Patna, Jan 4: The RJD on Monday rooted for Madhesis in Nepal and said party chief Lalu Prasad will visit the neighbouring country with a delegation to support their cause.
"We stand by our Madhesi brothers, who are fighting discrimination under the newly adopted Nepali constitution," said former Union minister and RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. "They are waging a struggle to protect their identity, as well as, socio-economic and political rights. Our party will lend full support to their agitation and Lalu and other leaders will visit Nepal to express solidarity and seek resolution of the issue."
Raghuvansh made the announcement at the party headquarters in the city, flanked by state RJD president Ram Chandra Purbey and party general secretary Mundrika Singh Yadav. "True, they are Nepali citizens, but we cannot leave them alone at this juncture. They are being discriminated against because of their ties with India," Raghuvansh said.
He also hit out at the Centre for being indifferent to the plight of Madheshis. "The Centre fears Nepal will land in China's lap if it interferes. Can't they see China is already meddling in Nepal in a big way? Silence cannot be a solution," he said.
Raghuvansh said Lalu wanted to visit Nepal earlier, but was tied down because of Assembly polls and, later, party elections. "The party elections will get over by mid-January. A date for the Nepal visit will be fixed soon after. I and other party leaders will accompany him. In fact, I have already visited 18 places there to see the agitation and have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief ministers of five states bordering Nepal to interfere and prevent atrocities against Madhesis," he said.
RJD leaders said Nepal tried to take fuel and essential goods from China, which was willing to provide it for free, but the transportation cost was so high, prices shot up by five to seven times of what they were when transported through India. This goes to prove that India alone is Nepal's natural partner, the leaders said.
Madhesi means people from Madhya Desh, inhabiting the flat southern or Terai region of Nepal. They form 36 per cent of Nepal's 2.9 crore population and are of Indian origin, several of them having close socio-cultural, religious, and family ties with India.
Even today, in six out of 10 Madhesi weddings either the bride or the groom is from India. The porous Indo-Nepal border and no requirement of visa enable free movement of people from both sides.
The Madhesis started their agitation on August 4, 2015, seeking amendment of the new Nepali constitution to end its "discriminatory nature", redrawing of the boundary of proposed provinces or states, fixing of electoral constituencies on the basis of population and proportional representation in legislature for themselves. The new constitution says any Indian girl married to a Nepal citizen would get citizenship only after 15 years and that too with certain limitations.
The agitation took a violent turn after the Madhesis decided to enforce economic blockade and a general strike in southern Nepal. This has prevented transportation of goods from the Indian side to their country and has led to a shortage of fuel and other essential goods. The blockade and strike have been going on for over 100 days now and so far 58 persons, including two Indian citizens and a dozen Nepali policemen, have been killed in violent clashes.
