The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of seven Madhes-based parties, has expressed dissatisfaction with the government for excluding several names it had recommended for martyrdom.

Of the 68 protesters and security personnel that Morcha had recommended for martyrdom earlier this month, only 52 people have been declared martyrs.

During a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi on Sunday, a three-member panel of second-rung Morcha leaders demanded that the remaining 16 people also be declared martyrs and that their families should also get the compensation pledged by the government. Ram Naresh Raya of Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party, Lal Babu Raut of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal and Manish Suman of Sadbhawana Party met Minister Nidhi.

The leaders also called on the government to withdraw the criminal charges against the protesters and release the compensation to the families of the deceased protesters and those injured during the agitation without delay. They said that some families of the deceased protesters were yet to receive the compensation. They also urged Nidhi to give full shape to the commission formed to investigate into the extra-judicial killings during the Madhes movement. 

Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato said that the government should not delay in addressing the non-political demands of the Morcha, as the delay would hamper the negotiations on the disputed issues of the constitution. 

“We were told that the government would do all necessary work within one week. It will be easy to start discussion on political matters once these issues are settled,” said Mahato. DPM Nidhi told the Morcha leaders that the list of the martyrs was declared after proper verification. The government is verifying the list submitted by the Morcha before taking further decision, according to Morcha leaders present in the meeting. The government appears unwilling to accept at least six names as martyrs, arguing that they died due to unrelated causes.