Indian origin people, called Madhesis, who inhabit southern Nepal, played a massive role in last April’s pro-democracy movement, which forced King Gyanendra from power. The spirit of the movement was inclusive and every party pledged for a federal governance system to accommodate the political interests of the Madhesis and indigenous Mongoloid tribes. But, when the mainstream Nepalese political parties and the Maoists hammered out the interim constitution in January, the Madhesis were appalled to discover the new constitution institutionalized the traditional predominance of the Pahadi ruling elites. This triggered a mammoth movement of the Madhesis, with protests gaining momentum every day and even turning violent. Police reprisals are also escalating. PC Dubey reports from Kathmandu.