Siraha incident pits coalition partners Maoists and MJF at loggerheads
The indefinite transport strike called by Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) in Siraha district since Thursday has emerged as one extreme example of how political parties and their outfits are being used by certain individuals and “interest groups” for their vested interest.
Minister for Land Reform and Management Matrika Yadav has revealed that the East-West highway in Mirchaiya section of Siraha district has been obstructed on the instructions of what he called “outside agents”, hinting that MJF was deliberately used in the matter.
Apart from crippling normal life in the district, the ongoing transport strike called by the party protesting the Maoists “seizing lands and houses from the locals” has badly affected the relief program for Koshi hit people, obstructing ferrying of relief materials for the flood displaced.
Yadav also said that the issue should not be “over-politicized”.
Talking at a press meet in Lahan, Siraha’s district headquarter Sunday before heading to the flood affected region on an inspection visit, Minister Yadav accused a person named Birendra Saha of using MJF cadres to claim the house and land property seized by CPN (Maoist) party.
He said Saha was not an MJF activist but a ‘thug’ who had bought the property from royal family members and is now trying to reclaim it by using MJF.
The local Maoist leadership says that after seizing the land years ago, they turned the 16-room house into a Dharmashala for poor people and also distributed large tract of land among the landless peasants.
Yadav called for severe action against people like Saha and promised that he would introduce stricter land reform laws to fight people like him.
He said the day Birendra Saha is brought to the dock, MJF will have to do a little bit of repentance.
However, Foreign Minister and MJF chairman Upendra Yadav seems in no mood to accept that his party was deliberately used in this matter as he has reportedly directed his activists, including the recently formed Madheshi Youth Force, to get into an offensive against the Maoists.
Foreign Minister Yadav also accused Maoist aligned YCL of repeatedly violating past agreements and termed its activities “illegal”.
Speaking at a program in Biratnagar, he said that YCL has unlawfully seized the house and land property belonging to his party activist Birendra Saha, adding that this act by the Maoists is also against the Common Minimum Program prepared for running the government.
MJF activists and leadership met Home Minister Bam Dev Gautam today and submitted a memorandum in which they demanded that the property should be returned to their owners. nepalnews.com Sep 06 08
