Nepal minister quits over ethnic protests
Source: Reuters
(Adds former home minister's arrest) By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, Jan 29 (Reuters) - A Nepali minister from the ethnic Madhesi community resigned on Monday, accusing the ruling alliance of neglecting Madhesi grievances that have led to violent protests in the south. The demonstrations across the fertile Terai lowlands, also known as the Madhesh, have taken the sheen off a peace process that has seen former Maoist rebels join an interim parliament this month. At least seven people have been killed over the last two weeks and over 100 wounded, paralysing the area bordering India. Madhesi activists say their community has been discriminated against by "hill-dominated" political elites who run the country, resulting in its under-representation in government, security agencies and the highest levels of politics. The resignation by Hridayesh Tripathi, the country's commerce minister, is the first by a senior Madhesi politician and comes amid rising criticism that the government has not called protest leaders for talks. "The eight parties (ruling alliance and Maoists) have not been able to form a consensus to amend the constitution, making way for federalism," Tripathi told Reuters, adding that the government should redraw constituencies so the Madhesis are better represented in parliament. "The speed with which Madhesh is burning is dangerous." ROYALISTS BLAMED Hours after the resignation, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala met top leaders of the ruling alliance and Maoist chief Prachanda to try and stem the unrest. Members of the eight parties, including the Maoists, are expected to meet on Tuesday. In a news conference, Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula said royalists supportive of a humbled King Gyanendra were fuelling the unrest in Terai. "The supporters of the (former) autocratic royalist government are responsible for creating trouble," Sitaula said. Soon after the press meet, police detained former home minister Kamal Thapa "for investigation", an official said. Thapa was home minister during Gyanendra's absolute rule that ended in April last year after mass pro-democracy protests. Madhesi leaders are angry after parliament passed an interim constitution which did not meet their demands for federalism and proportional representation. "This (violence in Madhesh) is a failure of the government and governance. These demands could have been addressed earlier," Lok Raj Baral of the Nepal Centre for Strategic Studies said. "These are genuine demands but it seems Koirala acts only under pressure." Madhesis are ethnically, culturally and linguistically closer to people living in neighbouring India than to Nepalis living in the mountains. More than 50 MPs from the Terai, impoverished Nepal's bread basket and industrial hub, urged Koirala on Sunday to meet the demands of Madhesi protesters. Three towns in the Terai are still under curfew. On Sunday, Madhesi protesters beat up local reporters and attacked local radio stations in the troubled town of Birgunj. (Additional reporting by Kamil Zaheer)
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