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Last April, a group Nepali intellectuals from ND forum had written a “white paper†outlining their recommendations for resolving the Terai conflict.
I am sharing here a marathon discussion that happened on the eve of the publication of that paper in various Nepali papers.
It was basically my refusal to be a signatory to the document and my follow-up exchanges with the members of the group.
I had refused to support the paper citing three weaknesses in it (1) it lacked substance, (2) it lacked audacity to tell the agitators about the norms (non-violence, national integrity, and communal harmony) they should follow, and (3) it showed basically an intellectual bankruptcy by endorsing scape-goating HM Sitaula for the lapses the state and the head of the state/government was actually responsible.
Hope the discussion and my arguments could be interesting to the readers interested in this thread.
Nepe
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From: XX
Date: Sat,
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear Concerned Members of the North American Nepali Diaspora and Friends of
After almost a month of brainstorming and exchange of ideas on ND Forum, we
have come up with the attached White Paper outlining the North American
Nepali Diaspora's perspective on the Resolution of the Current Terai
Conflict. We understand that it may not reflect the views of ALL the
individuals; nonetheless, we have tried our best to come up with a
compromise document encompassing diverse views and forward looking
solutions.
Please extend your support by becoming one of the signatories of this
important document. You can e-mail to Mr…. …to be included in the "List of Signatories". ....
XX
[Note: The “White Paper†was published in several papers including KOL
without any revision, that is, ignoring all the discussion (see below) that
followed this message in ND forum. Nepe]
http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=106945
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From: Deepak Khadka
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear NAC/ANTA friends and others,
I have decided not to sign the "White paper" in it's current form.
Here is my explanation
The suggestion to the government to legislate anti-discriminatory laws
is the only novel idea and hence a unique contribution of the white
paper.
All other recommendations/suggestions are not new and, more
importantly, are of "procedural" (how to do it) rather than
"substantial"(what is acceptable and what is not) nature and since
"substantial" rather than "procedural" nature, I doubt if the white
paper is making a substantial contribution, of course except the one I
mentioned at the beginning.
Having said that, I find some serious and extremely consequential
lapses and bad judgments in the document which are keeping me from
signing it.
I am putting them in points as follows.
1. I believe one of the major problems of the moment for
directionless (or with multidirections) agitation in Terai and it's
handling by the government and, as a matter of fact, this is what we
wanted to address originally and this document came about.
While the paper gives a fairly comprehensive "substantial" suggestion
to the government (the opening para of the document), it fails even to
dare to give such "substantial" suggestions to the agitators.
I think we must tell clearly, loudly and categorically the agitating
parties in Terai that (i) the integrity of
harmony, are the bottomline/bed-rock/agnirekha for any kind of
agitation/movement/revolt at this juncture of
A clear, unambiguous, vocal and CONSTANT expression of commitment to
these two fundamental principles is the first and the last conditions
for the legitimacy of any agitation in
We can not miss this point. Otherwise our "white paper" will be a
"gray paper".
2. The most serious lapse in the document is that in many ways it
gives a clean chit to MJF regarding the Gaur massacre and puts the
blame instead on the Maoists and the home minister, Krishna P.
Sitaula.
3. Putting the blame of mishandling squarely on the home minister (and
not on the prime minister or whoever was "actually", and not
"morally", responsible for the incidents) is a poor judgment.
Similarly, reducing the "hurt feeling of the citizens of Madhesh" to
K. P. Sitaula (and not the whole long suppressive and discriminatory
history of
conducive environment for dialogue with leaders of Madhesh movement"
when, as we know, these "leaders of Madhesh movement" are refusing to
GUARANTEE the dialog that the government has asked for in return to
the resignation of the home minister whose guilt is yet to be proved
in a full legal sense aren't smart judgment.
So, unless these lapses and poor judgments are corrected, I am sorry
to let all those who worked so hard to produce this document and all
those who found it "eloquent voice" of the diaspora that I am unable
to endorse and sign it.
With due apology,
Deepak Khadka
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From: XX
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear Deepak ji:
Thanks for your comments on the White Paper. Thanks for at least
supporting ONE recommendation of the Paper. You have all the rights,
as I've stated in my e-mail, NOT to agree with the content(s) of the
White Paper.
