Madhesh
Encyclopedia
Madhesh is a term given to areas of the Nepal
i outer Terai
or to the outer Terai as a whole inhabited by peoples who are racially, culturally and linguistically related to people on the Indian side of the border. These peoples are referred to or refer to themselves as Madheshi (Madhesi
, also Madesi, Mahadhesi, Deshwaali, Deswaali, Deswali). There are also references in which the flat southern region of Nepal which stretches from east to west as part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain
is referred to as Madhesh.
The social groups that constitute the present day Madhesh are Yadav/Ahir, Chaurasia
/Barai, Kaanu, Koiri, Dhanuk, Teli, Amat, Rajbhar, Kurmi, Danuwar, Karna, Jha etc. For many years the jungles acted as a buffer between Nepal and India
. The eradication of Malaria and large scale clear cutting of the forests made the fertile plains heavily attractive to migrants from the mountains and especially from the densely populated Indian side of the border. The mainly uncontrolled migration from India has always been of concern to the Nepali government and it was reluctant to grant civil rights even in the second or third generations. Today, about half the Nepali population lives in the Terai and a considerable proportion of the Terai population is of Madheshi decent. The Madheshi claim that although Nepal nominally became a democracy in 1990, historical patterns of government employment being won by the Khas
people continued to the present day. This has recently lead to demonstrations, the outbreak of violence and the establishment of political parties demanding equal rights, fair representation, greater autonomy within Nepal and even independence.
. The different parties involved in the movement range from the student wings of the ruling parties to the armed Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha
.
Another group is the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF).
The Madhesi social and political groups are fiercely Hindu Nationalist. Some militant groups include Nepal Defence Army and Dharamvir Sena.
The other parties are Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP), Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-loktantrik (MJF-D), Sadhbhawna party (mahato), Nepal sadbhawana party (anandidevi), madhesi mukti morcha (MMM), madhesi janadhikar forum (madhesh).
Nepal sadhawawna party (bikas tiwari)
www.ratnabooks.com
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
i outer Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
or to the outer Terai as a whole inhabited by peoples who are racially, culturally and linguistically related to people on the Indian side of the border. These peoples are referred to or refer to themselves as Madheshi (Madhesi
Madhesi
The Madhesi are the native people of Nepal who reside in the southern, plains region the Terai which they refer to as Madhesh. Madhesis comprise about 40% of the total population of Nepal...
, also Madesi, Mahadhesi, Deshwaali, Deswaali, Deswali). There are also references in which the flat southern region of Nepal which stretches from east to west as part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain
Indo-Gangetic plain
The northern Plains also known as the Indo - Gangetic Plain and The North Indian River Plain is a large and fertile plain encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, parts of southern Nepal and virtually all of Bangladesh...
is referred to as Madhesh.
Background
The word 'Madhesh' is derived from 'Madhya Desh' meaning 'country in the middle'or Magadh, it was powerful state after fall the Brijisangh. Some scholars show its origin in 'Matsya Desh' meaning 'country of fish'.The social groups that constitute the present day Madhesh are Yadav/Ahir, Chaurasia
Chaurasia
Chaurasia is a word which originated from ancient Indian Vedas. It basically refers to an originally Brahmin community from India and Nepal. The word "Chaurasia" word inherits from the vedic word "chaturashiitah" which refers eighty four in Sanskrit...
/Barai, Kaanu, Koiri, Dhanuk, Teli, Amat, Rajbhar, Kurmi, Danuwar, Karna, Jha etc. For many years the jungles acted as a buffer between Nepal and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The eradication of Malaria and large scale clear cutting of the forests made the fertile plains heavily attractive to migrants from the mountains and especially from the densely populated Indian side of the border. The mainly uncontrolled migration from India has always been of concern to the Nepali government and it was reluctant to grant civil rights even in the second or third generations. Today, about half the Nepali population lives in the Terai and a considerable proportion of the Terai population is of Madheshi decent. The Madheshi claim that although Nepal nominally became a democracy in 1990, historical patterns of government employment being won by the Khas
Khas
Originally the Khas / Khasas or Khasiyas are the mountain dwellers living in the southern shadow of the Himalayan range from Kashmir to Bhutan, but mostly in Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan,...
people continued to the present day. This has recently lead to demonstrations, the outbreak of violence and the establishment of political parties demanding equal rights, fair representation, greater autonomy within Nepal and even independence.
Movements and parties
The Madheshi movement demands the end to the discrimination to the Madheshi people, greater autonomy within Nepal, and greater representation in the national parliamentParliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. The different parties involved in the movement range from the student wings of the ruling parties to the armed Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha
Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha
The Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha is a revolutionary organisation in Nepal. It was formed in 2004 as a split from the Communist Party of Nepal around Jay Krishna Goit...
.
Another group is the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF).
The Madhesi social and political groups are fiercely Hindu Nationalist. Some militant groups include Nepal Defence Army and Dharamvir Sena.
The other parties are Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party (TMLP), Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-loktantrik (MJF-D), Sadhbhawna party (mahato), Nepal sadbhawana party (anandidevi), madhesi mukti morcha (MMM), madhesi janadhikar forum (madhesh).
Nepal sadhawawna party (bikas tiwari)
External links
- madhesh.org (Non-Residents Madheshis Association)
- Association of Nepali Teraian in America
- http://www.deosociety.blogspot.com/
- BBC Nepali Service
- Nepalgunj Business and Information Portal
- Conference on Tarai
- Government of Nepal
- Kantipur Online
- Nepal Tourism Board
- Madhes and Madhesi
- Voice of Madhesh