Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav voiced his dissent over the decision immediately on Tuesday and many other constituent parties of the alliance have expressed doubts over the intentions of the alliance leadership. Some alliance parties have said that they are mulling over the continuity of the alliance itself and its further activities.
While the UCPN (Maoist) and its leadership claim that the general strike was withdrawn after the ruling parties displayed flexibility toward consensus, some Madhes-based and indigenous-community parties are not ready to accept this. "We are clear about our vision that we won't back down from the protest front unless we are able to institutionalize the achievements of past movements," said Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato.
"If anyone backs down, he is sure to be left behind." Mahato said, venting his ire at a meeting of the alliance on Tuesday, against a proposal by UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to withdraw the general strike. But his voice went unheard.
The meeting of the alliance became prolonged for hours after the alliance parties remained divided whether to withdraw the strike on Tuesday evening, continue it until Wednesday or continue all the way till Thursday. Dahal had proposed two options: withdraw by Tuesday cut it short to Wednesday.
"Most of the Maoists and cadres of the Bijay Gachchhedar-led Madhesi People's Right Forum Democratic deployed in the field seconded Dahal's proposal to withdraw the strike and adopt another type of protest," said a leader of the alliance, requesting anonymity. UCPN (Maoist) leaders Barsha Man Pun, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Nanda Kishor Pun and others worried about the possibility of a backlash, infiltrations and retaliations taking advantage of the minimal participation of cadres in the strike.
While some parties in the alliance harbored doubts concerning the ruling parties, MPRF-D leader Jeetendra Dev said the alliance should not miss any opportunity to find a meeting point with those parties.
"We can always resume our protests if the consensus effort fails, but we should not miss taking advantage of the ruling parties' flexibility for now," Dev told Republica.
"People do not turn up in the streets immediately but the strike was sure to have gained public support gradually. The decision to withdraw all protest programs one after another has not been right," Mahato said, venting his dissent.
The Ashok Rai-led Federal Socialist Party and Mahantha Thakur-led Terai Madhes Democratic Party are also not happy with the decision, said a source. The Kumar Lingden-led Sanghiya Limbuwan Party Nepal, issuing a statement on Wednesday, likewise disagreed with the decision to withdraw.
Irked by their party decision, some leaders and cadres of the UCPN (Maoist) have vented themselves against their top leaders through social media.
Maoist chief Dahal's son Prakash Dahal has written on his Facebook status that it was against the will of the party cadres. However, party Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi defended the decision of the alliance, saying that parties are allowed to quit the alliance if they disagree with the decision.
"We are united in the alliance with a
mission, and if someone does not agree he may quit the alliance,"
Rayamajhi said at a function in the capital, Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Sarita Giri of Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi), writing her opinion on Facebook, urged the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) to launch a peaceful protest separate from the Maoists.
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