PM says Tarai crisis will end soon: UDMF says Govt. not serious for talks

Kathmandu, Oct 7: Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala on Wednesday said the current problem of blockade and agitation would end soon as the government was holding negotiations with the Madhes-centric agitating parties.

PM Koirala made the remarks while opening the Nepali Congress Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting. NC central members Dr Shekhar Koirala and Arjun Narsingh KC said their party must lead the national government in capacity of being the largest party.

Forest Minister and member of the government dialogue team Mahesh Acharya briefed the meeting on the progress of the talks with the agitating side.

Central member Gagan Thapa said the party must make its viewpoint on the blockade imposed by India public.

The meeting also urged the government to ease the supply of essential goods including medicine and fuel products. The NC office bearers in the meeting underscored the urgency of resolving the problem which has affected transportation and flights on eve of the festive season.

Stating that the reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure in the aftermath of the massive earthquake had been pushed back, NC office-bearers emphasized the emerging humanitarian crisis in many parts of the country.

The party further appealed to the agitating parties in Tarai/Madhes to halt all forms of agitation programmes and seek a political solution through peaceful dialogue.

The meeting further demanded with the government to initiate necessary steps through diplomatic means with the Indian government to end the unprecedented and painful scenario and open all trade points in line with the existing international values and norms, the trade/freight treaty between the two countries in view of the harmonious relations, mutual friendship and good will existing since many years between Nepal and India.

The CWC meeting will again sit at 9:00 am on Thursday at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar to take substantive decisions on formation of the new government. CWC members who spoke during the meeting demanded that the party lead the next government in capacity of being the largest party in the country.

The meeting also took the decision to hold NC General Convention from 3-6 March next year in Kathmandu.

Despite such optimistic remark of the Prime Minister Koirala, leaders of agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) has accused the government of not becoming serious towards taking the ongoing talks to a consensus.

At a face-to-face programme organised by Media International in the capital Wednesday, the UDMF leaders said the government failed to come up with a substantive proposal for resolving the existing political problems in the country. They said though they sat for talks with the representatives of three big parties twice, they saw no seriousness on their (political parties) party to address the problem.

Sadbhawana Party Co Chair Laxman Lal Karna accused the government of not becoming serious towards the genuine demands of Madhesi community. The blockade in the Nepal-India border points would come to an end within the next two days if the government was serious towards that end, he added. The blockade in Nepal was due to the ongoing Madhes agitation.

Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Vice Chair Lalbabu Raut demanded that the government should ensure free treatment to those injured in course of Tarai/Madhesh movement, declare those killed as martyrs and immediately release the arrested. Consensus on the current problems will be achieved within the next two or three days. RSS