To give the Madhesi people a message before his India visit, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is addressing a mass meeting in Mirchaiya of Siraha on Monday afternoon.

This will be Dahal’s first public address in the Tarai after being elected the PM last month. The organiser, the CPN (Maoist Centre) Province 2 committee, expects the programme in Siraha-3, Dahal’s constituency, to be attended by tens of thousands of people from the core Madhes.

According to Biswonath Sah, the Maoist leader of the province, the main objective of the PM’s visit to his constituency was to convey a message to the Madhesi people of his readiness to resolve their concerns before he leaves for India on Thursday.

The Madhesi agenda has dominated the country’s politics since the promulgation of the new constitution in September last year.

Sah said the PM would inaugurate a newly established electricity office in Mirchaiya at 1pm, before addressing the rally on the Mirchaiya School premises at 2pm. He will fly back to Kathmandu at 4pm.

Dahal is in close conversation with top leaders of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, including Upendra Yadav and Mahantha Thakur, to address the concerns of the protesting Madhes-based parties through a second amendment to the constitution. However, the main opposition CPN-UML has been questioning the motive of the amendment as demanded by the Morcha.

Nefin puts up its demands before PM

The Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin) has suggested an 11-point amendment to the constitution to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in order to address concerns of indigenous nationalities.

A delegation headed by Nefin President Nagendra Kumar Kumar on Sunday reached the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to hand over the proposed amendments to constitutional provisions to ensure participation of the nationalities in state organs and governance system.

The demands include adoption of identity as a principal base for state restructuring; naming of provinces and other local bodies on the basis of ethnic groups living there; allotment of 60 percent seats at Parliament for proportional representation system; recognition to one-horned rhino as the national animal.

The memorandum also included 10 points to be immediately addressed, including a separate ministry for indigenous communities, representation of federation in deliberation of the constitution amendment process, proportional representation in appointment to constitutional bodies.

Responding to the demands, PM Dahal assured the delegates that the rights of the minorities would be addressed through an amendment of the law.

“I will do my part to protect the rights of minorities,” the PM told the delegates.