Police in Nepal on Monday opened fire at Madhesi activists protesting against the newly- unveiled Constitution, injuring three persons in Biratnagar, a town bordering India, even as Prime Minister Sushil Koirala invited the agitating groups for talks. He said, “Nepal is ethnically diverse, so not possible to make everyone happy.”
Cadres of Joint Madhesi Front held demonstrations in several places, a day after President Ram Baran Yadav promulgated Nepal’s new Constitution that marked the country’s transition into a fully secular and democratic republic.
Meanwhile, Indian envoy to Nepal Ranjit Rae on Monday briefed the Government on the latest situation in that country.
Rae, who had spoken to the Nepalese Prime Minister on Sunday to convey India’s concerns over the violent situation in several parts of the country bordering it, was called for “consultations” in Delhi, official sources said.
India has also told Nepal that issues on which there are differences should be “resolved through dialogue in an atmosphere free from violence and intimidation, and institutionalised in a manner that would enable broad-based ownership and acceptance”.
Three major political parties — Nepali Congress, CPN-UMl and UCPN-Maoist — organised a joint public meeting at Tundikhel Open Ground in Kathmandu on Monday to mark the historic occasion of promulgation of the Constitution.
In clear reference to India, Maoist chief Prachanda said Nepal does not want to be India’s “yes man”, even as the country’s top political leaders vowed to maintain good relations with both India and China. “Nepal wants to be a good friend of India, not the yes man,” said Prachanda.
Prachanda said Nepal was ready to address India’s concerns but it should also reciprocate. The Maoist chief, who is known for his anti-India stance, said India and China should welcome this historic moment of promulgation of the Constitution. “I hope India and China will show special respect to this historic achievement,” said Prachanda, who led a decade-long civil war in Nepal before joining the peace process in 2006.
Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sushil Koirala, while addressing the same gathering, urged all to come to the negotiating table to get their concerns addressed. Koirala said Nepal wants to move forward by maintaining cordial relations with both neighbouring countries India and China. “We have to drive the country to economic prosperity through unity,” he said
“We cannot even think about making anyone enemy,” said CPN-UMl chairman K P Sharma Oli.
In Siraha district, the agitators burnt the copies of the new Constitution. life has been severely affected in the country due to the month-long agitation by the Madhesi Front and Tharuwan Struggle Committee in southern and some parts of western Nepal. They have been protesting against federating the country in seven provinces.