Delay in resuming the stalled negotiation process and failure to give complete shape to the high level political mechanism have raised doubts over major parties’ commitment in resolving the row over federal boundaries, the agitating Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) has said. 

On the eve of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s India visit on November 19, the Cabinet had unilaterally announced the high-level mechanism with his deputy and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa as its head. But the government has neither given a full shape to the mechanism yet nor consulted the Morcha to outline its terms of references. 

“It’s clear that the government has no intention of addressing our concerns over state demarcation,” said Rajendra Shrestha, co-chair of the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal.     

The Morcha leadership appears desperate to find an early solution to the demarcation row in the face of “waning support” to the Madhes movement, both on the domestic and international fronts. The agitating parties fear that might be used as pretext to impose major parties’ decision upon them on the issues of boundaries—their key political agenda. 

Morcha leaders have been making relentless efforts to infuse fresh energy in reviving the protest. But the poor public support has also prevented the Morcha leadership from bringing out concrete protest programmes. 

“The seemingly double standard of the Morcha leaders has created a sense of disillusionment among the people,” said Chandra Kishore, a Madhes-based analyst. New Delhi’s “unwillingness” to extend support for resuming the protest is another major hurdle facing the Morcha, according to Morcha leaders. 

The SLMM was forced to withdraw the border-centric protest after India unilaterally lifted the blockade and allowed vehicular movement through the Birgunj entry point after four months of restriction. Madhesi leaders have been making repeated requests to Indian leaders seeking renewed support to intensify the border-centric agitation.

In the recent weeks, the Morcha leadership has held formal and informal meetings with several Indian leaders, including Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajanth Singh and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. But outcomes of those meetings were not encouraging, according to leaders present in the meetings. 

Morcha leaders’ bid to exert indirect pressure on New Delhi through Indian leaders like Rastriya Janata Dal Chairman Lalu Prasad Yadav, say the leaders, has proved counter-productive, further irking Indian PM Narendra Modi. 

“Most unfortunate thing is our leaders even spoke openly against the Narendra Modi government at a press conference in Muzaffarpur despite the grand reception they received from New Delhi a few months earlier,” Chairman of Nepal Sadbhawana Party Anil Jha told the Post in his recent interview. “It was apparent that RJD and JDU were trying to make the Madhes crisis a political agenda against New Delhi.”

Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato, however, claimed that the Bihar visit was very fruitful in garnering support of the neighbouring Indian state. He maintains that the Morcha had withdrawn the protest to give the government more time to address their demands. 

“But the government has deceived us again. We are in final preparations for even a stronger protest,” said Mahato, referring to their ultimatum to the government to address the demands in one month.