The Nepali Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has invited agitating Madhesi groups, Nepalis of Indian origin, to eschew violence and negotiate with his government to maintain “peace and harmony.” The Madhesi groups started agitating when a youth was killed by the Maoists and their protests were dealt with police brutality and since then the groups have been demanding the resignation of the Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula.

Madhesi groups say that they were treated worse because they do not have government representation and lack of a federal structure. Koirala revealed that he has asked Sitaula to hold talks with these groups and has basically conceded on both these demands. He promised that the new Constitution will include provisions that will strengthen the federal structure and that the representation for the Constituent Assembly elections will be increased for the Tarai districts in proportion to the population and promising “to redraw the seats according to the population.”

Koirala had held a day long meeting with other partners of the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) and Maoists who had apparently approved these declarations on federal structure and increased representation. This was the first television address by Koirala since he started running the interim government.