Nepal's new source of unrest

Nepal's new source of unrest

By Charles Haviland

BBC News, Kathmandu

The government has asked Maoists to talk to the southern insurgents

Nepal's 10-year civil war appears to be over, with Maoist rebels locking up their weapons and preparing to join the government.

But with peace on the horizon, a new source of instability has emerged in the south among those who say they have been overlooked.

Demonstrations across the south of the country have gathered in intensity in the past few weeks

The protests relate to local people's sense that they are discriminated against.

Right along Nepal's southern edge, bordering India, is a strip of flat, fertile country.

The people of this region, the Madheshis, are varied.

They include Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists, Aboriginal groups and also people with close cultural ties to India.

Many prefer to speak Hindi rather than Nepali.

Citizenship denied

What unites them most is the belief that they are marginalised in a country whose rulers, both royal and political, have always come from the hills.

Map of Nepal

The Madheshis say they feel internally colonised and that even simple matters, such as the way they dress, are looked down on.

Although one-third of Nepalis are Madheshis, they make up only one-tenth of those working in government and in the army they have near zero representation.

Moreover, many have been denied Nepalese citizenship, despite living in the country for decades.

In recent years several Madheshi groups have arisen to campaign on these issues.

They include a small party now in the government and the forum leading the current protests.

There are also two militant factions which broke away from the Maoists and are waging violent campaigns.

The latter want complete independence for the plains and the removal of hill people from local jobs.

But the peaceful groups want regional autonomy and better representation in parliament.

Ethnic violence

Last month, in south-west Nepal, there were violent clashes pitting Madheshis against migrants from the hills whose number rose during the 10-year Maoist insurgency.

The government has asked the Maoists to talk to the main militant faction, but the latter recently ruled out talks.

Ethnically-based violence is new to Nepal.

The Maoists, who formed what they called sister organisations based on ethnicity, may be wondering if they made a mistake.