Secessionist CK Raut joins mainstream politics; signs 11-point agreement with government

KATHMANDU: In an unprecedented turn of events, CK Raut, a secessionist, on Friday announced that he gave up his secessionist movement, to join mainstream politics.

Raut’s movement ended with Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa on behalf of the government and Raut himself signing an 11-point agreement on Friday afternoon at Rastriya Sabhagriha.

Raut has agreed to abandon his secessionist movement and abide by the national integrity.

A PhD from Cambridge University and a computer scientist, Raut had been demanding a separate and independent Madhesh through his organization named Alliance for Independent Madhesh, which he announced its dissolution today.

Raut, as sources claimed, held one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister KP Oli at the latter’s official residence, Baluwatar, this morning. Raut was released on Thursday after the Supreme Court’s verdict.

Highly-placed party source told Khabarhub that party senior leaders Bamdev Gautam and Narayan Kaji Shrestha have serious objection over the use of language in the 10-point agreement. “The language has been used in such a way that the agreement has been made between two countries rather than a Nepali with the government,” a source said.

According to party insiders, Home Minister Thapa and Prime Minister K P Oli’s chief advisor Bishnu Rimal were involved in holding talks with Raut.

Who is CK Raut? 

CK Raut (Chandra Kant Raut), a PhD holder from Cambridge University, UK, is a formerly US-based computer scientist, author and political leader. He worked as a scientist in the USA, prior to resigning and returning to Nepal in 2011.

Raut had been demanding a separate Madhesh for the Madhesi people. Born in Mahadeva Village in the Saptari district of Nepal, he was often placed under house-arrest by the government.

He received secondary level education from a high school based in his village Katti before he went to study at Tribhuvan University and Tokyo University.

He is also the recipient of Young Nepalese Engineer Award, Mahendra Bidhya Bhusan, Kulratna Gold Medal among others.

Dr. Raut is the president and the founding member of Alliance for Independent Madhesh which was established in 2007.

On 13 September 2014, police arrested Raut for giving a speech to indigenous people, called Santhals, during their annual festival.

Similarly, on 3 January 2015, Raut was again arrested while he was giving a speech at Jutwa College. Scores of supporters and police personnel were injured in a clash that ensued following his arrest.

Unofficial translation of the 11-point agreement

1. Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is a free, sovereign, independent and an indivisible country. It is the duty of every Nepali to protect Nepal’s independence, sovereignty, and its integrity.
2. We are committed and determined to move ahead through a peaceful and democratic means to achieve political, socio-economic objectives thus agreeing to fulfill the existing dissatisfaction of the people in the Terai on the basis of sovereign people’s participation through democratic means.
3. It is common to have differences in a democratic political system. The state, political parties and entire citizens should be tolerant on them and that they should be resolved through democratic processes.
4. Social justice, equality and good-will are our common goals. We are committed to empowering all the Nepali people with political, economic, social rights. Similarly, we are also committed to head the nation towards the path of equality and socialism through good governance in the country, including Madhesh, and embracing the rights of sovereignty, autonomy and self-governance guaranteed by the constitution.
5. All the political cases, including sedition filed against the cadres and leaders of Independent Madhesh Alliance will be withdrawn and those currently serving jail terms will be released unconditionally.
6. Leaders and cadres of Independent Madhesh Alliance will not be penalized based on the publicity materials such as books, flyers, manifesto, songs, map, party flags and online materials published earlier. Such materials will not be produced again in future.
7. The leaders and cadres of Independent Madhesh Alliance will not be deprived of residing in any parts of Nepal. They are allowed to run any kind of profession, establish institutes or political parties and join mainstream politics in line with the constitution of Nepal.
8. The government will provide due compensation and an employment to a member of the family of Ram Manohar Yadav, Banke district coordinator of Independent Madhesh Movement, who died in police custody on August 31, 2018.
9. The government will bear the treatment expenses to all those who sustained injuries during agitations organized by the Independent Madhesh Movement.
10. We have agreed to use the skills, knowledge and caliber of the cadres and leaders of the Independent Madhesh Alliance for the peaceful and democratic transformation of the country so as to take it to a new height. The government will treat the Independent Madhesh Alliance as a political force.
11. The agreement comes into force from today itself.