Madhesis begin fresh protests in Nepal

As the Nepal government continues to weaken, Madhesis have begun fresh protests against the new constitution. The protests began on May 15 after agitators scuffled with the Nepal police, adding to the woes of Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli. The Madhesis have been pushing for demands related to increased rights, adequate representation and re-demarcation of the provincial boundary. Nearly 2,000 protesters gathered at the Singhdurbar and Nayabaneshwor areas. The leaders of the Federal Alliance, comprising a group of seven Madhes-based political parties and 22 other ethnic groups, also joined the protesters. Since early morning, several security personnel were present in the area to prevent any untoward incident. Major demands of the Madhesis include re-demarcation of the seven-province model of federal structure. “Our other demands include proportionate representation, inclusive representation for the Madhesis and other marginalised groups in various state mechanisms, and rights related to language and citizenship certificate”, Vice-president of Nepal’s Sadbhawana party Laxman Lal Karna said. The Madhesis had earlier launched a six-month-long agitation from September 2015 to February 2016 in which many people were killed. The agitation had hurt the country’s economy as supplies from India were blocked. This time, the alliance has focused on the capital city in an attempt to draw the attention of the government and other stakeholders.