KATMANDU: Life in various Terai districts of Nepal including Siraha and Sapatri has been badly affected for the second day yesterday due to the indefinite shutdown called by the Federation of Backward Communities Nepal (FBCN).
Vehicular movement in the east-west highway traversing through these districts has been affected as the organization’s activists staged their protests by placing roadblocks and burning tires.
The organization, which claims to be fighting for the rights of oppressed and backward castes and communities of Terai, has vowed to continue with the strike until their demands are met.
The nine-point demand the organization submitted to the government for consideration includes enlisting their castes and their neglected languages in the nation’s constitution to give it due recognition, reservation in various state mechanisms in proportion to their population, inclusion of their languages in primary level curriculum and low interest rates in agriculture loans, etc.
According to Kaushal Kumar Singh, general secretary of FBCN, “Maoist-led government is deliberately ignoring the clauses of the interim constitution which guarantee proportionate and inclusive representation at every level of the governance.”
“But the government action is contrary to that,” he said. He added that “in the name of inclusiveness and proportional allocation of seats in different sectors only people of upper castes such as Rajput, Brahmin and Kayasth of Terai region have been given opportunities.” People of backward castes in spite of being in majority remain neglected,” he said.
The federation has identified people belonging to 33 different castes as “backward castes” in the Terai. The representatives of all these castes are affiliated with the organization.
