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MadhesiMovementinNepal:ImplicationsforIndia
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NiharRNayak
May28,2010

Event:Fellows'Seminar
Dr.NiharNayakbeganbyofferingsomebasicfactsabouttheMadhesimovement.Althoughthere
existanumberofversionsaboutwhatthewordMadhesstandsfor,themostpopularoraccepted
versionisthatitreferstoMadhyadesh,aregionbetweenthehillsandtheplains.Alsoknownas
Terai,Madhesregionconsistsoftwentydistricts,allofwhichsharetheirborderswithIndia.Many
MadhesisareofIndianoriginandthushavestrongsocioculturalethniclinkagesacrosstheborder.
Inthepaper,Dr.Nayakflaggedthreequestions:IstheMadhesissuelikelytobringindeeprooted
conflictinNepal?CanexternalforcestakeadvantageofthesituationtoIndiasdetriment?Howwill
MadhesipoliticsdeterminethefutureofNepalpoliticsandIndiaNepalrelationsinthefuture?
Overtheyears,Madhesishavesufferedfromasenseofdiscriminationandconsequentdeprivation.
TheyalsofeelexploitedanddiscriminatedagainstbytheuppercastePahadimigrantcommunities.
HindispeakingIndianMadhesisparticularlyfeeldiscriminatedagainstbytheNepalistateduetothe
followingfactors.Firstly,IndianMadhesis,undertheCitizenshipActof1964andtheConstitutionof
1990, were debarred from citizenship certificates, due to which they could neither acquire land
ownership nor could avail government benefits. Although the Citizenship Law was amended in
November 2006 making it possible for people born in Nepal before 1990 and those residing there
permanentlytoacquireNepalicitizenship,ithasbeenallegedthatmanyMadhesisandDalitsarestill
deprived of citizenship. It has also been alleged that instead of taking into consideration the
MadhesisculturalaffiliationwithIndia,theNepaligovernmenthasadoptedadiscriminatoryattitude
towardsthisgroupbytryingtointroducecompulsoryNepalilanguageforbothofficialworkandas
the medium of education in the Madhes region. Despite the fact that the Madhesi population
constitutes nearly onethird of the Nepali population, their share at the level of gazetted level
employees is merely 9.9 per cent. Madhesi people have also voiced concerns about the economic
exploitation of the resourcerich Madhes region by the Nepali government. Although Madhes
contributes70percentoftheagriculturalproductionofNepal,65percentoftheGDP,and76per
centofthecountrystotalrevenue,theinfrastructureinthisregionisconsideredtobemuchpoorer
thaninthehillareas.Allegationshavealsobeenmaderegardinghowduringthemonarchy,inthe
nameoflandreform,landbelongingtoMadhesipeopleweregivenawaytoPahadis.

StrategicHimalayas:
RepublicanNepaland
ExternalPowers

StrategicMaterials:A
ResourceChallengefor
India

A feeling of deprivation and exploitation made the Terai or Madhes region a hub of the pro
democratic movement during the 1950s and 1960s. During that time, perceiving India as anti
establishment and the Madhesis as Indias agents, and fearing that Indian immigrants in Terai
mightpromptIndiatoclaimitasIndianterritory,theNepalieliteadoptedstringentpoliciestocurb
the Madhesis activism. But this led to the emergence of identitybased movement in Madhes,
particularlywiththeformationoftwogroups:theNepalTeraiVongressledbyVedantaJhain1951
and the Madhesi Mukti Andolan led by Raghunath Thakur in 1956. At present, numerous political
partiesandnonstateactorsareinvolvedintheMadhesicause.Inthiscontext,examplesofMadhesi
Janadhikar Forum (MJF), Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP), etc., can be particularly cited.
TherealsoexistanumberofmajorarmedgroupsintheTerairegion,suchastheJanatantrikTerai
MuktiMorcha(JTMM),TeraiCobra,NepalDefenceArmy(NDA),NepalJanatantrikParty(NJP),and
Chure Bhawar Ekta Samaj (CBES). Although all these forces are involved in armed revolution in
Nepal, there seems to be a divergence in the goals each of them aspires to achieve. While JTMM
demands the establishment of an autonomous Terai region, and Terai Cobra aspires to launch an
armedseparatiststruggleforasovereignTeraistate,theobjectiveofNDAistoformaHinduarmy
withsuicidebomberstofightagainstreligiousextremism,conversion,aswellasMaoists.Similarly,
while as a royalist outfit, the NJP aspires to retain constitutional monarchy and multiparty
democracy in Nepal, the CBES basically demands the establishment of a Chure Bhawar federal
regioninTeraiandisopposedtooneMadheshonePradeshdemand.
There are reports of internal tensions and lack of clarity on immediate demands and long term
strategy of Madhesi groups. While the Madhesbased parties take a soft stand on the issue, the
armedgroupsaredemandingnothinglessthansovereignty.Moreover,theMadhesipoliticalparties
are in a dilemma especially regarding whom to take sides with among the major parties. They
cannotsupportaliberaldemocraticgovernmentinKathmanduastheirautonomydemandwouldbe
lost. They cannot really support the Maoists basically due to the prevailing fear of losing a multi
party democratic system in Nepal under a Maoist led government. In the meantime, due to their
involvementinkidnapping,killingandextortion,somearmedgroupsinvolvedintheMadhesicause
areoftendismissedascriminalsbymostMadhesisthemselves.Inthisscenarioofdiffusedleadership
andobjectives,thefutureoftheMadhescauseremainsuncertain.
Inhispresentation,Dr.NayaktriedtodrawattentiontothefactthatunstableNepal,particularly
theborderregionsofTerai,canprovideavenuesforbothChinaandPakistantoencourageantiIndia
elements there, through arms and fake currency trafficking, madrasas, terrorist outfits, etc.
Reportedly,ChinahasalreadyextendeditssupporttothefactionoftheMFJledbyUpendraYadav.
Inrecenttime,theUnitedStatestoohastakenparticularinterestinthedevelopmentsofMadhesi
region. Although it has listed JTMM on the US terrorist list, it granted a visa to Upendra Yadav to
attendtheTeraiDiasporaeventheldinWashington.
Overtheyears,whiletreatingMadhesiissueasaninternalmatterofNepalwhichcanberesolvedby
accommodating minority rights within the new Constitution, India has largely taken a stance of
noninterference. Even then, the Pahadis often allege India of encouraging the one Madhes, one
Pradesh demand. According to Dr. Nayak, if such perceptions gain further ground, it would
aggravatetheprevailingantiIndiasentimentsinNepalandconsequentlygivemorespacetoChina
andPakistantouseNepalasahotbedforantiIndiaactivities.Ironically,theMadhesisaccuseIndia
of neglecting the Madhesi movement. Recently, in June 2009, allegations were raised regarding
IndiasinvolvementinengineeringdivisionsintheMJF.DebatehasalsobeenbrewingintheTerai
that the Madhesis have failed to take any concrete decision about their future because of Indias
supportfortheliberaldemocraticpartiesopposedtoethnicbasedfederalism.

