Secessionist CK Raut arrested in Janakpur
February 2, 2017 21:15 PM Suresh Yadav
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Secessionist CK Raut arrested in Janakpur
JANAKPUR, Feb 2: Police on Thursday have arrested Chandra Kanta Raut better known as CK Raut, who is active in the tarai demanding that the southern plains be separated from Nepal
Raut was arrested at a time when the government was being criticized for doing nothing to those who have been openly talking about disintegrating the country. Following complaints, Siraha district police office had written to the Dhanusha district police, asking the latter to arrest Raut on the charge of ‘organized crime against the state’.
Dhanusha District Police chief SP Lalmani Acharya said that Raut will be handed over to Siraha police soon.
Raut, a permanent resident of Siraha district, had been living in a rented room near the old Janakpur Bus Park for the past six months. United under banner of Alliance for Independent Madhes (AIM), Raut and his supporters have been organizing gatherings in various parts of the country.
At a function organized on the premises of Pashupati Adarsha Higher Secondary School on January 18, Raut had spoken for about 11 minutes in which he had publicly stated that the tarai should seceded from Nepal.
Issuing a press statement Raut’s supporters have also confirmed his arrest. “Nepali state has yet again shown its racist color by arresting Dr Raut from Janakpur in an undemocratic manner,” states a press statement issued by Kailash Mahato.
What The Arrest of CK Raut Means For Nepal
VISHNU SHARMA
Monday, February 06,2017
KATHMANDU: In Nepal, the police recently arrested a prominent Madhesi leader Dr Chandra Kant Raut a.k.a. CK Raut allegedly for ‘involvement in organized crime against the state’. Although this is not the first time that Dr Raut has been taken into custody under such a charge, it is however interesting to see Prachanda’s government behind this action.
Dr Raut, in the recent past, had praised Prachanda as a ‘true leader’ and enthusiastically supported replacement of KP Oli led government with that of Prachanda. He believed that with Prachanda at the helm, the negotiation with the government on Madhesi issues would make more headway.
That said, Prachanda’s government did take measures to address the demands of the agitating Madhesi people. It even tried to register a constitution amendment bill on citizenship and boundary demarcation issues which are at the heart of the agitation. Last year, Prachanda’s party withdrew its support from KP Oli government charging it of failing on various fronts, including the above.
After the withdrawal, although he became the Prime Minister, Prachanda’s image suffered a serious dent. He was blamed of playing into India’s hand and compromising on issues of national interest. That said, his government nevertheless looked strong. However, the decision to arrest CK Raut raises several questions:
Firstly, it suggests that Prachanda’s government is about to collapse. Without this fear in mind he wouldn’t have taken such a hasty step. After this, if his government falls he would like to be seen as a martyr as he did during his first tenure as the Prime Minister in 2008 when he resigned after he failed to get support from the then-President and his coalition partner ULM against then-Army Chief General Rookmangud Katawal who thwarted several government decisions. Now, again his government has failed to deliver almost all the promises it had made when it came to power. The frustration with the government is swelling and even India doesn’t look satisfied with its performance.
Secondly, CK Raut’s sudden arrest suggests that Prachanda is readying himself for the upcoming elections, local as well as general. With this he tends to show himself as a leader who is not afraid of antagonizing India. Ever since his government took over, he is being blamed of working on India’s behest. For the last two decades, since 1996, Prachanda has cultivated his image as an uncompromising nationalist leader. But in his earnest to become Prime Minister he repeatedly took steps which went against that image. This led to several splits in his own party. So it looks that with this decision he wants to reclaim his image which in recent months has been taken over by his rival KP Oli.
Thirdly, the arrest also hints that Prachanda’s honeymoon with the South Block has ended. India supported replacement of KP Oli government with that of Prachanda because it believed that Oli was a threat to its interest and that he was leading Nepal China’s way. India believed that the new government would undo Oli’s decisions. The Oli government signed several agreements with the China government and, even if just on paper, did end India’s monopoly in various sectors including oil and power. But after six months in power Prachanda has nothing to show.
Additionally, according to the compromised deal with the Nepali Congress Prachanda has to step down after nine months. So there is fear that when the time comes, he will have nothing to show for his achievements to his supporters and hencem will not be able to present his case strongly during elections.
Further, if there is any ‘hidden’ reason apart from those mentioned above behind Prachanda’s move then it doesn’t bode well for Nepal’s future. For if under pressure from Madheshi leaders, who are currently in negotiation with the government, Prachanda has decided to bypass them by making a hero of CK Raut then he is doing so at his own as well as the country’s peril.
At present, CK Raut is just a political figure without a large mass base. He is only good for making provocative claims time to time demanding secession of Tarai (Plain) from Nepal. Currently there are three visible leaders of Madhesh who have following amongst the Madheshi population. They are Upendra Yadav, Rajendra Mahato and Mahanth Thakur. And if they are neglected or superseded then there is every chance that Nepal might witness the rise of its Bhindranwale.
CK Raut arrest: Nepal govt closely watching international community response
OnlineKhabar | Friday, February 3rd, 2017 4:12 PM
Kathmandu, February 3
Nepal’s government is closely observing the international community’s reaction to the arrest of CK Raut, a ‘free Madhesh’ campaigner, on Thursday.
The government wants to make it clear to the international community that Raut’s case is not that of ‘free speech’, it’s more of ‘hate speech’, a Cabinet source told Onlinekhabar.
About a fortnight ago, Raut addressed a mass gathering in Siraha district headquarters Lahan and made ‘secessionist remarks’. Siraha police then issued an arrest warrant against him. Officials say he will be tried at the Kathmandu district court on sedition charges.
