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Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) 
Formation The Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), also known as the Madheshi People’s Rights Forum, was formed in 1997 at Biratnagar in the Morang district as a Non-Governmental Organisation. It was started by a group of Madheshi academics and students to discuss their concerns and issues and also to promote the Madheshi causes. Objective The MJF demands complete autonomy of the Terai region from the parade (hill people) rulers, and has started an armed struggle to secure this objective. According to MJF leader Upendra Yadav, the Madheshis are the victims of ‘internal colonialism’ as well as regional and racial discrimination by the pahade (hill people) rulers. Key Demands
Leadership and Cadre Upendra Yadav is the chairman of the MJF and is assisted by two Vice-Chairmen - Kishor Bishwas and Bhagyanath Gupta. Ram Kumar Sharma is the Secretary General. The MJF also consists of other leaders like Sitananda Rai, Ramchandra Rai, Amaresh Kumar Singh, and Manoj Singh. S.N. Mehta, the Sunsari District president of the Madhesi Youth Forum, the MJF’s youth wing, claims that around 800 cadres are undergoing training in Sunsari, and they are planning to increase the number of cadres to 1,500 soon, and would expand their base and activities to cover all the Terai Districts.
Areas of Operation MJF is present in almost all the districts of the Terai region, particularly in Siraha, Dhanusha, Morang, Sarlahi, Bara, Saptari, Mohattari, Rupandehi, Banke, Bordiya, Sunsari, Bhairahawa and Rautahat. Incidents involving MJF 2008 April 11: A MJF election candidate was arrested by the Armed Police Force personnel near a vote-counting venue in the Malangwa of Sarlahi district for illegal possession of weapons. March 28: Cadres of the MJF and Sadbhawana Party clashed in the Sunsari district, leaving at least a dozen persons injured. March 17: At least 10 persons were injured when the activists of the Nepali Congress and the MJF clashed at Narasingh in the Sunsari district. The clash ensued after MJF cadres, who were chanting slogans against Nepali Congress leader Sujata Koirala, resorted to snatching banners and flags from the Nepali Congress activists. February 4: Eight MJF cadres, including president of the Youth Madhesi Forum Rajendra Yadav, were injured in a clash with police in Nawalparasi. The clash ensued as police tried to reopen the Butwal-Bardaghat road section. MJF supporters barred vehicles from plying on Basachowk of the road section along the Mahendra Highway. 2007 October 24: At least six activists of the MJF were injured as they were attacked by some members of the Nepali Congress in Janakpur. September 17: Six persons, including some police personnel, were injured when MJF activists clashed with the Armed Police Force personnel at Nepalgunj in the Banke district. The activists were demanding the release of Hiralal Loniya - district chairman of the MJF, who was arrested for killing a Maoist. September 5: A central committee meeting of the MJF expelled the four dissident leaders Kishore Kumar Bishwas, Bhagyanath Gupta, Jitendra Sonal and Ram Kumar Sharma and also decided that the MJF will take part in the Constituent Assembly election. September 2: Six persons were injured in a clash between activists of the MJF and police in the Nepalgunj town of Banke district. The MJF activists also vandalised the vehicle of the Superintendent of Police. July 4: Cadres of the MJF padlocked the office of the District Development Committee in Mahottari district for an indefinite period. The MJF said it padlocked the office as they were denied any role in the daily activities of the DDC and the VDCs. June 18: The MJF demanded the ouster of the Maoists from the government and imposing of a ban on its youth wing, the Young Communist League (YCL). Speaking at a press conference in Mahottari, MJF chairman Upendra Yadav accused the Maoists of violating the peace accord and of not storing away all their arms in the containers monitored by the UNMIN. June 13: Activists of the MJF abducted and subsequently killed two central members of the YCL, Binod Pant a.k.a. Jitendra and Sheshmani Lamichhane a.k.a. Mani, at Shivpur in the Gonaha VDC area of Rupandehi district. June 3: The first phase of the formal talks between the government and the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) ended with agreement reached on one half of the 26-point demands put forth by the Forum. April 4: One Maoist, identified as Shambhu Sharma, and another from the MJF, identified as Birendra Mandal, were injured in a clash between the Maoists and the MJF activists in Ramgunj Belgachhiya of the Sunsari district. March 28: Three persons were injured in a clash between Maoists and the MJF activists at Barewa in the Rupandehi district. March 21: At least 28 persons, including five women, were killed and over 40 persons injured at Gaur in the Rautahat district when Maoists and MJF activists clashed with each other. March 12: A Maoist cadre, identified as Hari Basnet, the Prakashpur area in-charge, died in a clash between MJF activists and the Maoists during curfew-time at Inaruwa in the Sunsari district. At least 35 persons were injured in a clash between students and the MJF activists in Inaruwa. MJF cadres vandalised 23 vehicles at Laukahi, injuring seven transport workers. February 28: Two MJF activists were injured in a scuffle with Maoists at Gulariya in the Bardiya district. February 27: Two MJF activists identified as Koili Kori and Khohade Kori, who were inured in the clash with the Maoists at Puraini VDC area in the Banke district succumbed to their injuries. February 26: An activist of MJF, identified as Jille Ram Yadav, who was injured during a clash with Maoist cadres near Khairapur in Bardiya district on February 25, succumbed to his injury. February 23: At least 15 persons were injured in a clash between the Maoists and MJF activists at Bhairahawa in the Rupandehi district. The injured include four Maoists, three MJF activists, two policemen and six civilians. January 19: An activist of the MJF of Siraha district was shot dead by the Maoists in a clash that led to firing. The clash occurred when the MJF activists tried to stop two mini-buses, in which Maoists were travelling, ignoring the strike called by the MJF.
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