KATHMANDU: The first round of talks between the government and the Tharuhat Struggle Committee held in Singha Durbar on Tuesday has ended on a positive note.

Rajan Bhattarai, a member of the government’s negotiating team and foreign Adviser to the Prime Minister said the talks were “cordial and positive”.

Writing on social network Twitter, Bhattarai said, “It has been agreed to sit for the next round of talks soon”.

The government had formed a three-member negotiating team under the coordination of Home Minister Thapa on March 29. Other members on the government side are foreign Adviser to Prime Minister Dr Rajan Bhattarai and former lawmaker Bhagwati Chaudhary.

A dialogue team comprising Premlal Chaudhary, Padam Narayan Chaudhary, Chandra Bahadur Chaudhary and Prabhat Chaudhary has been formed under the coordination of Rukmini Chaudhary on behalf of the Tharuhat/Tharuwan Joint Struggle Committee Central Movement Mobilization Committee.

Earlier, comprehending the demands of the agitating Tharu Welfare Assembly, Tharuhat/Tharuwan Joint Struggle Committee, and Central Movement Mobilization Committee, Home Minister Thapa had said that the government was serious about addressing the 19-point demands, including the Tikapur incident, of the Tharu community.

The agitating front has demanded that the case filed against Tharu Welfare Assembly Chairperson Dhaniram Chaudhary, Resham Chaudhary, and others in the Tikapur incident should be withdrawn, those killed during the Tharuhat agitation be declared martyrs, and separate reservations be made for the Tharu community in various state bodies including the Public Service Commission.