VOL. 04, NO. 19, Mar 25 2011 (Chaitra 11, 2067)

CP. GAJUREL

Our party waged the People’s War against the process of Bhutanisation and Sikkimisation and tens of thousands of people sacrificed their lives for the cause of Nepal’s independence and sovereignty. The recent agreement signed by United Democratic Madheshi Front (UMDF) and two Maoist leaders Prachanda and prime minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, however, has put our party on an anti-national plank. This is the reason our leader and ideologue Mohan Baidyaji, along with several other top leaders, including Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal, raised their voices against the anti-national deal. I agree with leader Baidyaji that the agreement paved the way for the process of Sikkimisation and Bhutanisation. We will oppose all such kinds of move. If our two leaders Prachandaji and prime minister Dr. Bhattarai fail to respond to us, they will have to face severe consequences.  No patriotic person can tolerate this kind of agreement any more. 

There is no doubt that the four-point deal between UCPN-Maoist and United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF) is against the national interest and contravenes the party´s ideology. I would like to warn the leadership that they will be punished by the people if they fail to correct their mistakes. There is nobody above the country and our party leader Prachandaji and Dr. Baburamji are not exception. Party leadership and the prime minister have committed mistakes by signing the ‘erroneous’ deal.

I don’ think it is possible to induct 10,000 Madheshis en masse in Nepal Army. By pushing this agenda, Madhesh based parties have made an attempt to infiltrate in the army and divide the institution. We oppose the exclusion of entry of any community in the army in bulk. If so, what about the youths from Limbu, Tharu or other communities The army should be democratized to make it an inclusive institution. It does not mean that Nepal Army should be made an army of regional and ethnic groups. Nepal Army must bear national characters with composition of various ethnic groups of Nepal. The inclusion of People’s Army in the national army is a different matter as our People’s Army sacrificed their lives to bring the changes and transform Nepal into a federal, democratic republic. Our People’s Army is inclusive in nature. The decision to form a separate Madheshi unit with the strength of 10,000 personnel in the national army would be counterproductive. This kind of commitment would instigate other ethnic groups to demand similar share in the Nepal Army.

I would like to stress that the provisions in the agreement that commit to inclusive, democratic and republican constitution, return of the seized properties, resolution of outstanding issues with two neighbours and the creation of a separate unit for Madheshis in Nepal Army were against the policy of the Maoist party. The party should abide by the policy of “People's Federal Democratic Republic” and should not force the peasants and squatters to return the properties they have been using unless an alternative arrangement is made for them.

One of the most objectionable points in the agreement is settling the proposed and pending issues with neighboring countries.  I would like to ask Baburamji: What are those proposed issues yet to be resolved? Nepal and India are yet to sign the treaties on extradition and on allowing Indian air marshals. If Nepal signs these two treaties, the status of Nepal will not even be on par with Bhutan. In the name of resolving the outstanding issues with neighbouring countries, Nepal should not sign extradition treaty and allow air marshals in Indian flights. Such decisions will not benefit Nepal but would reduce the country's sovereign status as in Bhutan.

I am also opposed to the wordings “inclusive democratic republic” used in the deal. It is not in line with our party´s policy which advocates people´s federal republic. Therefore it is not acceptable to us. The provision on the right to property was also unacceptable. The provision states there will be no infringement, in any form, on the property legally owned by any individual. “Such a provision is unacceptable even to the Nepali Congress, let alone to a communist party like ours.”

On the return of property seized by the Maoists, Gajurel said the properties can be returned only after the government provides an alternative to those who are using it.  All the moves of this government are anti-national and anti-party. We objected to the government decision to hand over the keys of the arms containers to the Special Committee without first settling thorny issues of integration. One thing is certain that we are not anti-peace.

This government has conflicting attitudes in nature. The government signed an agreement with Madheshis to make Nepal inclusive, but the government violated the constitutional provision by ignoring the number of women in the cabinet. While the Interim Constitution has made it mandatory for the political parties to be inclusive, the reinstated parliament, prior to the CA election in 2008, had endorsed a stricture making it mandatory to ensure 33 percent representation of women in all the government bodies. Where has this commitment gone now?

In whatever ways the political leadership tried to defend it, what I can say is that the deal was against the national interest. Although almost all clauses are objectionable, most objectionable clauses are 4.2, 4.5 and 4.6.  Under the clause 4.6, the present government seems to be heading to sign an extradition treaty and Air Marshal agreement with India, which has been demanding this kind of treaty for long. If this government will sign these agreements, Nepal’s sovereign rights will be curtailed. This is the reason Maoist leaders are opposing this. Although our leadership put forward it in the meeting, both Bhattarai and party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had not taken us into confidence before signing the pact.

We are not against anybody and any country. However, it is unacceptable for us to sign any treaty which will curtail our sovereign rights. Nepal is an independent and sovereign country of the world. Our aim is not to oppose any group. We are raising the genuine issues of Nepal. What I can say is that the four-point deal can turn Nepal’s status as Bhutan and Sikkim.

