The agitating Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of four Madhes-based parties, on Friday welcomed the three parties’ decision to put on hold the constitution drafting process, one of its four key demands, but said they would not sit for talks until all the four conditions were met.

Leaders of the Madhes-based four-party alliance were addressing a protest assembly in Taulihawa, Kapilvastu.

Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Chairman Mahanta Thakur accused the government of being the obstacle for holding dialogue, saying that the Morcha would not sit for talks until the government stops suppression in Tarai, recalls the Army from the districts, and arrange for the treatment of the injured, along with compensation for the families of those killed in protests. Thakur said the Morcha would call off the protests and come to the negotiating table as soon as the government implements the past agreements.

Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav welcomed the government decision, but said he had not been informed about the stoppage of all the constitution-related tasks. “How can we trust the invitation for talks when people are being killed in Tarai?” he asked, adding that the talks would be meaningless unless all the demands are addressed.

Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato said the government had held several rounds of talks with the Madhesi people in the past, but without results. “Now we will hold result-oriented talks that would give us proper rights,” he said.

Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party leader Mahendra Raya Yadav claimed that the major party leaders have become worried after the Madhesi and Tharu people started to revolt. Saying that some of the Tharu people have started to give up their citizenship, he said if such situation persisted, the demand for an independent Madhes country would be pushed.