"It seems that Madhesi leaders are trying to buy us. Although my own party has also made the announcement, I am completely against it," said Pushpa Mitra, a cadre of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party.Similarly, Vinod Mahara, Dhanusha representative of INSEC Nepal, opined the decision makes a mockery of the human rights principles. "It is no less than a crime for a political party to put a price on a human life," he added. He also said that the announcement is an indirect way of asking people to lay their lives on the line for money.
Meanwhile, Rajib Jha, a central member of Nepal Sadbhavana Party said persons who get martyred while fighting for their rights should be honored.
Matrika Yadav, coordinator of the CPN-Maoist, said compensation should not be used to attract people to lay their lives on the line. "There is no alternative to going ahead with protests for the rights of the Madhesi people. But people should not be asked to die to protect the vested interests of the leaders," Yadav added.
Anuj Mishra, a youth leader of Madhesi People's Rights Forum, said the decision had been taken in a hurry with a view to garnering people's support. "People have not been very happy with us. So, the Madhes-based parties have made the announcement to make the families, who lost their relatives in the protests, feel better," he added. He, however, said the announcement backfired on the parties.
"People now want the parties to address their genuine grievances rather than compensate them with money."
The government had announced Rs 1 million each to 56 families, who lost their family members in the April movement. But most of the families have yet to receive the amount.
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Madhesi parties' annoucement draws flak from all quarters
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