KATHMANDU, March 7: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal appealed to agitating Tharus to come forward for a negotiation with the government, Saturday evening.
In an appeal issued after his meeting with Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam, Defense Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa and Peace Minister Janardan Sharma, PM Dahal said the government is "extremely positive" about the Tharus having an independent identity.
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"Since the Tharu community has a special identity historically, it has an independent identity as an indigenous nationality," the PM said in his appeal. "Since the government is ready to hold dialogue on all the demands raised by the agitating Tharu community and stands ready to resolve all problems through talks, I as the Prime Minister of the Government of Nepal call on all agitating groups to come forward for negotiations by postponing all forms of struggles."
The PM also said the government stands ready to provide compensation and respect to the victims of demonstrations. He said he has already directed home and health ministries to make necessary arrangements for free treatment of all those injured in course of demonstrations.
Tharu representatives had turned down a government offer Saturday to sit for dialogue, maintaining that the government should first scrap a controversial ordinance that enlists Tharus under "Madhesi", provide free treatment and compensation to those injured in police crackdown and declared two of Tharu activists killed in Chitwan as martyrs.
The Tharus have continued almost weeklong demonstrations across Tarai even Saturday. There is no response yet from the Tharus on the PM´s appeal.
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