Genesis and Role of Madhesh Movement on State- Restructuring in Nepal Chaudhary, Deepak
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Asian Centre for Human Rights
Asian Centre For Human Rights BRIEFING PAPERS ON NEPAL ISSUE No. 3 Embargoed for : 1 September, 2009 Madhes: The challenges and opportunities for a stable Nepal 1. Introduction dispensation. The Sadbhavana Party continues to occupy one ministerial portfolio. One of the least reported, but most significant changes in Nepali politics since the 2006 People’s Movement is the These three Madhesi parties were critical in helping Madhav emergence of the ‘Madhes’ as a political force. With the Nepal form a majority government. Even now, if two of opening of the democratic space, the Madhesis, who largely these parties withdraw support, the coalition runs the risk but not exclusively live in the southern plains and constitute of losing the confidence vote on the floor of the house.6 33 percent of the population1, asserted themselves. The Madhes speak languages like Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, All these parties have come together on an anti-Maoist Hindi and Urdu2 and have extensive cross-border ties with plank, sharing the belief that the Maoists must be stopped India3. They challenged the hill-centric notion of Nepali in their quest for ‘total state capture’. They have termed the nationalism and staked claim for greater representation in alliance as a broader democratic alliance. But it is riddled the state structure.4 with internal contradictions. After a period of two and a half volatile years which IN THIS ISSUE has seen the repeated formation and fragmentation 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................... 1 of Madhesi parties, the proliferation of militant armed groups in the Tarai, and reluctant measures by 2. THE ISSUES IN MAHDES ..................................... -
1 Agreement Between the Gon and Madheshi Janadhikar Forum, Nepal Realising the Sentiments of the Movement of the Madheshi People
Agreement between the GoN and Madheshi Janadhikar Forum, Nepal Realising the sentiments of the movement of the Madheshi people as a continuity of the historic People’s Movement of 2006/07, and in order to end all forms of discrimination against Madheshis, Adivasi/Janajatis, Dalits, women, backward classes and minorities, including the Muslim community, practised by the centralised and unitary state for a long time and to create an environment enabling all Nepalese people, inclusive of Madheshis, to join the single national mainstream and move forward by restructuring the state as an inclusive democracy and federal structure, the Government of Nepal and the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum [Madheshi Peoples' Rights Forum], Nepal, today, conclude the following agreement: 1. To immediately implement the government’s decision to honour all Madheshi activists killed during the Madhesh movement and to provide compensation to their families. 2. To provide relief to those injured, rendered blind and disabled during the Madhesh movement and to provide immediate medical treatment for all injured people who are yet to receive treatment. 3. To withdraw all cases filed against the leaders and activists of the Forum during the Madhesh movement. 4. To ensure proportional representation and partnership of Madheshis, Adivasi/Janajatis, Dalits, women, backward classes, disabled people and minority communities, including Muslims, who have been excluded for generations in all organs and levels of government and in power structures, mechanisms and resources. 5. To immediately establish a commission of experts for state restructuring and ensure that its constitution is inclusive. 6. While restructuring the state, provision shall be made for a federal governance system with autonomous provinces/states, while keeping the sovereignty, national unity and integrity of Nepal intact. -
Chronology of Major Political Events in Contemporary Nepal
Chronology of major political events in contemporary Nepal 1846–1951 1962 Nepal is ruled by hereditary prime ministers from the Rana clan Mahendra introduces the Partyless Panchayat System under with Shah kings as figureheads. Prime Minister Padma Shamsher a new constitution which places the monarch at the apex of power. promulgates the country’s first constitution, the Government of Nepal The CPN separates into pro-Moscow and pro-Beijing factions, Act, in 1948 but it is never implemented. beginning the pattern of splits and mergers that has continued to the present. 1951 1963 An armed movement led by the Nepali Congress (NC) party, founded in India, ends Rana rule and restores the primacy of the Shah The 1854 Muluki Ain (Law of the Land) is replaced by the new monarchy. King Tribhuvan announces the election to a constituent Muluki Ain. The old Muluki Ain had stratified the society into a rigid assembly and introduces the Interim Government of Nepal Act 1951. caste hierarchy and regulated all social interactions. The most notable feature was in punishment – the lower one’s position in the hierarchy 1951–59 the higher the punishment for the same crime. Governments form and fall as political parties tussle among 1972 themselves and with an increasingly assertive palace. Tribhuvan’s son, Mahendra, ascends to the throne in 1955 and begins Following Mahendra’s death, Birendra becomes king. consolidating power. 1974 1959 A faction of the CPN announces the formation The first parliamentary election is held under the new Constitution of CPN–Fourth Congress. of the Kingdom of Nepal, drafted by the palace. -
