 KIRAN PANDAY |
The MJF has explained to the world that there are problems in the Tarai and the state cannot get away by ignoring these issues any longer. It took the lead in focussing the Madhesi sense of grievances and Upendra Yadav deserves credit for giving it leadership. It was because of him that the Madhesi identity got a boost and the people of the Tarai finally had a say in national issues. From the Madhes Uprising to the CA election, the party cashed in on this support. Their leaders pushed for recognition of the Madhesi languages and for autonomy. But when the same Madhesi leaders start blabbering in Hindi, even people who sympathised with Madhesi demands are shocked.
When MJF leaders are interacting with other political leaders, they speak in Nepali 90 percent of the time and 10 percent in their mother tongues like Maithili or Bhojpuri. They speak fluent Nepali while giving interviews to tv and radio channels. While campaigning for votes they spoke in their mother tongues. But at official functions or in the CA they suddenly forget their mother tongue and the national language and break into Hindi. One wonders if they have all promised someone somewhere that they will henceforth only speak Hindi. What kind of Madhesi politics is this that does not allow its people to be proud of their own mother tongue, their own culture and identity?
When you ask them why they speak the language that's not even ours, they say that it is the link language of the Tarai. Really?
Taking an oath is to promise something to oneself, it is one's conscience speaking. An oath is not taken to appease foreign dignitaries, it is best done in one's mother tongue. Why use the language of a foreign country when taking an oath?
Hindi may be understood by many in Nepal, but it is still a foreign language. If taking an oath in Nepali was a problem, it should have been taken in their mother tongue. National identity is not protected with concrete border pillars but by nurturing one's languages, culture and self-esteem.
