Radio TV Nepal

Being one of the major parts of Bihar, the town is well connected with other parts of India. Jogbani Railway Station connects the city with some of the major metropolis such as New Delhi and Kolkata. The other nearest railhead to this town is Katihar Junction. Therefore, the question of how to reach Jogbani is not so difficult to be answered. Travelers who want to choose the airways then they can land at Patna Airport first and then take a bus or private car to reach the town. ‘Chhat Puja’ is a major festival in Jagbani which is celebrated with great zeal and fervor. If you are looking forward to come here,

KATHMANDU: Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato, one of the key leaders of the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front, was injured in a clash with police at Rani customs point, near Biratnagar of Morang district, on Saturday.

Morang District Police Office spokesperson DSP Pramod Kumar Kharel told THT Online that Mahato among some other cadres of the Front had gathered at the border point to stage a sit-in protest.
“We told them that they cannot stage any protest in the border area,” Kharel said, “But, they began pelting stones at us and ran away to the other side of the border.”

He, however, said that police did not have any information about actual injury of Mahato. “However, one of our constables sustained some injury.”

Police had to use two rounds of tear gas to disperse them, he added. “The situation is already under our control.”

Leader Rajendra Mahato receiving treatment at Golden Hospital in Biratnagar. Photo Courtesy: Upendra Mahato
Leader Rajendra Mahato receiving treatment at Golden Hospital in Biratnagar. Photo Courtesy: Upendra Mahato

Meanwhile, Upendra Mahato, a Central Committee member of Sadbhawana Party, wrote on Facebook that the protesters seized leader Mahato from the police custody and took him to the Golden Hospital in Biratnagar.

According to Upendra, the top leader of his party sustained injuries on his head and limbs and is currently receiving treatment at the intensive care unit after undergoing CT scan and other tests. He has posted photographs also.

A video posted by the Image Television on its YouTube channel shows that the Indian security personnel resorted to lathi charge after the protesters started pelting stones at the Nepali security personnel, who were seen trying to protect themselves with shields,  from the Indian side of the border.

It has been reported that leader Mahato had reached the no man’s land at Rani-Jogbani border entry point via India.

Dec 22, 2015- India on Monday welcomed the decisions taken by the government of Nepal to address demands regarding the constitution raised by agitating Madhes-based parties.
The government on Sunday had decided to form a high-level political mechanism to redraw the borders of federal provinces as part of its bid to end the prolonged Madhes crisis.
Issuing a statement on Monday, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, “Government of India welcomes these developments as positive steps that help create the basis for a resolution of the current impasse in Nepal.”
The Cabinet-formed mechanism has been mandated with the task of submitting a report within three months of its formation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa on Monday spoke with India’s Minister for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and communicated the Cabinet decisions.
Stating that External Affairs Minister [Swaraj] was informed by Nepal’s DPM and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa on Monday that Nepal’s Cabinet has taken some important decisions to address and resolve demands regarding the constitution raised by agitating Madhes-based parties, the MEA said: “As a neighbour and well-wisher, India was deeply concerned at the unrest stemming from internal differences in Nepal on the constitution. India is confident that a return to normalcy in Nepal would create a more secure and predictable climate for unimpeded commerce between our two countries.”
The MEA has also urged all Nepali political forces to demonstrate the necessary maturity and flexibility to find a satisfactory solution to the constitutional issues through constructive dialogue in an agreed timeframe.
Sunday’s Cabinet decisions include amendments to the constitution on participation in the state organs on the basis of proportionate inclusiveness and delineation of electoral constituencies on the basis of population. The government has also decided to address the concerns about demarcation of provinces through an appropriate arrangement in the constitution on the basis of political consensus. On citizenship and other issues, the government has said the issues will be resolved through negotiations and consensus.
The Madhes-based parties, which are objecting to the government move of tabling the Constitution Amendment Bill in Parliament, have made redrawing of provincial boundaries their key demand.
The government had tabled the bill in Parliament on December 15. The bill proposes proportional representation of women, Dalits, Janajatis and the Madhesi community in state bodies and electoral constituency delimitation based on the population by retaining at least one constituency for each of the 75 districts.
Objecting to the tabling of the bill, the Madhes-based parties have decided to intensify protests in the Tarai.
Before communicating Sunday’s Cabinet decisions to Swaraj on Monday, DPM and Minister for Foreign Affairs Thapa had handed over a copy of the decisions to the agitating Madhes-based parties at his office in Sheetal Niwas and urged the protesting forces to withdraw their protests in the Tarai.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, DPM and Foreign Minister Thapa assured the Madhes-based parties that the government was committed to politically addressing their concerns by forming a high-level political mechanism with the mandate to submit a report on redrawing of provincial border outlined by the newly adopted constitution with acceptable recommendations for all sides within three months and redrawing of electoral constituencies on the basis of the population. Thapa also urged the Madhes-based parties to withdraw the ongoing protests in the Tarai.

