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Govt-Tharu talks inconclusive

The first round of talks between the government and the agitating Tharus and other janajati groups ended inconclusively Tuesday evening.

The talks held at a resort in Babalmahal, Kathmandu, were adjourned as the government team headed by Peace and Reconstruction Minister Janardan Sharma said it could not decide on the demands of the agitating groups without discussing them with the Prime Minister.

"Minister Sharma told us that he would clarify the government's position on our demands tomorrow," Laxman Tharu, who led a nine-member team of Tharu Joint Struggle Committee, told reporters.

He said the agitations would continue unless the demands, which include scrapping of the ordinance that put Tharus in the Madhesi category, were met.

"If there is no appropriate response from the government side by tomorrow protests will spread across the country," Tharu warned.

Seven-member team of Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha (TKS), Muslims and other janajati groups led by TKS general secretary Raj Kumar Lekhi, Maoist-affiliated Tharu National Liberation Front led by Indrajeet Choudhary and a team of UML-affiliated Nepal Democratic Tharu Association also participated in the talks.

Tharus and other Terai-based janajati groups have been waging a protest movement in Terai for the last ten days, closing highways, educational institutions and businesses.

George Galloway of Viva Palestina speaking in Gaza

PUBLIC MEETING ON BINAYAK SEN

Date: Tuesday, 10 March 2009.
Time: 7.00 p.m.

Venue: SOAS main building (room 4421), Thornaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC IX 0XG

Speakers: Professor Ilina Sen (feminist scholar, human rights activist, wife of Binayak Sen); Kavita Srivastava (People's Union For Civil Liberties, India); Ramesh Gopalakrishnan (Amnesty International) ; Professor Jonathan Parry (London School of Economics); Mike Marqusee (writer, activist).

Binayak Sen, doctor and civil rights activist, has been in prison since 14 May 2007, when he was arrested under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act (which allows arrest up to 90 days without charge) on suspicion of 'involvement' with Maoist insurgents. The mineral-rich central Indian state of Chhattisgarh has seen massive forced displacement of adivasi (tribal) people to make way for the exploitation of resources by private companies in recent years. In this context, a civil war-like situation has emerged in the state, marked by brutal conflict between the state and the Maoists, who control significant stretches of territory. Binayak and Ilina Sen have been campaigning for human rights in Chhattisgarh for many years, and have been outspoken opponents of the Salwa Judum, a state-sponsored paramilitary terror initiative, which has involved arming local people 'against Maoists' and thus unleashing even deeper strife in the state. Soon after helping expose police involvement in the killing of 12 tribal people on 31 March 2007, Binayak Sen was targeted and imprisoned. His applications for bail have repeatedly been rejected by Indian courts.

Sen is nationally and globally known for his work in community health. In 1983, he was instrumental in setting up the community-based Shaheed Hospital for mine-workers, and, later, was a member of the state advisory committee initating community-based health programmes across the state. Recently, while in jail, he was awarded the Jonathan Mann Award by the Global Health Council for his work with impoverished communities and his commitment to human rights.

Sen's advocacy and activism, in the fields of both health and civil rights, have been a persistent thorn in the side of the Chhattisgarh government and, at a deeper level, the Indian state and its neo-liberal agenda. The embarrassingly flimsy 'evidence' on which he was arrested was his visits to a Maoist leader in jail, visits he had undertaken as state general secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties, to provide medical and legal assistance, with the full knowledge and permission of the jail authorities. It is impossible to see his arrest, and the continued refusal of bail, as anything other than a very deliberate attempt by the state to thwart dissidence expressed in any form, and to avert uncomfortable questions about its role and agenda.

For further details contact: Subir Sinha (ss61@soas.ac. uk), Nandini Nayak (nandini@soas. ac.uk), Aditya Sarkar (bhochka@gmail. com, bhochka_81@yahoo. co.uk)

Viva Palestina Convoy enters Gaza

And they entered side by side like heroes, some on foot some in their vehicles, tears, smiles, hugs, flowers. It was historic, it was legendary. Gaza we are here. We have fulfilled the promise - Viva Palestina! The lifeline from the people of Britain to you, the people of Gaza, has arrived.

