Fresh off of my visit to Kali Nagar village, I returned to the office on Sunday (we work six days a week here) ready to ask for more opportunities to conduct field research. As it turned out field visits were very possible, I only had to ask. Within an hour of raising the subject I was told that the very next day we would visit a Madheshi community called Indrapur.

Madheshi is a term that refers to people speaking northern Indian dialects. Madheshis make up more than a quarter of Nepal’s population, and in the Terai regions the majority of people are Madheshi (actually the Nepali word for the Terai is Madhesh.) Despite their large numbers, Madheshis have been underrepresented politically as well as discriminated against economically and socially. Years of such treatment has led to poverty, low levels of education, high levels of unemployment and a lot of anger and frustration among the Madheshi population. Today there are a number of armed militias operating in the Terai calling for an independent Madheshi state. Just yesterday one such group abducted a local government official in the eastern Terai and publicly slit his throat.

This Madheshi independence movement started in earnest here in Nepalgunj last winter. At that time violent clashes between Madheshis and Nepalis who migrated from the hills left a number of people dead, and resulted in a wave of violence across the Terai. The issue of the Madheshis and their willingness to participate in the new government is incredibly significant for the long term prospects for peace in Nepal.

Indrapur is a town about 4 kilometers outside of Nepalgunj. It has a few thousand residents of which half are Hindus and half Muslims, all are Madheshis. Between four and five percent of Nepalis are Muslim and almost all Muslims are Madheshis. Most of Nepal’s Muslims live either in Nepalgunj or the surrounding districts. Within the Madheshi community there has been a history of tension and even violence between the Muslims and Hindus, but in recent years this conflict has given way to a loose alliance against the ethnic Nepalis who dominate the politics, culture and economics in Nepal. This environment of ethnic tension is very worrying. If the security situation degenerates back into violence the conflict will almost certainly take on a new ethnic dimension. Ethnic conflict is a frightening possibility. Surveying world history it is easy to see that once began ethnic conflicts persist for generations or lifetimes if they end at all.

My guide for my visit to day was Dipendra, a field worker for SAC Nepal. Dipendra and I biked to Indrapur from the office in about half an hour. It was a hot day (40 Celcius!) and so I arrived dripping with sweat. Once in Indrapur we met Mohammed, a local schoolteacher and shopkeeper who had arranged a gathering of villagers for us. He welcomed us to his shop, sat us down next to a small fan and offered us water and packets of cookies. In Madheshi culture sweets should always be offered to guests. After a short rest Mohammed walked us to his home, where our meeting would take place. As usual I had a pied-piper like effect and we reached the meeting with a parade of children around us.

We were led to a small room with walls plastered with posters of Mecca. We first met Mohammed’s father and soon thereafter his mother as she rushed to bring us more cookies. It was not long before men of varying ages and statuses began to arrive and discussion began in earnest. With numerous questions rapidly forming in my mind and all attention focused on me I allowed myself one moment to appreciate this moment and these men who had gathered just to offer me a window into their lives and visions for the future of Nepal. Once the moment had passed I formally introduced myself to the assembly of about 20, and began to explain exactly why I had come.