Abhishek Jha
The fabled new constitution was celebrated with joy in mid hills, but the overarching population of youths in southern plain were in complete black out. Lights in houses were cut off. Mourning over the dead bodies, killed by the state, was the only sound in the blank space. The circumspect compelled the youths in madhesh to momentarily disremember their identity of being a Nepali. Dreadness that #notmyconstitution will be forcefully imposed on, was all over. The state in past month has been traumatizing youths in madhesh by questioning their identity. This has been the kind of response of the state, as youths in madhesh have gathered all their efforts to put forward their claims.
Identical Swift in Acceptation
The self-declared breakthrough (16-pint agreement) among the fabricators, was already presaged as the ideologue divide among the youths of the territorial dominion. Cognitive psychology and reception of it by young youths evinced the sally of this ‘loot and grab sortie’ unanimity. Insubstantial touchstone of this breakthrough sidelined the demands of madhesi. The object and intent of the ambiguous breakthrough was prima facie deceptive as it inconsistently held the previously agreed upon terms and was mutually exclusive to madhesi sentiments. This delusive unanimity among the chief whips of ruling party circumscribed inclusion of madhesi identity. This hard hit de-psychologized madhesi youths of their identity as being a Nepali. This highly trickled up the incomprehensiveness for the upcoming constitution. Sidelined madhesh youths got themselves prepared to infract what was going to be imposed on them, in against of their will. And they did.
Chronicle history of Nepal suggests of it possessing a monolithic identical structure. To continue the legacy of exclusive national identity has been the major responsibility of the cognitive functionaries of the state. The exclusionary identity of the state never accustomed diversity. Nepal witnessed long frays of struggle targeted to break the nexus of exclusionists. But this epochal campaign by de- psychologized madhesi youths is being ensued as an watershed event for re-defining the national identity. The surpassing identity which was a favor for one and riddance for the other is now being questioned on its integrability. Madhesi youth have succeeded in making this movement a critical point marking the change in course defining what an identity is.
Socio-Economic Swift in Dailiness
Despite madhesi youths’ continuous disavowal, unconcerned whips unveiled the most contentious document. This raged all the madhesi younkers to step out on the road and spit all their rudimentary grievances out. The anguish of being inflicted by the forced constitution hazed the plausibility of government addressing madhesi relinquishment in coming days. Instead of rectifying what went wrong, the government sanitarily intensified the unrest. Excessive and indiscriminate use of force by the security officials, on the unarmed dissidents resulted in radicalization of madhesi youths. The paradigm sifted from silver lining situation of constitutional protection, to bizarre situation of death and mourning. And that resorted to dislocation of youths in plain from the established identity of being a true Nepali.
Five month long and still ongoing unrest in madhesh has mostly dejected madhesi youth by low spirit. They have been hit hard by the socio-economic blow caused by the blockade declared by themselves. During all this time, what trickled up for them was socio-economic burden and what trickled down was their identity level. Banda in Biratnagar has elevated a challenge for them to prevent chances of divisive politics, while blockade on Miteri Bridge has shaken their economic pillars. Irony is that, while this situation has created a life sustaining question for madhesi youth, it is still being discerned as a matter of play for the government.
Positional Swift in Politics
This blatant hostile disposition of madhesi youth has its justifiable reasons. This constitution not only deprives madhesi of their rightful demands, but has also disguised the epistemic identity of madhesh. The unheeded claims of madhesi youth during the feedback collection, unrealized responsibility that resorted in mishandling of terai unrest, political protectionism to one defined group of people and riddance to rest of all, and overall ambivalency to understand the madhesh-discourse by the state are enough instance to attest the defense of madhesi youths and theirs stand.
Madhesi youths have always been subjected to count of in-house politics in Nepal. But at the stage where demands are meant to be fulfilled, they have always been deprived of their opportunity. It’s time the state and the self declared states-man free madhesi youth from their entanglement and stop using them as a mere means of their vested politics. Madhesi youths have been fighting for their rights, which are meant to be fulfilled in all terms now.
Cover Image: India Today
Kathmandu University School of Law