According to the Cabinet source, in his briefing to the Prime Minister, Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi said Raut’s activities were getting out of hand, and he had to be arrested. Nidhi informed the PM that Raut had to be released the last time he was arrested for lack of evidence. This time, we have evidence that he made secessionist remarks, and we will use that against him in court, the Minister was quoted as saying.
Another source told Onlinekhabar that that the government was under pressure from the Madheshi Morcha to detain Raut. Ruling coalition leaders feel that the looming shadow of Raut does not help create a conducive political environment in Madhesh, necessary for local level elections.
The Cabinet source said the government is worried that the international community might raise Raut’s issue, and give him ‘prisoner of conscience’ status. He is a secessionist, who is abusing his right to free speech, the source said. “We do not want the West or rights NGOs to make it an issue,” the source said. “We are closely observing the international reaction.”
In a recent interview with Onlinekhabar, prominent human rights activist Krishna Pahadi had said: Raut is not a prisoner of conscience. He has called ‘mother’ Nepal a ‘prostitute’. This amounts to hate speech.
- See more at: http://english.onlinekhabar.com/2017/02/03/395187#sthash.hYBWaQVn.dpuf
Court remands CK Raut to 10-day judicial custody
- Post Report, LAHAN
Feb 3, 2017- Siraha District Court on Friday remanded Coordinator of the Independent Madhes campaign Chandra Kanta (CK) Raut in judicial custody for ten days.
Raut was arrested from Janakpur on Thursday and produced before the court today.
Lahan Area Police Office had asked for more to time for further investigation in the case lodged against him. He has been charged with organised crime against the state.
DSP Rajkumar KC said that Raut, while addressing an assembly in Lahan, Siraha on January 18, had given a provocative speech in which he hinted that Madhes should be established as a separate country.
CK Raut arrested in Janakpur
- Post Report, JANAKPUR
Feb 2, 2017- Police have arrested Coordinator of the Independent Madhes campaign CK Raut from Janakpur on Thursday.
Dhanusha District Police Office Lalmani Acharya said that they made the arrest as per the request of Siraha police, who wanted to interrogate Raut on a previous case, from his rented residence in Machha Bazaar at 3 pm today.
Raut has been sent to Siraha after the arrest, informed Janakpur police.
A few weeks ago, Raut had expressed secessionist views while addressing a meeting at Lahan.
Raut has been remanded to judicial custody for 10 days and there are indications that the case against him is likely to be pursued more vigorously this time.
Written by Yubaraj Ghimire | Kathmandu | Published:February 3, 2017 3:57 pm
madheshis, madheshis protests, british-nepal treaty, nepal treaty, madheshis treaty, madheshis land, nepal news, world news, latest news, indian express C K Raut, who does not belong to any existing political party in the country, has been leading a clandestine alliance for Madhes and lobbying for international support. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
A day after a prominent civil society leader, Krishna Pahari, came down heavily on Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi for being an alleged collaborator of secessionist forces, the police arrested C K Raut who has been advocating an independent Madhes carved out of Nepal, on Thursday.
Interestingly, Raut was arrested from Nidhi ‘s home town, Janakpur; and then moved to Lahan , approximately 70 km away from where he had last called for Nepal’s division and full ‘liberation ‘ of Madhes — Nepal ‘s plain with about 18 per cent of the country’s geography and over 50 per cent of the population.
Raut, who does not belong to any existing political party in the country, has been leading a clandestine alliance for Madhes and lobbying for international support.
If officials in Nepal are to be believed, during his visit to New Delhi last month, he reportedly met some ruling party leaders in Delhi, including a prominent Minister at the Centre. Back home, he lobbied with the international community meeting a European Union representative, which led to the concerned diplomat being chastised by the government.
Police arrested Madheshi rights activists’ Dr. CK Raut after harassing his kids & family
Nepal, Janakpur. 02 February 2017, Nepal Police illegally arrested Madheshi rights activist Dr. Chandra Kant Raut after harassing his kids and family from Janakpurdham-4, Macha Bazar of Danusha district. More than a dozen of police personnel broke the lock of the gate and harassed his wife along his kids before manhandling and arresting Dr. Raut. Nepali state has yet again shown its racist color by arresting Dr. Raut in an undemocratic manner.
With this illegal act of detentation, the Government of Nepal (GoN) is violating Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article-19 once again. In spite of the release provided from the Supreme Court of Nepal on the charges of treason by GoN, Nepal police have continually been arresting and harassing Dr. Raut, his famimly, staff, his colleagues and distrupting his peaceful programs too. On the occasion of martyr day, Dr. Raut addressed a large mass of Madheshi people on 18th Jan, 2017 at Lahan, Sirha, Nepal.
He has been advocating for freedom of Madhesh through peaceful and non-violent means and is affiliated to the Alliance for Independent Madhesh (AIM). He was Born in Saptari, holds a PhD from Cambridge University, and has worked as a scientist in the USA prior returning to Nepal to advocate for the rights of Madheshis. He has also authored ‘A History of Madhesh’, ‘Madhesh Swaraj (Self-rule)’ and ‘Denial to Defense (autobiography)’.
AIM is an alliance of Madheshi diaspora, activists, parties and various organisations working for the independence of Madhesh through non-violent and peaceful means following the principles of Buddha, Gandhi and Mandela. AIM advocates an end to Nepali colonization, racism, slavery and discrimination imposed on Madheshis. It stands for three pillars: (a) Independent Madhesh (b) Democratic System, and (c) Peaceful and Non-violent Means.
Acknowledging that the right to freedom of speech, movement, peaceful assembly and association are the fundamental rights of all human beings everywhere, as also mandated by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Nepal is a signatory, we expect acknowledgement and assurance of our rights from the state and its agencies. We also appeal to all the state and non-state agencies, human-rights organisations, journalists, political parties, diplomats and international communities to oppose any violation of human rights by the state and its agencies.