(CP Gajurel, Maoist leader close to Baidya, is a CA member. This article is based on his talk with New Spotlight)

Baidya’s Remarks On 4-Point Deal Provocative 

By JAYA PRAKASH GUPTA

It is very unfortunate that UCPN-Maoist leader Mohan Baidhya and some of his party associates are making provocative remarks regarding the four-point agreement between the UCPN-Maoist and Samyukta Madheshi Loktantrik Front (SMLF). It was signed in the presence of Mohan ‘Baidyaji’. I don’t understand why he backed out from the agreement, which initially originated from his party. There is nothing wrong about it. The four-point agreement is basically related to establishing the rights of the people of Madhesh. One of the objections raised by Maoist dissidents is on the recruitment of 10,000 Madheshis in Nepal Army en masse. Everyone knows that, compared to the current population, the proportion of Madheshis in Nepal Army is very negligible. If Baidyaji sees it justified to include over 10,000 ideologically indoctrinated Maoists in Nepal Army, what is wrong to include Madheshis in the Army? Unlike Baidyaji, we have not demanded that our party cadres should be recruited in the army.

I don’t understand their objection to the compensation for those who attained martyrdom and were injured during the great Madhesh Andolan. If the injured and killed of various other agitations were compensated by the state as a just thing to do, what is wrong with this? It is the mindset of some sections of the people, who always question the loyalty of Madheshi people towards Nepal, that is at work here. Whether it concerned their dress, language or inclusion in security forces, Madheshi’s loyalty was questioned. There is no ground to say that the agreement is anti-national. This kind of charge will hurt the sentiments of the Madheshi people. I would like to warn that these statements will turn the country into another conflict, dividing the nation further. Madheshis cannot tolerate oppression and anti-national charges. We are more patriotic than anybody else.

I challenge the dissenting leaders to hold a public meeting and prove how the four-point pact was anti-national and posed the threat of “Sikkmisation.” Instead, the act of marginalizing the Madhesh that is home to half the population of Nepalis would do no good to nationality.

NC and UML had also supported the four-point pact prior to the formation of the new government. The parties threw up venomous labels such as “Sikkimisation” and “anti-national” out of desperation for having to stay out of the government. The four-point pact was endorsed by the Maoist Standing Committee meeting and was signed in the presence of Baidya. Maoist General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa, who is considered close to Baidya, echoed him on the issue. Serious charges have been leveled against the four-point agreement due to the failure on the Maoists’ part to settle their internal differences.

 The NC and the UML had agreed on the four-point pact but we signed it with the Maoists because the peace process could not be completed in the leadership of the former two. The dissenting faction of the Maoists had also supported the agreement while the pact was inked.

The allegations against the four-point pact were against political discipline. This is nothing other than a politically orchestrated propaganda against us.

We are neither discouraged nor harassed by such irrational comments of various political forces. We were expecting this kind of reaction from power hungry political parties. I am happy to say that the allegations have further strengthened the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha. Our five party alliance of Madhes-based parties will fight tooth and nail for the avowed cause. Don’t miscalculate that this is just an agreement of leaders of Madheshi political parties. I would like to say that Madheshi people have also supported this and people are behind Morcha and the agreement.

Madheshis have been completely suppressed by Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and other hill based parties for hundreds of years. When Madheshis and Maoists signed the four-point agreement, it has created a panic among them. I want to challenge vice chairman Mohan Baidya camp of the UCPN (Maoist) to prove that the four-point agreement was anti-national. The four-point pact signed between Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) and UCPN (Maoist) before the formation of the new government is the destiny and it will be basic for any new deal in the future. I am confident that this agreement will give justice and equality to all Madheshis.

Maoist leaders who are opposed to the deal are hypocrites. When they signed the agreement on army integration and compensation, that was regarded as nationalist. When we signed a similar deal, they term this as a threat of Sikkimisation. These kinds of statements will create further mistrust and distrust.  I would like to question: will Nepal unite without bringing Madhesis in the mainstream? The act of marginalizing the Madhesh, which is home to half the population, is not going to serve Nepal’s national interest and nationality. Although the agreement was supported and backed by Maoist Standing Committee meeting, the failure on the Maoists’ part to settle their internal differences resulted in this posture.

I expected that some Maoist leaders will question the agreement but I never realized that the leaders like UCPN (Maoist) Mohan Baidya and Ram Bahadur Thapa Badal would term the four-point agreement as against the ‘national sovereignty’.  I like to challenge Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Baidya faction to prove the pact as against national sovereignty. The objection on the part of Nepali Congress and UML is understandable as they reacted because they were not included in the cabinet. 

But the recent statement from the leaders like Baidya and Thapa is just an outcome of intra-party rift flaring up within Maoists. I would like to warn leaders of so-called mainstream political parties that such comments will bring dire consequences. If the nation ignored the Madheshi people and their issues, they will revolt.

(Gupta, Minister for Information and Communications, is the chairman of Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum-Gantantrik. Excerpts of his recent statement compiled by New Spotlight)