Jhapa, Nepal: Armed Police Force (APF) has taken under control 13 security personnel of Sima Surakshya Bal (SSB) of India from Jhapa-Bihar border point at Kechana VDC of the district on early Sunday morning.    APF personnel deployed at Armed Police Border Account Post, Kechana, arrested the SSB team at around 6.30 this morning while they had entered into Nepali territory illegally.     SSB personnel with rifle have been kept under control and investigation is intensified over the motive to enter in Nepal, the Police office at Jhapa said confirming the arrest.    Notwithstanding rule, the SSB personnel have repeatedly been entering in Nepali territory in different pretext.

At a time when the debate of federal states and provinces are the hottest issues and the constitution deadline is just around the corner, reports that the majority of the Madhes leaders are not Nepali citizens are circulating on various media outlets. According to Sanghu vernacular weekly, Rajendra Mahato is himself is originally a citizen of India, while majority of the Madhes leaders are nonresidential Indians. Mahato, fearing that his origins would be exposed, made it a point to first burn down the documents of the District Administrative Office of Malangawa of Sarlahi in the Madhes revolution. Hence, when so called representative of the people make such demands, it can be easily understood that it is not the want of the people rather a beautifully orchestrated play of the foreign factors.

Sources have said that the CPN-UML understanding the current situation and its repercussions, are adamant on separate provinces of the Tarai region that includes the hill region as well. According to reports, all the Madhes leaders involved in this current debate are of Indian nationality with an exception of Bijaya Gachadar.

Rajendra Mahat was born in Sonbarsha of Bihar while Chairperson Mahanta Thakur of the Tarai Madhes Democratic Party is said to be born in Sursanda of Bihar. Similarly, Ramchandra Jha of the UCPN-M repeatedly demanding an autonomous single Madhes province is from Jayanagar of India. There are reports that he is leaving the Maoist side to join the Madhesi party. Chairperson of the Sadbhawana Party (Ananda Giri) Sarita Giri is also of Sonpur Bihar. Treasurer Renu Kumari Yadav of the Upendra Yadav led Madhesi Forum was born in Madhuwani of Bihar. Urmila Mahato of the TMDP is from Sitamadhi of India while Kalawati Dusadh of the democratic forum is from Motihari. Chandan Shah of TMDP is from Bairganiya, Bihar; Durga Devi Mahato of democratic forum is from Raxaul; Neelam Barma also of democratic forum is from Raxaul; Basanti Jha of TMDP is from Sitamadhi, India.

 Such leaders are alleged of buying their citizenship or acquiring it by marrying a Nepali citizen. If such leaders solely represent the Madhes regions of the country while others have no say on it, then we are on the very brink of being just another state of our Southern neighbors.

Indian Force may entered in nepal with civil uniform for supporting Madhese.View Photos

RAUTAHAT, Nov 28: United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) cadres on Saturday torched a motorcycle (Na 25 Pa 5738) at Dasgaja region.

The UDMF cadres torched Shyam Babu Sah of Bisrampur-6, Rautahat's motorcycle while he was returning to Nepal after buying some logistics for his sister's wedding.


