The agitating Madhes-based parties have demanded that the government address their non-political demands before holding further negotiations on the disputed issues of the constitution including boundaries. 

A meeting of seven Madhes-based parties in the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) on Saturday decided to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to urge the government to stop arrest of their cadres and withdraw criminal charges against those who have put behind bars. 

The SLMM has also decided to seek waiver on tax and loan interest for local business enterprises affected by its five-month-long general strike and shutdowns in various district of the central Tarai. 

SLMM leadership has concluded that there is a need to intensify their protest to mount pressure on the three major parties to address their remaining demands including revision of the federal boundaries. 

SLMM leaders said there is no room to be assured that revision of the federal boundaries would take place as PM Oli’s position has only hardened following his India visit. 

 “The Morcha will launch a joint protest throughout the country, taking Madhesi, Janajati, Tharu, Dalit, Muslim and other marginalised communities into confidence,” said Upendra Yadav, Chairman of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal.  

Morcha leaders are planning to resume stringent programmes of protest from mid-March. They said that the protest would not stop unless the major parties agree to revise federal boundaries. 

Redrawing of provincial boundaries is the Morcha’s key demand, and the government has formed a political mechanism to address the issue. But the Morcha has refused to be part of the mechanism, saying it was formed “unilaterally” to “appease foreigners”.

The political mechanism, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa, was formed on February 18, a day before PM Oli left for India on a six-day visit. 

Representatives of the Morcha and three major parties are yet to fix a date for next meeting though the two sides were expected to sit for talks to settle remaining difference over the proposed political mechanism soon after PM Oli’s return from India. 

PM Oli returned home on February 24 after completing his six-day visit to India.

The Morcha has also formed a central secretariat comprising seven Madhes-based parties. The expanded secretariat members include Rajendra Shrestha, Manish Suman, Brishesh Chandra Lal, Ram Naresh Raya, Keshav Jha, Kaushalendra Mishra and Pramesh Sah.