| Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) Terai Janatantrik Mukti Morcha (TJMM) | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Jay Krishna Goit (founder); Nagendra Kumar PaswanAKA Jwala Singh (splinter); |
| Dates of operation | 2004– |
| Motives | Creation of a separateMadhesh state forMadhesi peoples in theTerai region ofNepal |
| Active regions |  Nepal |
| Ideology | Terai separatism,Madhesi self-determination,Madhesi Sub-nationalism |
| Major actions | murder,[citation needed]extortion, abduction/kidnapping/ransoming,[1]rape,[2]assassination,[3] ethnically and politically motivated crimes,[4][5][6] arms-related crimes |
| Notable attacks | shootings, bombings[7] |
| Status | Active |
| Size | Few thousand[8][9][10] |
| Annual revenue | extortion,kidnapping/ransoming |
TheJanatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) (Nepali: जनतान्त्रिक तराई मुक्ति मोर्चा,Janatāntrika Tarāī Muktī Morcā, "Terai People's Liberation Front;" also Terai Janatantrik Mukti Morcha (TJMM)) is a political organisation inNepal. It was formed in 2004 as a split from theCommunist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M) around Jay Krishna Goit. The group accused the CPN-M of not guaranteeing theautonomy of theTerai region.[7][8][11][12]
The Jwala Singh faction of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-J) was formed by Nagendra Kumar PaswanAKA Jwala Singh in August 2006 after he broke away from the Goit-led JTMM. Jwala Singh is a formerCPN-M cadre and had joined Goit when he floated the JTMM. Later, Singh developed differences with Goit over strategies for the liberation of the Terai and establishment of an independent Terai state. The Jwala and Goit factions have a history of competition, armed conflict, and assassination of each other's cadres, although they had moments of rapprochement in 2009.[9]
The original faction of the JTMM was formed in July 2004 by Jaya Krishna Goit after splitting from theCPN-M. Goit had been a former leader of theUnified Marxist Leninist Party (UML) and the coordinator of the Madhesi National Liberation Front within the CPN-M. Goit accused the Maoist leadership of betraying theMadhesi people, and began to directly and violently oppose the CPN-M. The Goit faction is believed to comprise about a thousand main supporters; Goit's main lieutenant is Pawan Singh.[8]
Jwala Singh is the leader of one JTMM splinter group, the JTMM-J. The group claims to have formed an armed militia in 12 of the 20Teraidistricts. With a cadre strength of a few hundred, this group has an organisation modeled on the CPN-M, including central and district level governments and a Terai Liberation Army.[9] Having fought against both the government and the Goit faction for several years, Jwala Singh indicated in January 2009 that eventual reconciliation and merger with the Goit faction was likely.[9]Another distinct group within the JTMM is the Rajan Mukti faction (JTMM-R), led by Rajiv Jha.[13][14][15] This faction has also entered into independent negotiations with the Nepalese government, with which it has ties throughVice PresidentParmanand Jha's media secretary.[16][17][18]
In April 2011, after at least six rounds of talks with the Nepalese government since 2007, these main factions of the JTMM claimed to lay down arms and end their violent campaigns.[19][20][21]
The JTMM seeks to form an independentTerai state populated and governed byMadhesis. In pursuit of these aims, the JTMM and similar groups have sought to seize Terai lands from non-Madhesi owners, resulting in streams of non-Madhesis fleeing the region.[7][22]
The JTMM claims to be alegitimate political party, however both of its factions have been involved inassassination,murder,abduction, forceful donation (extortion) and other human rights violations. The JTMM generally targetsPahadis and other non-Madhesis, those that resist extortion, and ordinary residents.[4][5][6][23] Most of its activities are similar to those of theCPN-M during theNepalese Civil War (1996–2006). It has formed aparallel government and is actively involved in the collection of "taxes" from ordinary Nepalese citizens. Thegovernment of Nepal recognizes the JTMM as a criminal group rather than a political party.[22]
The JTMM is primarily active in theMadhesi-populatedTerai region borderingIndia in the districts ofSiraha,Sunsari,Dhanusa,Morang,Sarlahi,Bara,Banke,Bardiya,Kailali,Kanchanpur,Parsa,Rupandeli,Janakpur,Saptari,Mahottari,Birganj,Rautahat,Rolpa,Hetauda andChitwan.
In 2004 the JTMM, led by Jay Krishna Goit, split from theCPN-M. ManyMadhesis, comprising nearly 20 percent of the total population of Nepal, felt marginalized by the 2006 peace deal between the government and the CPN-M that ended the decade-longNepalese Civil War. Frustrated Madhesis feared they would not have a place in any future government under the agreement,[3][7]
Throughout its period of militancy, the JTMM remained in a heated battle with its parent organization. In August 2005, several leading JTMM members were killed in fighting with the CPN-M. In July 2006, the CPN-M declared war against JTMM, accusing the JTMM of assassinating Maoist cadres.[11]
In January 2007, JTMM activists defied a curfew and clashed with police, resulting in the death of at least 24 people. On January 31, 2007, the JTMM made a truce with the government to create conditions for negotiations. Its demands included that imprisoned JTMM cadres be released and the charges against them be dropped. In the beginning of March 2007, JTMM declared that it would resume its armed insurgency because, it claimed, the government had not fulfilled its commitments regarding the truce.[24]
In March 2008, the JTMM claimed responsibility for separate attacks that killed two CPN-M workers and one leftist candidate ahead of the2008 Elections.[3] The group continued to carry out attacks, bombings, and abductions through April 2011.[25][14][26][27] The JTMM purported to lay down its arms in March 2011. Its current chairman Rajeev JhaAKA Utkarsha stated the Madhesi revolution would continue in a peaceful fashion, pledging to continue talks with the Nepalese government.[19][20]
The JTMM has not been listed individually as a terrorist organization by any country,[7] however theUnited States has designated the CPN-M, in which many JTMM cadres formerly served, a terrorist organization.[28] In its country reports, theUnited States Department of State has referred to the JTMM as a "terrorist group" on at least one occasion.[29] Under United States law, knowing past or present membership in ormaterial support (including payments) to any organization that seizes, abducts, or threatens to kill, injure, or ransom persons renders aliens inadmissible to the United States on terrorism grounds, whether or not a group is individually listed.[30][31]
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