We have broken the barriers, we have opened closed borders, we have defied the odds,we have overcome the challenges across thousands of miles and three continents. We are here to be with you, to embrace you, to share your tragedy with you.

After another morning of intense negotiations, a deal was reached to allow all of the members of the convoy to go through. In the end, Viva Palestina had to make the sacrifice of agreeing that some vehicles will have to cross the border from the Al Ouja Israeli controlled crossing point. This includes our mascot, the fire engine and the boat. This was due to the restrictions imposed by Egyptian law governing the Rafah Crossing.

A tearful Talat Ali told me that 'Rafah is the most beautiful crossing in the world', he also said that the time , effort and sacrifices put in by all the Viva Palestina family meant that history has been made today - on the day the prophet Mohammed (PBUH) was born.

News Flash - Viva Palestina Convoy has just entered Gaza

“Our party never took the Tharu Community as Madhesis”, clarified Gajurel of UCPN Maoist

“Our party never took the Tharu Community as Madhesis”, he clarified.

Mr. Gajurel said, India has occupied Nepali lands in 58 different locations along the open border including Susta, Kalapani and Ilam, our party will soon launch a National Awareness Program against this continued Indian aggression”.

Mr. Matrika Yadav, a Madesh and renegade leader however, believes that the Pahadiya Rulers of Nepal ( he Means Prachanda and Bhattarai ) are trying to create fissures between the indigenous Tharu community and the Madhesi community to create unrest in Terai.

Eighth day of Terai strike see more vandalism

The eighth day of strike by Tharus in Terai districts saw more incidents of vehicles being vandalised by the agitators as people attempted to defy the strike.

In few districts including Dang, the agitators have agreed to let the vehicles ply the roads for at least two hours a day to allow transportation of essential goods. In Siraha, the Tharus decided to withhold all protests programmes for three days to mark Holi, a popular Hindu festival celebrated in Nepal.

In Kapilvastu, most market places are open while everything remains shut in Sunsari, Morang, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Nawalparasi, Udaypur, Bardiya, Parsa and others districts.

In Rautahat, the Tharu cadres vandalised over a dozen vehicles alleging them of defying the strike. In Nawalparasi, two vehicles including an ambulance were vandalised. Few vehicles have been vandalised in Sarlahi as well.

Chitwan, which experienced bloodshed during the demonstration, saw a peaceful rally today but market places, educational institutions and transport services remain closed.

Democracy and Class Struggle supports the demands of the Tharus and calls on the Government to seriously address their concerns as well as to combat the separatist Madesh campaigns of renegades like Matrika Yadav and others.

On the move

The convoy has started to move out of the two car parks in Al Arish and onto the road to Rafah. At 7.55 (GMT) George's party reported that the first of the two car parks was now almost empty. It took 90 minutes for all the vehicles to leave. They were waiting for the second group of vehicles to get on the road. George intended his vehicle to be the last to leave - to ensure the safe departure of the entire convoy.
Negotiations with the Egyptian authorities have continued. Some non-medical aid was unloaded, in the line with the outcome of the negotiations, and has been handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent for delivery by them to Gaza.
The convoy expects to cross later today into Gaza.

Five Members of Viva Palestina Convoy Injured

Breaking News - 17:20 GMT

I have just spoke to brother Naveed (A-Team), he says that the powere cuts appear to be orchestarted, Intially when the lights went out “locals in the town” began attacking the generators with stones and other projectiles and then after a while the lights came back on. A short time later the power agin went off and this time projectiles were thrown towards the convoy vehicles and 5 memebrs of the convoy have been injured some with gashes accross their head. He says quote “It looks like they want to sabbotage the generator because it’s now been allowed to go in, so they want to flex thier muscle and try to damage it”. He further goes on to say that when the power goes off loads of police gather and start marching banging thier battons, clearly designed to cause fear. Vans and trucks have also been grafetied with anti-Hamas propaganda.

They are now due to have a meeting of how to counter-act this problem and it looks like they may have to be alert throughout the night and take shifts to guard the vehicles and the members of the convoy. This is becoming a clear disgrace by Egypt.

Zubair Ayub