Madhesi issue: Nepali-Americans stage rival protests outside White House

Two groups of Nepali-Americans have held peaceful rallies outside the White House with one protesting the alleged "unofficial blockade" by India while the other supporting the cause of Indian-origin Madhesis. Several hundred Nepali-Americans from the hilly regions of the country held a peaceful protest rally in front of the White House yesterday claiming that India had imposed an "unofficial blockade" which had resulted in severe shortage of essential goods in their native country.

Simultaneously, a few dozen Nepali-Americans from the Terai region held another peaceful protest rally against the Nepalese government alleging it was engaged in brutal use of force against innocent people and had ignored the "just demands" of the Madhesi people, treating them as "second-grade citizens". "We do not want HIT, we want to be FIT," popular Nepali Comedian Manoj Gajurel said addressing Nepali-Americans in front of the White House as he blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the "unofficial blockade" of goods to Nepal.

By HIT, Gajurel was referring to Modi's address to the Nepali Parliament last year when he said, Nepal needs HIT -- Highways, Information Technology and Transmission lines. "HIT is no longer required. We want to be FIT meaning freedom in own territory," Gajurel told the Nepali-Americans some of whom were carrying anti-India and anti-Modi banners and placards.

In a memorandum submitted to the White House, the Nepali- Americans hailing from the hilly regions of the country urged US President Barack Obama to impress upon India to lift the alleged "unofficial blockade". 

The people from the Terai region who were also holding a protest rally in front of the White House against the Nepalese government alleged that it is trying to divert the attention of the world on the pretext of blockade and continues to treat them as "second grade citizens". "There is no blockade at all by the Indian government. If there is any, it is being done by the people of Terai in protest against the brutal use of force by the Nepalese government and massive violation of human rights in the Terai region of the country," said Chandan Singh. 

The anti-Nepal government protest was organised by the Association of Nepali Teraian in America.

Madhesis, Indian-origin inhabitants of Nepal's Terai region, are protesting against division of their ancestral homeland into seven provinces in the new Constitution.