I just would like to clarify that the White Paper is NOT from ANTA and/
or NAC.
The two (2) things that you want to tell clearly, loudly and
categorically below are/will be, in my opinion, the by-products of NOT
doing what are being suggested in the White Paper. Majority of
Madheshis love
mention, they also love and respect their pahadi neighbors much more
than the love and respect exhibited to them by their pahadi neighbors.
Hope most of the members - especially those who have lived or
experienced Terai will agree with my assertion.
Lastly, I too would like to exercise my personal freedom and,
respectfully, disagree with the rest of your comments - especially
those pertainting to the resignation of Mr. Sitaula, and MPRF.
Regards,
XX
A Concerned Member of NA Nepali Diaspora
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From: Deepak Khadka
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear XX-jee,
There is not just one but are hundreds other things in the paper that
I support. In fact, except for those three issues I raised, I support
and endorse all other things in the paper.
And I totally agree with you that nobody can and should question
Madheshi people's love for
communities. I am not questioning it at all and I want to make that
absolutely clear.
What I am questioning is rather certain aspects of MJF/JTMM's
agitations. I think they are quite comfortably and almost legitimately
using (i) threat to
Madhesh and (iii) use of communal hatred, as bargaining capital of
their agitations. No wonder the initial huge support and solidarity to
the initial movement from all section of Nepali societies have
dramatically evaporated.
Anyway, my emphasis is that we (the white paper) must let the
agitating parties know our view regarding the moral, ethical and
political boundaries for the legitimacy of their agitations.
On your disagreements on other two points, I would express my
respectful disagreement with you likewise.
Thank you once again for your response and I really appreciate the
time and energy you and other friends have invested to bring about
this otherwise pretty good document.
Sincerely,
Deepak
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From: YY
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear Deepak jee
sorry for jumping in. Its nice to know that you agree on most of the
points raised in white Paper and I express my thanks for you
generosity.
But your attempt to equate JTMM and MJF is not the idea, I will
conform to. MJF has never expressed support for disintegration. There
is no proof of their seperatist tendency, even though they may have
erred on political strategies. You may have seen Devanand's hindi
movie "guide"....An ordinary man is forced to behave as if he is a
saint/prophet or whatever. Attempts to corner MJF too much, may lead
to such tendencies in their support base> (I am among one of them).
Regarding seperatist ideology of JTMM....I don't see any reason to
support such demands at the moment as Madhesi and we have
categorically asked them to denounce violence.But equally important is
that support of teretorial integrity of
world, is not eternal and it depends on how a particular group/
individual in a country is treated by national institutions. To be
very frank, I can not extend my unconditional support for teretorial
integrity of
I have "hope". And I think, my "hope" will endure long. And I hope,
our collective resolve to create a just society will be able to resist
"communal hatred" perpetuated by handful of individuals either in
state apparatus or in some "underground" organizations.
Politics is an emotional game.....it depends on us what type of
emotionality we like to prevail in Madhesh or
work to respect "emotions" of people. Political decisions are not
taken in a "Lab" or a particular research setting. "human subjects"
are involved in that decision making process and they are guided by
"emotions". "People "
laugh, smile, fight, envy, love, get angry, cry, have tendencty to
rebel when cornered, compromise and so on......"people" are human
beings.....We must admit that.
The white paper proposed is a mixture of such human tendencies.....and
I respect your right to disagree.....Thanks for you engagement on this
topic.
********* ************ **************** ***********
From: Deepak Khadka
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear YY-jee,
My combined gunaaso to MJF and JTMM was as follows:
"What I am questioning is rather certain aspects of MJF/JTMM's
agitations. I think they are quite comfortably and almost legitimately
using (i) threat to
Madhesh and (iii) use of communal hatred, as bargaining capital of
their agitations. No wonder the initial huge support and solidarity to
the initial movement from all section of Nepali societies have
dramatically evaporated."
