Mukherjee in Janakpur

Photo: RSS

India's President Pranab Mukherjee has received a grand reception in Janakpur – a Madhesi town where Nepal's President Bidya Bhandari was humiliated last year.

Janakpur is the cradle of the historic Mithila civilisation, and its famous Janaki temple is the birthplace of Sita, the princess of the ancient Mithila kingdom. Sita was married to Ram, the prince of Ayodhya, an ancient Hindu kingdom now in India.

Mukherjee's visit to Janakpur is symbolically meaningful as this town in Nepal's southern plains bordering India is not just signifying the shared history between the two countries, but also one of the flashpoints of last year's Madhes protests overtly backed by New Delhi.

In 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wanted to pay a visit to Janakpur. His plan was to enter Nepal via Janakpur, offer prayers at the Janaki temple and address a public gathering. But he was disappointed when Nepal's then-Prime Minister Sushil Koirala did not agree to his plan, citing 'extremist' and 'intolerant' activities against India by Maoists.

But Mukherjee did not face obstacles in realising his dream to visit Sita's birthplace. Locals lined up by the roadside waving national flags of the two countries to welcome Mukherjee, who landed at the Janakpur Airport by a special Buddha Air flight.

Mukherjee's carcade passed through more than 50 welcome gates between the airport and the Tiruhutiya Gachhi – a historical place of Janakpur where he was felicitated at a grand civic reception. He later offered prayers at the Janaki Temple, the shrine Janakpur is famous for. The temple was cleaned, painted and decorated ahead of his visit.

Photo: RSS

In December 2015, when Bhandari visited Janakpur to offer prayers at the Janaki temple, cadres of Madhes-based parties waved black flags and hurled stones at her carcade. They later cleaned the shrine with 'holy water', saying 'a widow's entry had made it unholy'.

When the temple purification act was vehemently criticised on social networking sites, Madhesi leaders downplayed the incident saying the shrine was cleaned not because of a widow's entry but because sniffer dogs were allowed in there.

The contrast to the welcome Mukherjee, a president of a foreign country, received could not have been more stark.

On the eve of Mukherjee's Janakpur visit, Madhesi leaders met him in Kathmandu, and complained that even the new Maoist-NC government supported by them is not undertaking genuine efforts to amend the Constitution. Mukherjee asked them to wait for some time, saying he had advised Nepal's political leadership to take everyone on board in implementing the Constitution.

When the Constitution was promulgated last year, Madhesi parties felt alienated, and spearheaded an indefinite strike in the country's southern plains. That was when Bhandari was assaulted in Janakpur. India backed Madhesi parties, and imposed a five-month border blockade against the earthquake-devastated Nepal to pressure Kathmandu to address their demands.

Madhesi demands were partially fulfilled, and the blockade was lifted in January this year. But Madhesi parties are still threatening another stir, and India is still championing their cause. As the ceremonial head of the Indian state, Mukherjee just reiterated the Indian establishment's stand.

 Om Astha Rai