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MadhesiMovementinNepal:ImplicationsforIndia|InstituteforDefenceStudiesandAnalyses
AccordingtoDr.Nayak,antiIndianismoftheMadhesmovementislikelytoaffectIndiaseconomic
interestsinNepal.FrequentprotestswillaffectIndiastradeandcommercialrelationswithNepal.It
willalsoaffectIndiashydroelectricprojectsandthebusinessoperationsofIndianinvestorsinNepal.
Since the Terai is the link between India and northern Nepal, a troubled Terai may affect every
majorhighway,custompoint.Theindustrial,economic,andotherfertileresourcesofNepalarein
Madhesh,helpingcirculatetraderelationship.
Under the prevailing circumstances, India is faced with certain difficult choices. Any constructive
attempt by India to salvage the Terai situation through proactive involvement is likely to be
interpreted as unnecessary intervention in the internal affairs of Nepal and upset its Pahadi
constituencyandNepalArmy.Atanotherlevel,passiveindifferencetodevelopmentsinTeraiwillbe
misconstrued as shirking of responsibility by observers at home as well as by the Madhesis
themselves. India cannot possibly afford to ignore developments in Nepal and especially the
discrimination in Terai. At present, the best approach for India seems to be to work as a positive
facilitatortostrengthenthecapacityofvariousdemocraticinstitutionstoresolvethesocialtensions
inNepalingeneralandinTeraiinparticular.GivenIndiasleveragesinNepal,Indiacouldalsomake
anearnestefforttobringallpoliticalpartiestogethertohaveadialogueonthecontentiousissues.
Importantpointsraisedduringthediscussionofthepaper:
i. Fromatopographicalpointofview,NepalisvulnerabletobothIndiaandChina.Teraiisnot
onlyimportantforIndia,butalsoforNepalitself.Overtheyears,theNepaligovernmenthas
beentryingtomakethisplaceinhabitedbypeoplefriendliertothemandpeoplewholook
like them. The sentiment behind taking such stance by the Nepali government should be
respectedbytheIndiangovernment.
ii. Inthispaper,morespaceshouldbedevotedtoanalysetheimpactoftheMadhesimovement
onIndia.
iii. IndiasconcernabouttheMadhesiproblemcannotbeanythingmorethanneighbourly.
iv. NepalsuffersfromparanoiaofbeingencircledbyIndia.Butitdoesnotseemtohaveasimilar
problemwithrespecttoChina.IndiahastounderstandthispsycheamongtheNepalese.
v. TheMadhesiproblemshouldbestudiedinrelationtothechallengeofgovernancethatNepal
iscurrentlyfacing.
vi. The strong sense of opportunism among Madhesi leaders makes it difficult for India to get
involvedinthismovement.
vii. IndianpolicyvisvisNepalsincetheMaoistuprisingin1997hasbeentokeepotherplayers
outofit.Butthispolicyseemstohavemisfiredparticularlybecauseoftheinvolvementofso
manyexternalactorsinit.
viii. GeostrategicimportanceoftheTerairegionshouldbeanalysedinthepaper.
ix. ThereisaneedtomentiontheJanAndolanIII.
x. The clash between Madhesis and Maoists in which 21 Maoists were killed should be
mentioned.
xi. DuetoMadhesiidentity,MaoistinfluenceinTeraihasweakenedconsiderably.Madhesisare
expectedtobecomefuturekingmakerofNepal.Indianeedstotakethatfactorintoaccount.
xii. Withtheadventofdemocracy,theMuslimvotebankintheTeraihasbecomeimportant.
xiii. The paper needs to clarify the significant factors for the potential of conflict in Terai. Those
factorsarebasicallyidentifiedasintraMadhesiconflict,PahadiMadhesiconflict,andelements
ofcommunalviolence.
xiv. IndiashouldtrytoharmonizeMadhesipolitics.Itshouldparticularlytakeinterestinbrining
abouteconomicdevelopmentinTerairegion.
xv. Indiasroleinbrokeringthe8pointagreementbetweentheMadhesisandthegovernment
shouldbehighlighted.
xvi. FutureofMadhesipoliticsshouldbeanalysedinthepaper.
xvii. ThepaperalsoneedstobringoutordinaryMadhesipeoplesperceptionaboutIndia.
ReportpreparedbyPranamitaBarua,ResearchAssistant,IDSA

Copyright20052014IDSA.Allrightsreserved.

http://www.idsa.in/event/MadhesiProblemandImplicationsforIndia.html

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