"The markets in Nepal have remain closed for months. I had to go to Indian markets as we don't get any goods here," Shyam added, "Around 15-20 protestors impounded me and set my bike on fire. They even manhandled me. "

An Indian motorcycle (BR 05 J 0716) too caught fire when the cadres torched Shyam's motorcycle.

The protestors ran away after Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel arrived the scene, District Police Office Rautahat's spokesperson DSP Rajendra Pokharel said.

Irate locals torch UDMF's tents

Following the incident, a group of irate locals set fire on tents used by UDMF cadres to stage sit-in. Locals have thrown away quilts, blankets and pillows used by protestors nearby Barhawa lake.

A brief tension flared up following the incident in the area.

UDMF cadres also had torched Forward Bank's staff Amrit Chaudhary's motorcycle (Ko 8 Pa 8726) while he was on his way to Nepal refilling fuel in India.

Locals have been expressing dissatisfaction over the protestors as the latter torch trucks carrying medicine, ambulances and wedding vehicles irrespective of what they had committed.

Former Prime Minister and CPN (UML) leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has claimed that the ongoing protest of Madhes-centric parties was nothing except than taking the country towards failure and giving trouble to the people.

Talking to media persons in Itahari today, leader Nepal said that the new constitution has ensured the rights to the Madhesi people more than their demands but Madhesi parties were not disseminating the reality to the people.

He further questioned why Madhesi leaders did not bring plan to lift the living standard of the Madhesi people when they were in the government.

Leader Nepal pointed out the need of alerting the Madhesi people that the ongoing protest was not for them as it was for some limited selfish leaders. He claimed that the state had not discriminated against the Madhesi people; however some Madhesi leaders were trying to make the Madhesi people slave in the name of protest.

Former PM Nepal acknowledged that the parties have failed to aware the people that the new constitution was Madhes-friendly and has incorporated almost all rights.

He added that the protesting parties should give up the anarchy and violence in the name of protest however some words might be changed in the constitution if that satisfies them.

The former Prime Minister clarified that his party was against the step of disintegrating Sunsari and Morang districts and including these districts into Province No-2 as people were also not willing for the same.

The delineation of borders could be resolved by federal commission, he said, adding that if the protesting parties were not ready for this option also then he urged them to garner two-thirds majority to amend the constitution, leader Nepal added. RSS

Madhes-centric parties have stressed that at least “a tentative deal” on demarcation of federal boundaries was necessary to end the current Tarai standoff, even as the major parties try to get a buy-in of the agitating parties on the two amendments to the constitution.
They argued that major parties’ reluctance to discuss the issues of demarcation has disrupted the talks. They accused that the major parties have been deliberately prolonging the crisis by running away from talks. The United Democratic Madhesh Forum has reiterated its demands for two provinces in the Tarai along with amendment to disputed clauses pertaining to proportional and inclusive representation, election, and citizenship. The Sushil Koirala-led government had registered bills at Parliament, seeking a guarantee on inclusive and proportional representation of Madhesi communities in all state bodies and delimitation of electoral constituencies based on population. Madhesi leaders have agreed to accept the proposals if some of the wordings used in the amendment proposal are changed. During informal talks with the UDMF, leaders of the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Unified Maoist have said they are ready to make necessary changes. However, major parties remain deeply divided over the demarcation. The NC and UML have insisted that the issue of demarcation would be revised later, while the Unified Maoist has been lobbying to settle all issues in a package.

ITAHARI, Nov 27: Tension has run high in Itahari after local youths set a fire to the stage where major leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) were going to hold a huge mass meeting on Friday. Youths have also been shouting slogans against India's blockade on Nepal.

Meanwhile, securities personnel have been deployed in the incident site to prevent any untoward incident.

Madhesi Morcha had planned to hold a mass meeting at Western chowk of Itahari near Khetikhola.

It is learnt that Upendra Yadav, Rajendra Mahato and Mahanta Thakur are the keynote speakers of the program.

