Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha

Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) is a revolutionary organisation in Nepal. It was formed in 2004 as a split from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN(M)) around Jay Krishna Goit [The Himalayan Times [http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=6a6Ta3za.9amal&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20060717] ] . The group accused the CPN(M) of not guaranteeing the autonomy of the Terai region [Oh My News [http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=305810&rel_no=1&back_url=] ] . The name is in Nepalese which means "Terai Peoples Liberation Front" [Jagaran Media Center, (2005), " [http://www.worldproutassembly.org/archives/2006/01/media_alliance.html Series of rape of Dalit women of same district] , Jagaran Media Center (JMC)E-bulletin: Issue No. 8, Date: 26 December 2005, from "Media Alliance Against Caste Discrimination", World Prout Assembly.] in English.The Jwala Singh faction of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-J) was formed by Nagendra Kumar Paswan a.k.a. Jwala Singh in August 2006 after he broke away from the Jaya Krishna Goit led JTMM. Jwala Singh is a former CPN-Maoist cadre and had joined Goit when he floated the JTMM. Later, he developed differences with Goit over the strategies to be adopted for the liberation of the Terai and establishment of an independent Terai state.

Leadership and Structure

Jwala Singh is the leader of the organisation. The group claims to have formed an armed militia in 12 of the Terai’s 20 districts. With a cadre strength of a few hundreds, this group has an organisation modeled on the CPN-Maoist, with a central committee, central and district level governments, a Terai Liberation Army and district committees across the districts.

In August 2005, several of its leading members were killed in fight with the CPN(M), [Gorkhapatra [http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:B6kbmOmIPWoJ:www.gorkhapatra.org.np/pageloader.php%3Ffile%3D2005/08/19//topstories/main9+Janatantric&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=9] ] . It became violently opposed to the CPN(M) and in July 2006, it was accused of killing two CPN(M) members in a gunfight [Yahoo [http://au.news.yahoo.com/060707/19/zovh.html] ] . The CPN(M) followed this incident by declaring an armed war with the group and had ignored calls for peace talks. [http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=6a6Ta3za.9amal&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20060717] ] .

In January 2007, JTMM activists defied a curfew, and clashed with the police, resulting in the death of at least 24 people. On 31 January, JTMM made a truce with the government to create conditions for negotiations. Its demands include that imprisoned JTMM cadre be released and the charges against them dropped. In the beginning of March 2007, JTMM declared [http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=136257&version=1&template_id=44&parent_id=24] that it would resume its armed insurgency because of the government not fulfilling its commitments regarding the truce.

Area of Activity

It is primarily active in the Terai region bordering India in the districts of Siraha, Dhanusha, Morang, Sarlahi, Bara, Janakpur, Saptari, Mohattari, Birgunj and Rautahat

External links

Madhesi Wordpress [https://madhesi.wordpress.com/2006/08/21/tarai-on-a-slow-burn/ Tarai on a slow burn]

References