Rajbanshis, too, rise for separate autonomous state

At a time when Terai-based parties are raising their demand for 'autonomous Madhesh province' and have been disrupting the normal proceeding of the Constituent Assembly to exert pressure for it, indigenous Rajbanshi community has called for establishment of Kochila Pradesh in the Terai parts of eastern Nepal districts where they form the majority.

They have announced series of protest programmes demanding the creation of Kochila Pradesh with full autonomy.

Activists of the Rajbanshi community said the demands for 'One Madhesh province' and 'Limbuwan Province' are entirely unacceptable to them as both don't recognise the autonomous Kochila Pradesh.

Rajbanshi intellectuals say their demand for a separate autonomous province is valid and that historical evidences show that the south-eastern parts of Nepal which include Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari were part of the separate Koch Pradesh.

Terai-based parties' demand for a single Madhesh province has opened up a pandora's box with many regional parties and communities demanding the establishment of their separate autonomous states. After the Tharu Welfare Assembly hit the streets protesting what they called 'Madhesisation' of Terai and demanding their own separate Tharuhat Autonomous Province, Limbu and even Sherpa community, who make up a tiny fraction of the population of Nepal, have come forward asking for establishment of separate autonomous state. nepalnews.com ag July 07 08