Civil Society Spotlight Report 2020
Voluntary Peoples Review of SDGs in Nepal Amplifying Voices of the People: Closing the Gaps of SDGs Civil Society Spotlight Report 2020 SDGs National Network Nepal (A common platform of independent Civil Society Major Groups and Stakeholders) Voluntary Peoples Review of SDGs in Nepal Amplifying Voices of the People: Closing the Gaps of SDGs Civil Society Spotlight Report 2020 SDGs National Network Nepal (A common platform of independent Civil Society Major Groups and Stakeholders) I Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC) Nepal Civil Society Spotlight Report 2020 Publisher SDGs National Network Nepal Secretariat-National Campaign for Sustainable Development Nepal Print Year July 2020 Print Quanity 1000 Pcs Design and Layout Mr. Nirmal Gaire II Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC) Nepal Contents CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Context 1 1.2 Objective 2 1.3 Methodology 2 1.3.1 Key Activities of VPR 2 1.3.2 Scope and Limitation 3 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF PROGRESSES 5 2.1 Institutional Mechanisms 5 2.2 Implementation Status 6 CHAPTER III: PROGRESS IN GOALS 8 Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere 8 Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture 11 Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 14 Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 18 Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 26 Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 31 Goal 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 35 Goal 8. -
Identity-Based Conflict and the Role of Print Media in the Pahadi Community of Contemporary Nepal Sunil Kumar Pokhrel Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects 7-2015 Identity-Based Conflict and the Role of Print Media in the Pahadi Community of Contemporary Nepal Sunil Kumar Pokhrel Kennesaw State University Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd Part of the International and Area Studies Commons, Peace and Conflict Studies Commons, and the Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Pokhrel, Sunil Kumar, "Identity-Based Conflict and the Role of Print Media in the Pahadi Community of Contemporary Nepal" (2015). Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects. Paper 673. This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Kennesaw State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IDENTITY-BASED CONFLICT AND PRINT MEDIA IDENTITY-BASED CONFLICT AND THE ROLE OF PRINT MEDIA IN THE PAHADI COMMUNITY OF CONTEMPORARY NEPAL by SUNIL KUMAR POKHREL A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in International Conflict Management in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia March 2015 IDENTITY-BASED CONFLICT AND PRINT MEDIA © 2015 Sunil Kumar Pokhrel ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Recommended Citation Pokhrel, S. K. (2015). Identity-based conflict and the role of print media in the Pahadi community of contemporary Nepal. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States of America. IDENTITY-BASED CONFLICT AND PRINT MEDIA DEDICATION My mother and father, who encouraged me toward higher study, My wife, who always supported me in all difficult circumstances, and My sons, who trusted me during my PhD studies. -
European Bulletin of Himalayan Research (EBHR)
Nine Years On: The 1999 eLection and Nepalese politics since the 1990 janandoLan' John Whelpton Introduction In May 1999 Nepal held its th ird general election since the re-establishment of parliamentary democracy through the 'People's Movement' (janandolan) of spring 1990. it was in one way a return to the start ing point si nce, as in the first (1991) electio n, the Nepali Congress achieved an absolute majority, whilst the party's choice in 1999 for Prime Minister, Krishna Prasad Bhat tami, had led the \990-9\ interim government and would have conti nued in otTi ce had it not been for his personal defeat in Kathmandu-i constituency. Whilst the leading figu re was the same, the circumstances and expectations we re, of course, ve ry different. Set against the high hopes of 1990, the nine years of democracy in praclice had been a disill us ioning ex perience for mosl Ne palese, as cynical manoeuvring for power seemed to have replaced any attempt 10 solve the deep economic and social problems bequeathed by the Panchayat regime. This essay is an allempt to summarize developments up to the recent election, looking at wha t has apparently go ne wrong but also trying to identify some positive ac hievements.l The political kaleidoscope The interim government, which presided over the drafting of the 1990 I I am grateful 10 Krishna Hachhelhu for comments on an earlier draft oflhis paper and for help in collecting materials. 1 The main political developments up to late 1995 are covered in Brown (1996) and Hoftun et al. -
