Govt should be sensitive toward growing rift in populace: Civil society leaders

RAJBIRAJ, Nov 4: The civil society leaders in Saptari have urged the government to take action on time to bridge the widening rifts among people in the Madhes region that have emerged over the past three months. Stating that the chaos created by the strike has polarized the people for and against different communities, the leaders have warned the government that things could go out of control if the issue is not taken seriously. Along with that they have also appealed the agitating parties to be more responsible and sensitive. Civil society leaders had formed a seven member committee for holding regular discussions with the agitating Madhesi Morcha on a regular basis for disciplined Madhes movement.

This committee has expressed concerns that one after another round of talks between the Morcha and the government has failed to yield results. “While the unsuccessful talks have forced the agitating parties to intensity protests, life in Madhes has gone hard beyond expression,” said Khushilal Mandal, one of the seven members of the committee. “The country is moving towards untoward accident. Both the government and the agitating parties should be aware of that,” he said.

Mandal opined that the agitating parties have reached to a point from where they cannot backtrack on their demands unless their concerns are addressed and added that the government should not ignore their genuine demands. “Half of the problem would be solved easily if both the government and the protestors would realize that the ultimate power center is the country or the people. The state should not ignore its people nor should the movement for change or rights should get off the track,” he opined.

Further delay in addressing the unrest could push the country into deeper crisis; it is indeed a very sensitive and fragile moment for the country, noted retired professor Amarkant Jha. “The problem is very challenging but the government does not seem to have realized it yet.”

Jha stated that the country should be able to take the problems within its territory under control on time. And it cannot be done without taking the marginalized groups who have still not felt mainstreamed, into confidence. “If the national integrity is threatened, if there is widening rifts among people in name of one or the other community, it’s really dangerous,” he said. “If we fail to be duly sincere now, we are inviting unfortunate accident,” he warned.

He added that the lack of seriousness on the side of the government regarding identification of the problem and the ways to address it has made the situation even graver. “If any problem arises in, it is the duty of the state to solve it. Those who are heading the government should be able to address it. How to pacify the protestors, how to reach to an agreement, how to take people in confidence, state should know it. But we did not see the big parties or the government noticing the seriousness of the problem in Madhes, where people feel marginalized,” he complained.

Dr Hemkumar Mishra, trying to mix the Madhes movement with nationalism or calling it national or anti - national has added fuel to the problem. “If we analyze the last period of the last 80 / 82 days in detail, we can see that the Nepali society has been badly divided. It is simply not good for the country,” he noted.

Bhawendra Prasad Yadav, former president of Nepal Teachers Union opined that the use of violence in the protests has weakened the movement. He said that the government should seriously listen to the agitators while the former should also genuinely sit for talks and reach to a solution. “We now need result. The country cannot take more pain,” he said.