Indian Member of Parliament from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Kirti Azad has said that Nepal should return 15 of its Terai districts to India.
Azad, who was elected to India's lower house Lok Sabha for the third term from Dharbhanga, Bihar, made the statement while addressing a program in his constituency on Tuesday, reports Hindi daily Jagaran. Azad's statement came as he protested that Nepal government had not addressed the demands of the Madhesi agitation.
A former cricketer of the Indian national team, Azad claimed that the 15 districts were once a part of India's territory and were granted to Nepal by the British rulers.
He said that no one in the Indian establishment had taken initiative to reclaim these territories into India once the country got independence from the British rule, adding that he would raise the issue in the parliament and make an appeal to demand the concerned districts from Nepal. He argued that if Nepal failed to abide by the demand, then India should annex these territories.
"If Nepal doesn’t return, these districts should be seized," he said.
Azad has been demanding that a separate Mithila state be carved out of Bihar for Maithili speakers.

Kathmandu, November 23. Federalism Socialist Forum President Upendra Yadav has accused the government of committing genocide in Tarai Madhesh.
Issuing a press release on the 100th day of the Madhesh Movement on Monday, Yadav, also a leader of the United Democratic Madheshi Front, accused the government of suppressing people using brute force instead of addressing concerns of Madheshi and Janajati issues.
He accused the government of trampling on democratic norms and values and violating international humanitarian laws and human rights.
The Madhesh Movement is also the liberation movement of the marginalised peoples of the Himalayas and Hills as well as Madhesh and Tharuhat, Yadav maintained.
Rather than addressing the movement, the government is conspiring to pit Madheshi and Pahadi people against each other in a bid to foment communal violence and spoil national unity, according to Yadav. He called on all concerned to remain aware of such a plot and maintain unity in diversity and diversity in unity.
The Madheshi leader also called protesters to provide free passage for ambulances, vehicles of diplomatic missions, the Press, human rights organisations, fire engines and edicine carriers.

The Legislature-Parliament meeting has been postponed for 3 pm Tuesday after obstruction from lawmakers of Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha.
Morcha lawmakers began chanting slogans after picketing the rostrum of parliament hall. Various leaders had completed their address to the parliament before the lawmakers obstructed.
Four Madhes-based political parties are associated with the Morcha. They have 35 lawmakers in the parliament.
Leaders of Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha had decided to attend parliament meetings from Sunday.
Morcha leaders tried to obstruct the meeting immediately it started by standing from their seat. However, after Speaker Onsari Gharti assured them to provide with time to speak before the parliament, Madhesi leaders let the meeting go ahead.
The alliance of four Madhes-based political partied has been staging various protests programmes in the Tarai region for the past two and half months. They said their return to parliament meetings was to put pressure on the government to address their demands.

Madhesi Morcha leaders meet at Bhairahawa; reason for meet still unknown
- Post Report, Kathmandu
Oct 8, 2015- Top party leaders of Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha have reached Bhairahawa on Thursday. Chairperson of Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Mahantha Thakur is also in Bhairahawa since Thursday morning along with party’s Vice-Chairman Hridayesh Tripathi and General Secretary Sarvendra Nath Shukla.

The reason behind the presence of all the top party leaders in Bhairahawa has not been ascertained yet. The local administration had denied Morcha’s request to stage a sit in at the border-point today citing security reasons.

After Wednesday’s clash, desolated Bhairahawa-Sunauli border has not seen any freight movements. However, Nepali citizens returning to their homes for Dashain festival are arriving at an increasing rate.

Security personnel are deployed in large numbers on both sides of the border after yesterday’s clashes. Lumbini Zone Police Chief, SSP Ganesh KC, informed that after consultation and agreement between Nepali and Indian border security forces, Indian Administration has implemented laws prohibiting sit-in and protests at Sunauli.

Kathmandu, October 8

An unruly mob of around 150 people went to the residence of Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato in Kathmandu, shouting slurs against him and threatening to set his house on fire.

According to a press release issued by United Democratic Madhesi Front, another unruly mob also hurled stones at the Sadbhawana Party office in Kathmandu today.

