Tourists were waiting for diesel on the middle of road between Surkhet to Nepalgunj due to shortage of fuel, October 17, 2015
Meaningful Dialogue is final option of Madhes Movement: A Ground Reality
During early days of December 2015, Kathmandu was so crowded
and eventful by celebrating 16 days VAW (violence against women). It is all
about promoting human rights of women and girls where men and other
stakeholders should hold accountable in various ways. Nevertheless, the
situation is just reverse where I was feeling restless by following violations
of human rights from both sides; Madhesh Morcha and government since August 15,
2015 along with so much negative thoughts floating over social media. In this
connection, I took night bus for eastern Teari while I just finished my treatment
for pneumonia.
I had taken bus for Lahan Siraha at first but I drop off at
Lalbandhi, Sarlahi at 1.30 am for assessing the tension between two; Madhesh
Morcha and Churebhawar. Later, I went to Siraha, Dhanusha, Birgunj, Chitwan.
Before trip to eastern terai, I had travelled to Jumla, Kalikot,Surkhet,
(October) Dhangadi, and Banke (November). I had observed the scenario, interview
with various types of people (street vendor, women, children, youth, school
teacher, business women/men, journalists, Madhesh leaders, other political
party’s leaders, attaining assemblies organized by Madhes Morcha etc. I used public
bus (escorting), van, motor bike, cycle, eco-riksa, foot, flight, while
travelling. During about a month trip, stayed five nights at hotel and stayed
with friends who were suffering from Madhesh movement and few whom were
supporting the Madhes Morcha.
In Lalbandhi, I was following the noise where two young hill
origin Madhes women awake up at 5 am and chopping firewood by axe for morning
meal. They are teachers in private school, have to take care of assignment of
their children, take care of olders, children and household chores. They
literally run here and there to accomplish their tasks on time. Both are never
use firewood for regular cooking in their life time.
In Siraha, young children are collecting branches of bushes from
the road and farm as alternative for cooking gas. The entire market was closed
and scarcity of all resources. I observed that three women were in police
office to report the violence within two hours. Because of elongated Madheshi
Morcha’s protest, men are getting jobless and running out with their money and
use substances for reduce their anxiety and use their leisure time. The market
was completely closed and few local public vehicles are operating except buses
with wedding banners. School children are walking, using motor bikes and bi
cycles where 3-4 children were in one.
In Dhanusa, schools were operating in morning where class
should start by 6.30 am so mothers put alarm to awake up in morning to prepare
food for their children. She used the firewood for entertainment when she was
young, now she was using firewood for cooking, always in hurry, anxious with
her watery eyes and nose due to smoke. The market is completely closed. A nine
grade girl was waiting for purchasing winter shoes for her school since last
month, every day she went to market to assess whether the market was open or
not. Likewise, the public buses, trucks are completely stop, few tractors and
motor bikes are operating during night. The agriculture related equipment such
as tractor, thresher are parking on the side of road where as farmers are
ploughing, harvesting at field.
In Birgunj, a young chap was running here and there to buy
medicine for his 80 years dad who is suffering from cancer. The shops are open
but no transactions due to protest and worried about paying rent.
In Chitwan, everything moving and open while having a first
look but many shops, hotel are closed due to shortage of resources.
Likewise, the daily life of people was severely affected
specially women and children in Dadeldhura, Dhangadi, Bradiya, Jumla, Kalikot,
Surkhet, Salyan, Rukum, Banke and Dang.
While travelling from Kathmandu to Siraha in east and
Kailali in west, found that business activities shutting down due to shortage
of resources. The government supplies of cooking gas is being used by elites
again, women and marginalized people spent 12 hours or more to get 7 K.G.
cooking gas everywhere. The distribution practice is not fair where women were
experiencing abuse and exploitation.
In Kathmandu, my sister who is working woman and has less
than a year baby, put alarm as per the schedule of power and awake up to cook
meal. She couldn’t follow the direction and rules of distribution of cooking
gas.
In Kavre, where the earthquake survivors are living under
tarpaulin in such cold without enough food, clothes and all. Due to political
unrest, the reconstruction related activities are being severely delayed in
parliament as well.
In western Himalayan region which is already in most
exclusion, is facing double crisis, no adequate food supply, drugs and other
essential supplies. The gallons and gas cylinders are carrying by everyone
including public transport.
Everywhere, the mobility is shrunken severely. Usually,
people are avoiding their trips unless until there was crisis e.g. a young guy
was in same bus while waiting for escorting in Dhalke for attaining his mom’s
funeral from Nepalgunj to Jhapa.
