Posted by: vowels2006 March 12, 2008
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It is a different matter being a citizen of a country and belonging to a country. One may
have a citizenship certificate of a country and be entitled to equality and justice enshrined
in the constitution, but it is as well possible that it only remains in the book of law.
Madheshis constitute one third of the total population of Nepal (33%), but are meagerly
and inadequately represented in Nepal’s socio-economic and political front. Their
representation in government bureaucracies is only between five to ten percent, in police
force below five percent and in Army it is negligible.
The government policies were deliberately discriminatory against Madheshis, Janjatis
and other minorities since the Rana regime and during the Panchayat era. The Ranas
exploited the Hindu Caste codification to serve their ends, and the Panchayati era
government marched with King Mahendra’s "one-culture, one-language, one-religion,
one-country" definition of national unity to "Nepalize" all other ethnic groups.
Eventually, Madheshis were left out in the cold.
Even now, the Madheshis are not only barred from access to equal resources and
opportunities, but also don’t feel as mainstream Nepalese, because of the way they are
perceived, treated, and presumed. Madheshis grow up being called or referred to as
"Madise, Marsya, Kale, Dhoti, Hapsi, Indian…" by the so-called ‘true’ or ‘genuine’
Nepalese- the "Pahadis" and other hilly inhabitants. In Nepal, there are gender specific
discrimination, caste based discrimination and discrimination based on geographical
location. How can a country be developed when it is ruled only by the so-called few
‘elite’ groups- the men, the upper caste and the Pahadis and hilly people?
In Nepal, only Pahadis are considered to be ‘genuine’/‘ethnic’ Nepalese; people from
Madhesh are like "foreign invaders"! I must admit, many of the Pahadis and other hilly
groups are too naïve in their knowledge. They would simply call all Madheshis as Indians
(though there is nothing wrong to be an Indian), or dhotis, or vice versa! If Goddess Sita
and Lord Buddha are from Nepal in spite of belonging to Madhesh, it needs some
common sense to call Madheshis as Indians and Indians as Madheshis; bliss their
ignorance! In fact, except those from the Tibeto-Mongoloid races, all Nepalese had roots
from India- the Karnataka dynasty kings ruled Kathmandu, and the Ranas have migrated
from Rajasthan in India.
We derive our identity from the world around us. Our self-image is developed through
what we see and what is shown to us or what we think and what people think of us. When
one is viewed negatively and is insulted time and over again because of the way they are,
the way they look or because of their origin, there is some sort of discomfort that sets in
have a citizenship certificate of a country and be entitled to equality and justice enshrined
in the constitution, but it is as well possible that it only remains in the book of law.
Madheshis constitute one third of the total population of Nepal (33%), but are meagerly
and inadequately represented in Nepal’s socio-economic and political front. Their
representation in government bureaucracies is only between five to ten percent, in police
force below five percent and in Army it is negligible.
The government policies were deliberately discriminatory against Madheshis, Janjatis
and other minorities since the Rana regime and during the Panchayat era. The Ranas
exploited the Hindu Caste codification to serve their ends, and the Panchayati era
government marched with King Mahendra’s "one-culture, one-language, one-religion,
one-country" definition of national unity to "Nepalize" all other ethnic groups.
Eventually, Madheshis were left out in the cold.
Even now, the Madheshis are not only barred from access to equal resources and
opportunities, but also don’t feel as mainstream Nepalese, because of the way they are
perceived, treated, and presumed. Madheshis grow up being called or referred to as
"Madise, Marsya, Kale, Dhoti, Hapsi, Indian…" by the so-called ‘true’ or ‘genuine’
Nepalese- the "Pahadis" and other hilly inhabitants. In Nepal, there are gender specific
discrimination, caste based discrimination and discrimination based on geographical
location. How can a country be developed when it is ruled only by the so-called few
‘elite’ groups- the men, the upper caste and the Pahadis and hilly people?
In Nepal, only Pahadis are considered to be ‘genuine’/‘ethnic’ Nepalese; people from
Madhesh are like "foreign invaders"! I must admit, many of the Pahadis and other hilly
groups are too naïve in their knowledge. They would simply call all Madheshis as Indians
(though there is nothing wrong to be an Indian), or dhotis, or vice versa! If Goddess Sita
and Lord Buddha are from Nepal in spite of belonging to Madhesh, it needs some
common sense to call Madheshis as Indians and Indians as Madheshis; bliss their
ignorance! In fact, except those from the Tibeto-Mongoloid races, all Nepalese had roots
from India- the Karnataka dynasty kings ruled Kathmandu, and the Ranas have migrated
from Rajasthan in India.
We derive our identity from the world around us. Our self-image is developed through
what we see and what is shown to us or what we think and what people think of us. When
one is viewed negatively and is insulted time and over again because of the way they are,
the way they look or because of their origin, there is some sort of discomfort that sets in