SP General Secretary Manish Kumar Suman said his family members and the party office staff did not know who these people were.

The UDMF said the ongoing peaceful movement in Madhes was against the single ethnic identity based nationalism and anarchic groups who were opposed to this movement were acting with malicious intent to spread communal clashes.

The UDMF urged the government to stop such communal incidents.

It also urged all stakeholders to express solidarity with its ongoing movement.

Meanwhile, Bijay Kumar Gachhadar-led Federal Democratic Alliance also issued a press release condemning the incident. Stating that such incidents could spoil communal harmony in society, the alliance urged the government and the big three parties to take action against the guilty.

Kathmandu’s Chief District Officer Ek Narayan Aryal said a group of people, mostly Mahato’s neighbours, had gone to his house but he was not aware that they shouted slurs at the family or threatened to set his house on fire. Aryal said security personnel were alert and if an FIR was filed by Mahato or his family, the government would take action against the guilty.

Ever since the UDMF launched agitation in Madhes, Mahato has been leading protests in various Tarai districts.

A version of this article appears in print on October 09, 2015 of The Himalayan Times.

Bhairahawa, October 7. Tension has gripped Belahiya customs point, Rupandehi district, after police clashed with cadres of the United Democratic Madheshi Front. An unidentified person sustained serious injuries during the clash. The person was lying close to the no-man’s land along the Nepal-India border.

The fighting had ensued after police tried to chase UDMF protesters determined to stage a sit-in at the customs point. After demonstrators pelted stones, Nepali security personnel withdrew for a while. The demonstrators fled to bordering Indian territories after police advanced. Local people had also helped drive away the demonstrators.

Sadbhavana Party Chief Rajendra Mahato is leading the protest in Bhairahawa. Mahato took command of the protest in the border town after Tarai Madhesh Democratic Party Chief Mahantha Thakur’s leadership proved ‘ineffective’.

Mahato replaced Thakur upon finding unobstructed flow of goods from India to Nepal through the border point. He had reached Bhairahawa yesterday. He has been mobilising cadres by staying in the bordering Indian town of Sunauli.

Govt initiates talks with agitating Madhesi parties
- Post Report, Kathmandu
Sep 28, 2015- Forty-five days after the Madhes-centric parties began their protests, the government finally initiated the dialogue process on Monday.
The government today formed a three-member talks team to hold dialogue with the parties and groups agitating against the new constitution. The talks panel comprises of Nepali Congress leader and Forest Minister Mahesh Acharya, UML Chief whip Agni Kharel and UCPN (Maoist) senior leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha
The team went to Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) office in Bijulibazar, Kathmandu, to meet the party Chairman, Mahanta Thakur.
The leaders urged Thakur to seek solution through peaceful negotiations instead of resorting to violent protests that have pushed the country to a critical situation. In response, leader Thakur presented a 5-point precondition to normalise the situation in Tarai that has become tense with curfew orders and violence.
The preconditions put forth by Thakur are to recall the Army back and deploy APF as back force, declare people deceased in Tarai protests as martyrs and provide compensation to their families, make arrangement for free treatment of the injured, release those arrested during protests and drop all charges against them.
Claiming that the government has already started addressing their demands as the army personnel have been recalled back to barracks on Monday, one million compensation to each family of deceased has been pledged, providing treatment to those injured, the government side urged the party to sit for formal talks, said TMLP General Secretary Sarvendra Nath Shukla.
However, the Morcha contended the government claims saying that their demands have not been implemented yet.
Likewise, the government team also met Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar this evening.
Gachhadar also presented the 5-point preconditions before the leaders.
Also, Gachhadar presented three bottom lines for talks—reconsider the delimitations of state borders keeping in consideration the Tharu-majority area and demands of Madhesi people, representation based on proportional and inclusive system and demarcation of election constituencies based on population.
According to the Madhesi leaders, the talks committee has assured them of coming up with a concrete proposal on their demands on Tuesday. The leaders seemed more positive and serious towards the demands of Madhesi, they added.