The black market is getting institutionalize across the
areas of my trip where women, older men and children were sitting on the side
of road by keeping 3-10 bottles of petrol. Even the mini grocery shop or tea,
hotel, bicycle repair centre were keeping few bottles in front of their house
across eastern region. The cooking gas,
drugs, petrol shortage found everywhere and the price is very irrational e.g. a
cooking gas costs Nrs 3000 in Siraha, Nrs 6000 in Lalbandhi, Nrs 2900 in
Dhanusha, Nrs 6000 in Birgunj and Nrs 5000 in Chitwan.
The activists include media, human rights and NGOs are
working in high risks/threats. They felt isolation and the situation is being
polarize by Kathmandu based activists. Their saying and information are not
valued by their Kathmandu based supervisors and others. Meanwhile, the local
police, administration and Morcha are threatening when they disseminate
information honestly.
The broader was blockade due to Madhes movement, Nepali
folks were sitting at 800 meter inside of boarder between India and Nepal. The
all kinds of development activities are merely stopped. Even 16 days VAW
celebration is cancelled in many districts and done in few districts as
formality.
The nationality is deeply rooted with everyone. Both
movement supporter and non-supporter including children, older, uneducated etc.
are seeking guardianship or equal treatment from government. In general, two
thoughts are floating for getting rid of from the situation; many people who
are directly involved in protest seemed self-motivated but wanted to conclude
the protest with results as they demanded. The other types of people are very
anxious towards the situation and scared from the negative course of protest.
The understanding of constitution is mixed and have missed feeling of Morcha’s
demands as well. In this connection,
both types of people are expecting of meaningful dialogue urgently. They feel
more in isolation, stateless and also accused to human right organizations and
NGOs as donor driven or not speaking up for the violation of such degree of
human right. During the four months course, none of the organization is putting
pressure for meaningful dialogue whereas the dialogue is only one option for it
that is proven by a decade more Maoist conflict as well. In addition, the loss from this strike is more than a
decade long Maoist insurgency as well as devastating earthquake 2015.
From the discussion with street vendor, protestor, teacher,
housewife etc., there is deep level of mistrust between Kathmandu based and
Madhesh based individuals and institutions.
Everyone worried about the explosion of such depression and frustration
in case no one ready for meaningful dialogue. Even the people who are not
involved in Madhes movement, they have deeper level of depression. They found
the government and political leaders indecisive, irresponsible, biased and
focused towards themselves and their parties. While going through movement,
people gradually shaping their minds or educating. Meanwhile the education
campaign is reaching out to the village to village in very organize manner
where the local radios and Television are fuelling it e.g. the extremists’
thoughts were aired via radio in Janakpur.
As a war survivor, living in conflict along with deprivation
of essential materials for daily life is horrified situation, hard to express
in word. Each moment is uncertain and every day is a gift from god. There is
always feeling of insecurity whether the family members returned or not,
whether my family and property safe or not and future of their children and
themselves.
The course and context of Madhes movement is totally differ
from Maoist insurgency by issues and advancement of information technology and
communication. In other hand, it is
calming political rights or political concern but not political movement as
like Maoist insurgency. However, the skills and knowledge is learned from the
Maoist insurgency by people and leaders. The movement still observed some
nature of elasticity which is more prone to convert in to plastic. Once it
transfers in to plastic, it would chaos to everyone. People are counting of death of 50 people in
Madhes movement but it is loss of 3core Nepali people across Nepal and beyond.
It is the situation like bloodless genocide. Therefore, it is already too late
to settlement of negotiation or meaningful dialogue.
Each individual is always reflecting the message towards
either peace building or conflict while performing a single behaviour.
Therefore, each of us should stand and speak for making meaningful dialogue
urgently from each corner of the country and beyond because peace everyone’s
business. It has already started in various districts of Nepal namely Jumla,
Chitwan, Sarlahi, Siraha and it should be enlarging too for bringing the
feeling of peace among all of us. Because the birthplace of an individual is
not by choice so no one has right to discriminate and each of us has obligate
to cultivate the culture of peace as Nepali and human being. Today, the word
and practice of Miteri is more relevant and significance. It is all about
mutual love and respect beyond marriage and blood regardless of caste, class,
region, religion and all. Thus, let’s cultivate the peace in sister and
brotherhood across Nepal and Beyond instead of blaming and silence.
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