Observing the 2008 Nepal Constituent Assembly Election
Observing the 2008 Nepal Constituent Assembly Election April 2008 Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope. The Carter Center strives to relieve suffering by advancing peace and health worldwide; it seeks to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and protect and promote human rights worldwide. Observing the 2008 Nepal Constituent Assembly Election April 2008 One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, GA 30307 (404) 420-5188 Fax (404) 420-5196 www.cartercenter.org May 2009 The Carter Center Contents Foreword, by Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter . 3 Carter Center Observation Delegation and Staff............................................ 5 Terms and Abbreviations............................................................. 8 Acknowledgments . 9 Executive Summary ................................................................ 11 Facts About Nepal’s Constituent Assembly Election . 15 Nepal’s Path to Peace and Democracy . 16 Timeline of Events................................................................. 21 Observation Methodology . 23 The Pre-election Period ............................................................. 27 Election Day and Postelection Period................................................... 41 The Constituent Assembly and New Governing Coalition . 54 Conclusion and Recommendations ..................................................... 55 Appendices A: The Electoral Framework and Method of Voting......................................... 63 B: Letters of Invitation . 66 C: Selected Press Releases -
Nepal: Identity Politics and Federalism
NEPAL: IDENTITY POLITICS AND FEDERALISM Asia Report N°199 – 13 January 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... i I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 II. IDENTITY POLITICS IN NEPAL ................................................................................. 3 A. ETHNIC ACTIVISM: PAST AND PRESENT ....................................................................................... 3 1. Before 1990 .................................................................................................................................. 3 2. After 1990 .................................................................................................................................... 4 B. ETHNIC DEMANDS AND THE “PEOPLE’S WAR” ............................................................................. 5 C. FEDERALISM AFTER THE PEACE DEAL .......................................................................................... 7 III. THE POLITICS OF FEDERALISM .............................................................................. 9 A. THE MAOISTS .............................................................................................................................. 9 B. THE MAINSTREAM PARTIES ....................................................................................................... 10 1. The UML: if you can’t convince them, -
Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations with the United States
Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations with the United States Bruce Vaughn Specialist in Asian Affairs April 7, 2011 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL34731 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Nepal: Political Developments and Bilateral Relations with the United States Summary Nepal has undergone a radical political transformation since 2006, when a 10-year armed struggle by Maoist insurgents, which claimed at least 13,000 lives, officially came to an end. The country’s king stepped down in 2006, and two years later Nepal declared itself a republic, electing a Constituent Assembly in 2008 to write a new constitution, which is currently being drafted. Though the process of democratization has had setbacks and been marked by violence at times, Nepal has conducted reasonably peaceful elections, brought former insurgents into the political system, and in a broad sense, taken several large steps towards entrenching a functioning democracy. This still-unfolding democratization process makes Nepal of interest to Congress and to U.S. foreign policymakers. A Congressional Nepal caucus has been newly formed, which should help further strengthen relations between the two countries, which have traditionally been friendly. U.S. policy objectives toward Nepal include supporting democratic institutions and economic liberalization, promoting peace and stability in South Asia, supporting Nepalese territorial integrity, and alleviating poverty and promoting development. Nepal’s status as a small, landlocked state situated between India and China also makes it important to foreign policymakers. Nepal’s reliance on these two giant neighbors leads it to seek amicable relations with both, though ties with India have historically been closer. -
OCHA Nepal Situation Overview
