Madhesi youths and activists staged a rally in Kathmandu on Saturday, urging the government to stop what they say is police's brutality in the Tarai.
Madhesis affiliated to various political parties and organisations marched towards the Constituent Assembly (CA) hall in New Baneswor, where preparations are underway to promulgate the new constitution amidst a special event on Sunday.
They shouted slogans against the ruling parties and urged the government to withdraw the army from the Tarai, where an indefinite strike enforced by an alliance of Madhesi parties has crippled normal life for more than one month.
After the NC, the UML and the UCPN (M) drew boundaries of federal provinces in the new constitution, at least 40 people, including police personnel, have lost their lives so far. Most of the people killed in police firing are Madhesis.
Madhes-based political parties have rejected the new constitution, expressing dissatisfaction with boundaries of federal provinces and demanding their representation in all state organs and mechanisms in proportion to their population. They have demanded southern parts of Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa districts, which are now in the eastern province, in the Madhes province.
Upendra Yadav's Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, Rajendra Mahato's Sadbhavana Party, Mahantha Thakur's Tarai Madhes Democratic Party and Mahendra Yadav's Tarai Madhes Sadbhavana Party, besides a few others, have threatened to burn the new constitution when it is promulgated.
Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar's MJF (D) was the only Madhes-based party that signed the 16-point deal, the blueprint for the new constitution. But in the wake of the Tikapur violence, Gachhadar also parted his way from the NC-UML-UCPN (M) alliance. The three parties had nearly struck a fresh deal with Gachhadar on Friday, but negotiations fell apart when the NC and the UML did not agree to mention Madhes and Tharuhat.
However, the CA has allowed the disgruntled lawmakers to sign the new constitution till Sunday afternoon, giving some more time for the three parties to negotiate with Gachhadar. But other Madhesi parties are unlikely to reach an agreement with the three parties.
Although Madhesi parties have boycotted the constitution process, 67 Madhesi lawmakers from the NC, the UML and the UCPN (M) have endorsed the charter.