"THREAT", "BARGAINING CAPITAL" and " EVAPORATED SUPPORT" were my key
words. My impression is made from the secondary sources of
information--reports in the media and conversations with friends. So I
could be wrong to the extent I am getting false informations. If MJF
is not using "threat" to nation's integrity and communal harmony as
it's "bargaining capital", it is a good news. Even then, the expressed
committment to the intergrity of the nation and communal harmony might
go a long way to restore the evaporated support it's movement once it
had.
So it would an important step towards "salvaging" NJF led Madhesi
movement for good of everybody.
As for seccession as a political right,I beleive one of many
principles proposed to be enshrined in the new constitution of
will address it with utmost fairness and, I would like to proudly
emphasize, with a higher conciousness than the democracy of
principle of the 'right of self determination' espoused by NJF's
paradoxical arch rival the Maoists is the one I am thinking about.
So I beleive it is in everybody's, even the secessionist's interst to
make the election of Constituent Assembly a success.
In any case, asking NJF to do things to win back the support and the
trust of
had would not be "cornering" it. It would be "salvaging" NJF and
Madhesi movement.
My 2 cents.
Deepak Khadka
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From: LJ
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
I think may be White paper should have included following suggestion
by Deepak Jee:
"I think we must tell clearly, loudly and categorically the agitating
parties in Terai that (i) the integrity of
harmony, are the bottomline/bed-rock/agnirekha for any kind of
agitation/movement/revolt at this juncture of
I think there is value to Deepak Jee's following comments in this
thread.
" If MJF is not using "threat" to nation's integrity and communal
harmony as it's "bargaining capital", it is a good news. Even then, the
expressed committment to the intergrity of the nation and communal
harmony might go a long way to restore the evaporated support it's
movement once it had."
I see how MJF's coomittement as outlined above could go long way
soothing concern of Pahadi cummunity and folks who truly sympathizes
with madheshi issue.
…
Sincerely
LJ
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From: PS
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
I do support Deepakji's clarification points regarding MJF and
Vishwanathjee's address to the intellectuals be added on the white paper.
In solidarity
PS
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From: XX
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear All:
I appreciate all the new modifications suggested by many members of
this forum as well as some intellectuals from back home. I really like
these suggestions. However, as we have already sent the White Paper in
its current form to most of the Stakeholders and some 500 additional
recipients worldwide, I feel it may not be a good idea to re-send to
these people/organizations. Also, we have received quotations from
several newspapers from
I, therefore, request you to understand our situation, and allow us to
move forward.
Regards,
XX
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From: Deepak Khadka
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear XX-jee,
We've got a serious situation here owing to a new political development back
home.
I am reading in the media that MJF has withdrawn it's demand of Home
minister's resignation as a pre-condition to talk. And here we are with a
white paper calling for Sitaula's resignation.
I think we are going to look stupid rather than intelligent with what we
have in the paper at this point.
This really calls for immediate withdrawal and a serious review of the
paper.
Besides the issue of Sitaula, we also have other things to review as
supported by Lalit-jee, Padam-jee, Ambika-jee and other friends.
So I think it's really what they call a situation here.
Deepak Khadka
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From: AA
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear Deepak jee
The situation may not be as serious as you have said, for two reasons. One,
the White paper was disseminated two days ago, so the news today is after
the fact. Ratan jee has said the WP has already been distributed to some
500 individuals.
Second, the paper speaks for the concerned North American Diaspora only, so
if the feelings and readings of the Diaspora members remain the same, it is
OK to leave the paragraph as it is. Further, the white paper does not
really demand KPS resignation, but suggest that the hurt feelings of
Madheshi citizens of Nepali may be healed by his resignation. So, I think
we can leave it as it is, and date the white paper (
The news you forwarded is a welcome news. KPS's resignation was only an
emotional issue for some, because it is the political process in
does the necessary balancing act of appointments as needed on the ground. I
am glad the MPRF and others are willing to talk to the government. Dialogue
is the key to the resolution of all Madhesh related problems in
Best.
AA
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From: Deepak Khadka
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
AA-jee,
If a low number [of] signatories is no problem and, I would like to remind what happened with the famous "middle-ground paper", an after-math embarrassment is no problem, then the situation is probably not as serious.
