Nov 20: Tharu leaders on Thursday announced intense and fresh rounds of protest across the Tarai districts in support of their demand for carving three federal provinces out of the region. Leaders of the Tharuhat Struggle Committee, speaking at press meets organized at three locations, said the protests slated to start on Saturday would be 'intense' and 'decisive'.
"Until the demand for carving out three federal provinces in the Tarai is met, Tharus will not remain quiet," Struggle Committee central spokesperson Aman Lal Modi said during a press meet held in Biratnagar.
"Until the demand for carving out three federal provinces in the Tarai is met, Tharus will not remain quiet," Struggle Committee central spokesperson Aman Lal Modi said during a press meet held in Biratnagar.
"Tharus have been agitating for years. However, the government has been ignoring their demands completely. With the festive season now over, we are all set to intensify our protests," Modi said. "We are going to bring the region to a complete halt starting this Saturday."
Modi stressed that Tharus are totally against two federal provinces in the Tarai region. "Two provinces cannot be acceptable under any condition, our demand is for three provinces," he said. The committee has demanded that the first province should comprise Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Saptari and Udayapur districts, the second should include districts from Siraha to Chitwan and the third province should comprise districts from Chitwan to Kanchanpur.
He assured that the agitations across the Tarai would come to an end if their demands are fulfilled by the government. "If the provinces are carved in the aforementioned manner, it will address the demands of all the agitating parties in the Tarai," he opined.
Speaking at the committee's press meet in Dang on Friday, Tharu leader Rukmini Chaudhari said that intensifying the agitation is "the only way to force the government to address the demands of Tharus".
"We are going to launch intense protests as we have no other option left to get the government to address our demands," she said.
Tharu leaders from Chitwan to Kailali districts had engaged in intense discussions in Dang throughout Wednesday, Rukmini informed.
In Kailali, Krishna Kumar Chaudhari, coordinator of Tharuhat Struggle Committee Kailali, also reached out to the press to announce plans for agitations from Saturday. He claimed that the committee had withheld agitations earlier in view of the Dasahin, Tihar and Chhath festivals. "Now the festivals are over and we are fully prepared to launch a strike starting Saturday," he said.
He accused the government of taking their demands very lightly and said that was a huge mistake. "The government might be thinking that our agitation has been thwarted. But the upcoming protests will show that we are more determined than ever in forcing the government to fulfill our demands," he said.
Madhav Chaudhari, secretary of the committee, informed that Tharus are preparing to give back their citizenship to the government. "If our demands are not addressed, we are going to return our citizenship cards to the government. We have already collected citizen cards from Tharus," he said adding that the agitation will definitely take another turn if they are forced to take such an unpleasant measure.
Horilal Chaudhari, a Tharu leader from Dang who is overseeing Tharuhat agitations in the western part of the Tarai, hinted at extending solidarity with the Madhesi Morcha for strengthening the protests.
"We are about to tie up with the Madhesi protestors and intensify the protest. From Saturday, the agitations will intensify noticeably," he said. "We are going to close down all public offices but we will allow schools to run though they also will not be allowed to use buses."
Modi stressed that Tharus are totally against two federal provinces in the Tarai region. "Two provinces cannot be acceptable under any condition, our demand is for three provinces," he said. The committee has demanded that the first province should comprise Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Saptari and Udayapur districts, the second should include districts from Siraha to Chitwan and the third province should comprise districts from Chitwan to Kanchanpur.
He assured that the agitations across the Tarai would come to an end if their demands are fulfilled by the government. "If the provinces are carved in the aforementioned manner, it will address the demands of all the agitating parties in the Tarai," he opined.
Speaking at the committee's press meet in Dang on Friday, Tharu leader Rukmini Chaudhari said that intensifying the agitation is "the only way to force the government to address the demands of Tharus".
"We are going to launch intense protests as we have no other option left to get the government to address our demands," she said.
Tharu leaders from Chitwan to Kailali districts had engaged in intense discussions in Dang throughout Wednesday, Rukmini informed.
In Kailali, Krishna Kumar Chaudhari, coordinator of Tharuhat Struggle Committee Kailali, also reached out to the press to announce plans for agitations from Saturday. He claimed that the committee had withheld agitations earlier in view of the Dasahin, Tihar and Chhath festivals. "Now the festivals are over and we are fully prepared to launch a strike starting Saturday," he said.
He accused the government of taking their demands very lightly and said that was a huge mistake. "The government might be thinking that our agitation has been thwarted. But the upcoming protests will show that we are more determined than ever in forcing the government to fulfill our demands," he said.
Madhav Chaudhari, secretary of the committee, informed that Tharus are preparing to give back their citizenship to the government. "If our demands are not addressed, we are going to return our citizenship cards to the government. We have already collected citizen cards from Tharus," he said adding that the agitation will definitely take another turn if they are forced to take such an unpleasant measure.
Horilal Chaudhari, a Tharu leader from Dang who is overseeing Tharuhat agitations in the western part of the Tarai, hinted at extending solidarity with the Madhesi Morcha for strengthening the protests.
"We are about to tie up with the Madhesi protestors and intensify the protest. From Saturday, the agitations will intensify noticeably," he said. "We are going to close down all public offices but we will allow schools to run though they also will not be allowed to use buses."
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