F OCHA Nepal Situation Overview Issue No. 19, covering the period 09 November -31 December 2007 Kathmandu, 31 December 2007 Highlights: • Consultations between the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) breaks political deadlock • Terai based Legislators pull out of government, Parliament • Political re-alignment in Terai underway • Security concerns in the Terai persist with new reports of extortion, threats and abductions • CPN-Maoist steps up extortion drive countrywide • The second phase of registration of CPN-Maoist combatants completed • Resignations by VDC Secretaries continue to affect the ‘reach of state’ • Humanitarian and Development actors continue to face access challenges • Displacements reported in Eastern Nepal • IASC 2008 Appeal completed CONTEXT Constituent Assembly. Consensus also started to emerge on the issue of electoral system to be used during the CA election. Politics and Major Developments On 19 November, the winter session of Interim parliament met Consultations were finalized on 23 December when the Seven but adjourned to 29 November to give time for more Party Alliance signed a 23-point agreement. The agreement negotiations and consensus on constitutional and political provided for the declaration of a republic subject to issues. implementation by the first meeting of the Constituent Assembly, a mixed electoral system with 60% of the members Citing failure of the government to address issues affecting of the CA to be elected through proportional system and 40% their community, four members of parliament from the through first-past-the-post system, and an increase in number Madhesi Community, including a cabinet minister affiliated of seats in the Constituent Assembly (CA) from the current 497 with different political parties resigned from their positions. -
Constituent Assembly Restructuring of the State and Distribution of State Power Committee
Constituent Assembly Restructuring of the State and Distribution of State Power Committee Report on Concept Paper and Preliminary Draft, 2066 Constituent Assembly, Restructuring of the State and distribution of State Power Committee Singha Durbar, Kathmandu Email:[email protected] Website: www.can.gov.np PREFACE The Constituent Assembly, which is the result of numerous struggles of the Nepalese people since a long time, the armed revolution, peaceful movement, People’s War and 19 day People’s Uprising, Madhesh Movement and several movements launched for justice by different groups, ethnic groups and communities, has been continuously carrying out its activities. Clause 66 of Constituent Assembly Regulations 2065 has defined the terms of reference of the Restructuring of the State and Distribution of State Power Committee. Structure of the federal democratic republics of the state Principle and grounds for delineation of federal units, Demarcation of every federal unit and giving them names, Distribution of power between the legislative, executive and judiciary of the different levels of government of federal units, List of the power of different levels of federal units and determine the common list, Determine the inter-relationship between the legislature, executive and judiciary between federal units. Determine the resolution of disputes that may arise between federal units and Other necessary things relating to the work of the Committee. The role played by honorable members and all others is commendable in discussing the issues relating to the role, responsibility and authority of the Committee and working out the timetable, areas requiring experts and collecting the list of experts and for actively participating in the discussion relating to its working areas in various workshops, seminars, interactions and discussion programmes as well as for seeking clarification and additional information from paper presenters and commentators. -
F OCHA Nepal - Fortnightly Situation Overview
F OCHA Nepal - Fortnightly Situation Overview Issue No. 28, covering the period 29 May œ 10 June 2008 Kathmandu, 11 June 2008 Highlights: • Food crisis worsens in drought affected areas, while overall price increases affect Nepal‘s poor • Fuel prices increased by up to 27 percent; transporters increase prices by up to 40 percent • Formation of new government makes slow progress; election of a President stalls • Operational space remains affected by security concerns, fuel shortages • Resettlement of Bhutanese refugees continues, while tensions remain • Flood preparations under way in most Terai districts as monsoon season is imminent CONTEXT The Tharu Kalyankari Sabha (TKS) on 29 May announced a Political situation series of protest programs against what it said was the provision in the Interim Constitution regarding ”Tharuhat Following the declaration of the republic on 28 May, the Terai‘ as ”one Madhesh‘ region in an attempt to pressure the CA Constituent Assembly (CA) decided on provisions for the post not to approve the Madheshi People‘s Rights Forum (MPRF‘s) of President, as the new head of state, and a Vice-President. demand of ”One Madhesh-One Province‘. If the CA fails to The CA held its first meeting without the 26 members that are address the Tharu community‘s demand, the TKS would launch yet to be appointed by the Council of Ministers. The deposed another movement in Terai. king agreed on 1 June to peacefully leave the royal palace and live as a common citizen, while the Government has decided to The Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) has treat him as a former head of state.