Letter – Tarai Crisis

from

“Dr. Shree Govind Shah” <sgs@erma.wlink.com.np>

Dear All,

Madhesh is awakening! Madheshi people of all ethnicity and religion have
staged demonstrations and protests for their natural rights to self
determination, proportional representation in the constituent assembly,
restructuring the constituencies based on population, federal system with
regional autonomy, and elimination of all forms of discrimination practiced
by the State mechanism. Madheshi people have been secluded by the state
mechanism for the last 238 years and their value as dignified citizen has
been shattered.

Madheshi people have now started a genuine struggle for their rights to
pursue freely their social, economic and cultural development in their
native land, and for the rights to determine freely their political status
and their place in the Nepalese community as well as in the international
community based on the principles of equal rights. Protests and
demonstrations have been staged in eastern central and western Tarai
districts and would soon spread to far western districts. Even the Madheshi
village cadres of the ruling parties such as Nepali Congress, UML and
others, have taken part in demonstrations and protests; they are showing
their frustrations towards their elected parliamentarians and leaders who
have done very little or nothing to the people who elected them.

The State mechanism has exhibited aggressive characters towards the
peaceful and meaningful demonstrations and protests. Police force have used
gun and bullets, tear gas and other means and till today seven Madheshi
people have been shot dead, about 350 -400 people are injured and dozen of
them are in serious conditions. There is very little or no support from the
State to the families who lost their beloved ones. The seriously injured
persons and their families urgently need support. Deaths and number of
seriously injured persons would substantially increase in the coming days,

“,1] ); D([“mb”,”

Shree Govind Shah

“,1] ); //–>if the State does not make wise decision in time.

Personal Representative of the UN Secretary General Ian Martin, Indian
ambassador to Nepal, Human Rights organisations, civil societies and few
political parties have already raised strong concern over the deteriorating
situation and even warned the government to be responsible for the

’unwanted consequences’. The government is still rigid.

The
’press release’ by the Federation of Madheshi Community Nepal is in
the attached file. We have requested the government to immediately and
sensitively solve the crisis; the demand set by the Madheshi people is
authentic and very practical. We request professional organisations,
intellectual groups, civil societies, businessmen, and people living abroad
to raise concerns over the situation and press the government for immediate
solution. We also have to raise FUND to support the families who lost their
beloved ones and the injured persons who are under going treatment in
Kathmandu, hospitals in Tarai as well as in bordering towns in India. We
have to help them in time.

Best regards,

Shree Govind Shah

sgs@erma.wlink.com.np
Dr. Shree Govind Shah
Chairperson
Ad hoc Committee, Federation of Madheshi Community Nepal
G.P.O.Box 8975, EPC # 1830
Kathmandu, Nepal
Phone/Fax: ++ 977-1-5526 903
Email: sgs@erma.wlink.com.np