Since I am not a signatory to this paper, I probably should not be as restless as I am now ;-)
Partly in jest,
Deepak
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From: AT
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear AA Ji and XX Ji,
Thank you for clarifying several issues regarding the White paper. As I have mentioned several times, the home minister's resignation is a moral issue, not a political issue. If there is huge loss of lives and property and if there is evidence that it was because of administration's failure, the government should take moral responsibility for its failure.
After the return of the members of the UNMIN from the visit to Gaur, the UNMIN released a press note mentioning: “The killings in Gaur have exposed the lack of effective policing in many parts of the country.â€
Many people from Madeshi community feel that they have been badly treated or mistreated during the demostrations mainly because of Home Minister-Maoist nexus. As the concerned members of Diaspora, we have no regret in asking Home Minister's resignation if the hurt feelings of Madheshi citizens of Nepali is healed.
Regards,
AT
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From: Deepak Khadka
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
AT-jee,
The supreme moral responsibility, even in absence of any context, goes to the head of the government, Mr. Girija P Koirala, unless you have evidence that the home minister is "actually" responsible for what happened. It's pretty basic logic on morality.
Now if you put the whole thing in context of government's position or lack thereof regarding the Madhesh uprising, it's issue and the government's own reaction, Mr. Koirala will turn out to be 100% responsible.
It was this short-sighted Koirala who had succeeded to drop "federalism" from the interim constitution, which right away triggered Madhesi movement (no it's not Lahan that triggered the uprising) and became the major political demand of it and was accepted after so many Madhesis sacrificed their lives.
If we talk about Koirala's love for the old order, eliticism and antagonism for the kind of restructuring of the state of
A____T-jee, this is the objective reality around what happened in Madhesh and who caused it.
Sitaula is a mere scapegoat for what Koirala is both actually and morally responsible for.
Call of Sitaula's resignation is only two things: cowardice of those who fear Koirala and a vested interest of those who wants to protect Koirala.
Now I challenge you all: Dare to call for the resignation of prime minister on the actual moral ground !
Chha koi mai ka lal ?
Deepak Khadka
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From: AA
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear Deepak Ji,
Well, people have different prospective and different angles when they analyze things. Take for example, some people blamed President Bush for the failure in
Warm regards,
AT
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From: Deepak Khadka
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear AT-jee,
I will not bother much on that issue. I will agree to disagree and to move on.
However, I must emphasize that my argument was that Mr. Sitaula, unlike Rumsfeld in being one of the architects of
… …
Deepak
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From: AA
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
Dear Deepak jee:
While appreciating your impeccable logic and water tight writings almost all
the time, I think on this occasion your challenge asking for the PM's
resignation is misplaced.
I am among the people you have indicated who support GPK. Support for any
living politician comes with many qualifications, and can be costly for most
individuals; and particularly for us here who have no personal or
tangible gain from it, but only exposes us to criticisms.
As I have said many times before, there is no end to a debate on our
personal preferences, suppoort, and opposition to individual politicians in
However, In GPK's case, I think he is the only political figure who was able
to bring the fragile, unstable, but critical coherence in the Nepali
politics after the fall of KG, and possibly that of monarchy. For all his
shortcomings, and lack of intellectual credentials (which he has never
claimed) his consistency, dedication, and intuition have proved valuable in
bringing
statesmanship and courage to unite the country in this most difficult period
of transition.
Personally, I think his vision of the nation has prevailed over many other
competing visions.
I know I am opening up myself for bullets, but I am fine writing this. I
also think there is not much point criticising GPK and asking for his
resignation at this point, which I believe will be extremely
counter-productive.
With regards.
AA
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From: Deepak Khadka
Date:
To: nepaldemocracy@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [ND] Re: White Paper on Resolving the Terai Conflict
AA-jee,
Thank you for you kind words and views.
It's not that I do not have a thing or two to appreciate about Koirala. However, looking at where we stand now and thinking where we could have been, had we have a slightestly progressive person in place of Koirala, I can not help giving him a negative grade.
However, since Koirala is the only contestant in the class, even his poor grade is the best grade !
I think, basically this is what you and I are looking at differently.
That said, I am glad you talked about Koirala and the dharma-sankat they bring to one pointing finger at Koirala.
Because that's exactly my point.
Now I can rest my case.
Best regards,
Deepak
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