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Madhesh crisis: Bhattarai doesn’t think Oli and Co have the solution

Online Khabar

Kathmandu, November 15. Former prime minister and former UCPN-Maoist second-in-command, Baburam Bhattarai, has turned a new leaf: He has become civil society leader and is striving to form an alternative force.

Online Khabar caught up with the political analyst to discuss the crisis in Madhesh. Excerpts from the interview:

Baburam Bhattarai (1)

The ruling coalition, especially CPN-UML leaders, describes the Madhesh Movement as sponsored. They say dealing with Madhesis alone will not solve the problem. They point that the answer lies in dealing with the South (India). What’s your take ?

The movement continuing for three months has proved that people have been facing hardships because of lack of foresight on our part. There will be a threat to national integrity if we do not solve this problem without delay. What was our domestic problem is turning into an international issue after turning into a neighbourly issue. This has the capacity to harm our national sovereignty, independence and national integrity.

Our inability to solve the Tarai problem on our own has heightened possibility of conflict between India and China. If this happens, Nepal will turn into a warzone. So, the government and the ruling parties should take steps to resolve the crisis. Instigating the northern or the southern neighbour is not in our national interest. Let’s solve our domestic problem on our own. And let’s sort out issues with our neighbour through diplomatic means. Let’s not turn our country into a playground for international forces. Major political parties and their leaders should stand as one on this issue.

Does it mean the government should be ready to redraw the provinces’ boundaries?

Yes. I don’t think the problem will end without redrawing the boundaries. In the eastern Madhesh, there’s, by and large, a province spanning from Parsa to Saptari. But the Province 5 is not based on our own principle for province delineation that listed five identity-based criteria and four strength-based criteria. So, it’s natural for the people of the provinces concerned to get angry with the delineation.

But people from Pahad (the Hills) say the country will disintegrate if there’s delineation of two provinces in the Madhesh.

This is the line of anti-federalist forces. This is coming from a collective mindset that regards only a certain ethnicity as Nepali. It is coming from those who think federalism will break the country apart. We should discard such thoughts.

Do you believe the Oli government will be able to resolve the Madhesh crisis?

Going by its moves, the government does not seem serious in addressing the crisis. I doubt if this government will be able to solve the crisis, given the way it’s been functioning. I have a feeling that the situation will take a turn that an alternative (to this government) will be inevitable.

यो खबर पढेर तपाईलाई कस्तो महसुस भयो ?

ट्रेन्डिङ

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