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Chandra Kant Raut
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| चन्द्रकान्त राउत | |
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| Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha | |
| Assumed office 22 December 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Upendra Yadav |
| Constituency | Saptari 2 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chandra Kant Raut (1977-08-31) 31 August 1977 (age 46) Mahadeva, Saptari, Nepal |
| Citizenship | Nepali |
| Political party | Janamat Party |
| Education | PhD |
| Alma mater | Tribhuvan University University of Tokyo Cambridge University |
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Chandra Kant Raut (Nepali: चन्द्रकान्त राउत), popularly known as Dr. CK Raut, is a Nepalese Member of Parliament (MP), computer engineer, former United States Defense programmer, author, politician and activist. He is a gold medalist in the Bachelor of Engineering from Pulchowk Campus, a central campus of Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University. He was active in the Alliance for Independent Madhesh, to establish a country for the Madhesi people.[1] However, he surrendered before the Nepalese state in 2018 and chose to participate in mainstream politics. In 2022 Nepalese general election, he was elected as a Member of Parliament of the Pratinidhi Sabha.
In the past, he was frequently being placed under house-arrest by the Government of Nepal.[2][3] He quitted the movement for another single country and joined the mainstream politics forming Janamat Party in 2019.
Raut was born in Mahadeva villageofSaptari district of Nepal. He attended primary school in his village and high school at Laxmi Ballav Narsingh Secondary School in Babhangama Katti.[4] He computerised first of all Tirhuta (Maithili Writing System) font. He went on to study at Tribhuvan University (Nepal), Tokyo University (Japan) and Cambridge University (UK). He is a recipient of the Young Nepalese Engineer Award, Mahendra Bidhya Bhusan, Kulratna Gold Medal, and Trofimenkoff Academic Achievement Award.[5]
Raut was the president and the founding member of Alliance for Independent Madhesh, which in its manifesto has described itself as a coalition of Terai people discriminated by Pahadi civilisation. It has people of various sub-ethnicities, activists, parties and various organisations who are working towards establishing an independent Madhesh. Although it was established in 2007, it did not announce their manifesto until a press conference in Kathmandu on 21 May 2012. The manifesto states the main objective of the alliance is to achieve independence of Madhesh through peaceful and non-violent means. It has also demanded an end an end to racism, slavery and discrimination imposed on Nepali people of Madheshi origin by the Pahadi people. It claims to have three pillars: independent Madhesh of Nepal, non-violence and peaceful means, and a democratic system.[6]
On 13 September 2014, the Government of Nepal arrested Raut for on the grounds of sedition after giving a speech to a gathering of Santhals, an indigenous population of Nepalese, in their annual festival. After his arrest, Raut began to fast in protest, arguing that his right to freedom and expression was being violated by the government.[7][8][9][10] He was subsequently hospitalized on 25 September after complaints of severe stomach pain. Nepali Congress Vice-President Ram Chandra Poudel, Minister for Information and Communications Minendra Rijal, and Agriculture Minister Hari Parajuli visited Raut in the hospital to urge him to end his fast.[11] Raut ended his fast on the 1 October, after 11 days, upon the Nepalese government's request and commitment to respect freedom of expression. The Attorney Office filed a sedition case at the Special Court on 8 October.[12]
On 3 January 2015, Raut was again arrested while giving a speech at degree College. Many supporters were injured following a clash with police. A dozen police personnel were also injured. Raut's supporters claimed police had used brutal force and did not allow him to be hospitalised locally for injuries incurred during the clash.[13]
Raut quitted the secessionist movement on 8 March 2019 signing agreement with Prime minister KP Sharma Oli.[14] Subsequently, Janamat Party was formed by Raut on 18 March 2019.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| CK Raut | Janamat Party | 35,042 | Won |
| Upendra Yadav | People Socialist Party | 16,979 | Defeated |
New York City based Human Rights Watch issued the statement on the arrest and subsequent filing of sedition charges against Raut.[15]
Asian Human Rights Commission stated, that everyone has the rights to freedom of speech, movement, peaceful assembly and association are the fundamental rights of all human beings everywhere, as also mandated by the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, of which Nepal is a signatory, we expect acknowledgement and assurance of our rights from the state and its agencies. The AHRC urges the government of Nepal to immediately release Dr Chandra Kant Raut. The AHRC fears possible torture, harassment and other ill treatment during their arbitrary arrest by the Morang Police."[16] Amnesty International also wrote a letter to the Nepalese Minister for Home Affairs, demanding Raut's release.[17][18]
Raut is heavily criticised for his past successionist movements. He is often seen as a dangerous element active in weakening the national sovereignty and controversial individual creating deep fractions between the madheshi and pahadi community. Wheareas his most trusted ally Kailash Mahato & other members of Alliance for Independent Madhesh left him after he quit the core agendas of free Madhesh.
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