienating communities the protestors should have been making common cause with. Yet, judging it a failure as a tactic should not substitute for a careful assessment of what is in effect a social movement in the Tarai," stated the report.
On the same report, maintaining that the India partially supported the blockade, the ICG has also urged the Indian government to maintain an open approach to all sides in Nepal.
The ICG has also urged national parties and protesting groups to urgently sort out their differences over boundaries of provinces, electoral representation and affirmative action, constituency delineation and citizenship-related clauses in the new constitution.
"To stop violent polarization and a breakdown of social relations, national parties and protesting groups must urgently agree on how to manage contentious issues, with timelines, guarantees, and a role for civic participation. A sustainable, equitable social contract is necessary for lasting peace and reconciliation," stated the report.
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