In a day of high drama, when a group of Tharus led by Raj Kumar Lekhi, the general secretary of Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha (TKS), was holding peace dialogue with Peace Minister Janardan Sharma, Laxman Tharu of Tharuhat Joint Struggle Committee (TJSC) was holding a press conference to announce more militant form of protests across the Tarai.
The two leaders, who led the joint movement last month that culminated into a 6-point agreement with the government on March 14, have now been engaged in bickering with each other. While Lekhi accuses Laxman Tharu of making street protests his "profession", Tharu has accused Lekhi of being an "agent" of a political party [CPN-UML].
The talks between Lekhi´s 11-member team and Minister Sharma concluded with the formation of a 13-member taskforce led by Peace Ministry official Bishnu Nepal, comprising representatives from Tharu and Muslim groups, to monitor implementation of the agreement reached on March 14. And, Lekhi´s TKS has agreed to wait until the taskforce comes out with its report.
On the other hand, Tharu says he has intensified the indefinite strike along the Tarai belt that started on Wednesday in response to police crackdown on his activists. "While taking control of waters, forest, land and natural resources and boycotting the reactionary regime right from Thursday in the Tharuhat, we appeal to all political parties, ethnic and apolitical organizations, journalists, intellectuals… and the general people to extend their support and active participation to this movement," said the TJSC led by Tharu in a statement.
The TJSC has also urged the government to release its 50 activists arrested on Thursday in course of the general strike. While announcing on April 20 fresh protests accusing the government of not fulfilling an agreement reached last month, TJSC had vowed to seize control of all natural resources, including water, forests and land in the Tharuhat region on April 29. Last month´s Tharu movement, which had essentially started as protest against an ordinance issued by the government that enlisted Tharus under "Madhesi" category, had seen the death of four Tharu activists and a policeman. TJSC is also angry at the government´s not initiating any step towards replacing the term "Madhes" with "Tarai" in the interim constitution.
Lekhi suspects that the TJSC-called movement is controlled by "outside elements". "They want to make the movement as an occupation, a profession and a means to collect donations," Lekhi told myrepublica.com, while refuting Tharu´s allegation that he was acting on cue from the ruling UML party. Laxman Tharu has the background of having spent underground life for about a decade with the Maoist party, which is leading the government now.
The rift between the two groups started on April 20, when Tharu announced fresh protests unilaterally without taking Lekhi´s camp into confidence. A day later, Lekhi called a press conference and handed separate memorandums to the prime minister and the Constituent Assembly chairman, giving ultimatum to implement the March 14 agreements within a week. While the Lekhi camp chose conciliatory path with the government, Tharu intensified protests.
The two Tharu leaders have also engaged in claims and counter-claims. Laxman Tharu claimed that TKS units in 15 out of 24 districts have thrown their weight behind the TJSC-called strikes, and Lekhi denied this. Tharu also claimed that he stopped a group of Tharu activists in Saptari district from vandalizing the house of Lekhi, while the latter claiming that there was no such thing.
tilak@myrepublica.com
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