My comment to The Kathmandu Post was not published. They did not even publish with any edit. Below is what I had written...
A Letter to Kanak Mani Dixit
Dear Sir,
Reading your article "Federalism and Tarai-Madhes" published at 18 July in The Kathmandu Post and in The Hindustan Times a few days back, I want to have my words. Politics often deceives public. And Madheshis were being victimized till now from centuries but we are not able to accept your proposal anymore. Dixit sir, you must be double of my age and might have been 100 times more experienced and have ocean of knowledge than I have but I can't believe on everything you expressed. Thank you Dixit sir for this Golden dream you distributed to us. It is really a golden dream that Madheshi can have access to agriculture, jungle, factories of Terai; tourism, hydro power of Hill and herbs, fruits of Mountain. But many of the Madheshis who don't have even citizenship card, who are deprived of access to even their own natural right on agriculture can never digest these golden dreams. How to believe that Madheshi can have equal right on hill while Madhesh herself is being ruled by non- Madheshi?
Now about election, Madheshi people voted Congress and CPN UML Communist not because they liked them but because they disliked Maoist and Madheshi politicians in terms of their ignorance towards Madhesh agenda and their unification. We know that public become sentimental very easily in these cases out of anger and this is general psychology of mass. Should I remind you how Baban Singh of Rautahat won the election and disappeared now or how Arbind Kejriwal in Delhi won and became Chief Minister of Delhi and the same person almost vanished from Benaras trying to stand against Modi in national level election. In election we don't have a "right to reject" or "non of above" option so it becomes a compulsion to vote so we chose one whom we dislike least rather than to one whom we like the most because latter types of candidates are rarely found.
It smells a conspiracy again, who knows in the name of economic geography -based federalism it may cause us to lose access to our own natural resources which is unfortunately the present truth for Madhesh. Who does not know in the name of Madheshi quota how many Pahadi people were appointed in different sector in job after great Madhesh Andolan? One Madhesh Pradesh was not the demand of Madheshi politicians in beginning but it was the main agenda of Madhesh Movement in which more than 50 Madheshi Public lost their lives and became martyrs. There were no Madheshi leaders to lead it and this autonomous movement should not lose its dignity. And to secure its dignity we strongly demand One Madhesh Single State and I reject the logic that Single Madhesh State is ethnicity based, in fact it is geography based which is made up of many castes and creed. Hadn't we been already practicing Terai, Pahad and Himal classified as parts of Nepal?
Sir, you have said that CA member of NC and UML moan fatalistically, "The pressure for Madhesh based federalism is too strong, we have no choice" then what is the hindrance? If the Madheshi politicians are demanding the same things what other parties want to give, then why late? Why the last election took place? Because the UML and NC are those who don't want one Madhesh, here you are saying exactly opposite of what is reality.
So far as the matter of Tharus and Muslims are concerned that they are not Madheshi, I would like to say they are also Madheshi because Madheshi is not ethnicity it is about the sons and daughters of this part of the earth. My questions with some Pahadi leaders are that what miracle made them to be such benevolents of Tharu and Muslims overnight especially at a time when Madhesh Andolan is at its final stage? Where were they when we were sharing Tharus and Muslims sorrows and happiness? Now they try to be messiah in the eyes of Tharu and Muslims. Divide and rule have become old and useless, I suggest them to come with new strategy, new conspiracy what they are habituated to.
At last thank you again for such a benevolent of Madhesh and Madheshi.
-Pavan Kumar Karna
Chandranigah pur, Rautahat
Federalism and Tarai-Madhes | Oped | :: The Kathmandu Post :: http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2014/07/17/oped/federalism-and-tarai-madhes/265094.html(Share from CM Browser)
