Protesters scuffled with riot police today, when they took their campaign against the country’s new constitution to the streets of the capital, Kathmandu. Sharbendra Nath Shukla, a leader of the Terai Madhes Loktantrik Party, part of the Madhesi coalition organising the protests, said the protest against exploitation will continue to ensure their rights. Several ethnic minority groups from the hills also joined today’s protests.
More than 50 people have been killed in eight months of protests in the south where the minority Madhesi oppose a plan to divide their fertile plains bordering India into parts of several provinces.
There was heavy presence of security personnel in the area since early morning to prevent any untoward incident.
The major demands of Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, include re-demarcation of the seven province model of federal structure, inclusiveness and proportionate representation of marginalised groups and ethnic minorities including the Madhesis, indigenous groups and dalits in all the state bodies.
The alliance started their Kathmandu-centric fresh protests on Saturday.
Madhesis earlier had launched six-month-long agitation from September to February in which more than 50 people were killed.
The agitation had also crippled the landlocked country’s economy as supplies from India were blocked.
The alliance has this time changed its strategy and focused on capital city in an attempt to draw attention of the government and other stakeholders to their demands.
On Friday, Madhesi parties rejected the government’s fresh call for talks and asked the ruling coalition to create a “conducive atmosphere” for dialogue to end the political crisis.
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