"My nephew was murdered by thugs, not Pahadis. One Ram Ekwal has already been killed and if you take revenge for his murder, more Ekwals will be slaughtered," Narayan Rai, 78, told a group of enraged youths who wanted to 'avenge' the death of a fellow Madhesi.

Ram Ekwal was killed four years ago by hooligans of hill origin in Rautahat. But even after all these years, Narayan feels the same about Pahadis. "Pahadis are not our enemies," he declared. His son Nawal Kishor revealed that during the Madhes uprising his family sheltered a few Pahadis and on one occasion a Pahadi even rescued him.

Madhesis aren't happy that their Pahadi neighbours had to abandon their homes. Shyam Prasad Sah from Janakpur says he was heart-broken to see his neighbours leave. Many in the region are still baffled at how quickly communal violence spread in a multicultural society.

Rekha Yadav of Barmajhiya, on the other hand, worries that the new generation will grow up in a homogenous environment and miss out on cross-cultural bonding and interaction.

Those who were displaced during the Madhes movement have not yet adjusted to their new homes either. Sudhira Dahal who fled from Janakpur says, "I visited Janaki Mandir after the riot, could not control myself and cried a lot. If the situation improves I want to return."

The Madhes movement was not a fight for disintegration, but for integration. The pain of displaced Pahadis and regrets of Madhesi communities are very visible. Therefore, the concerns of the displaced need to be addressed immediately and the people of Tarai should be reunited.