2015 MAY 12, RAJBIRAJ. Upon the appeal from Dr C. K. Raut, Madheshis throughout various southern districts of Madhesh have observed a one-day-fast on Tuesday and donated their share of food for the Nepal’s great earthquake victims.

Dr. Raut himself too observed a fast and addressed a program organised in Rajbiraj of Saptari District. Speaking to thousands of his supporters participating in the program, he remarked that the Madhesh independence movement is not against the Nepali people, rather against the Nepali colonisation and racism in Madhesh, and we have to stand for the rights and freedom of the Nepali people as much as we stand for our own. “And in this time of humanitarian crisis, we firmly stand with our Nepali brothers and sisters, and we will do our best to share their sorrow and pain,” he further added.

Responding to a query on why Madheshis needed to observe a fast to donate food to Nepali earthquake victims, Dr. Raut told the audience that Madhesh under Nepali colonisation herself is suffering badly from starvation, illiteracy, unemployment, landlessness and many disasters including fire and flood, and in such condition to support others, it has become a necessity. He further clarified, “In all three fundamental human needs (food, shelter and cloth), Madhesh, the southern plain region of the Nepali empire, is lagging much behind the hills (Nepal). Much higher percentage than hills, 19% of families in Madhesh is facing acute food-shortage, 50.2% children and 42.0% women are anemic, and 20.5% children have a wasting-status (all percentage almost double than hills). While 45% Dalits and 41% Muslims are still landless, we have been accommodating hill migrants to the extent that in 1951, the number of Pahadis in Madhesh was just 6%, whereas in 2001 it became 33%. Even from 2001 to 2011, the population of Madhesh increased from 48.4% to 50.3% of Nepal’s total population, while the population of hilly region declined in the same proportion. Due to this migration of Pahadis from hills to Madhesh, the population density of Madhesh has increased to a break point and even beyond. For example, the population density of Kanchanpur district increased from 12 to 280 per sq. km from 1961 to 2001, whereas that of adjacent hilly district Dadeldhura increased from 57 to 92 only, in the same period. Yet more and more Pahadis have been migrating and settling into Madhesh, despite Madheshis themselves remain landless. Regarding cloth (‘kapas’), Madheshis barely have much to cover their bodies, and when winter comes, it is not the freezing Himalayan region, but Madhesh, where dozens and dozens die due to cold. Recently, fire-victims of Saptari district lost everything; they have nothing to eat, nowhere to live, and they have got no tents or food as relief, not to talk about building a temporary shelter by the government or foreign agencies. No one is even talking about them, no media even bothers about them. In this way, Madhesh has been serving the Nepali empire, starving herself all the way, and this fast is also one more link to that long chain.”

The supporters of Dr. C. K. Raut, a Madheshi activist previously charged with treason, have been actively extending their support for relief and rescue work since a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on 25^th April. They have been involved in immediate rescue effort in the Sundhara area and many other parts of Kathmandu as well as outside districts. The source informed that separate medical, engineering and rescue teams have been deployed in earthquake affected areas.