Background
The word 'Madhesh' is said to be derived from 'Madhya Desh' meaning 'country in the middle'. Some scholars show its origin in 'Matsya Desh' meaning 'country of fish', tracing its origin to the country described in the Hindu scripture the Mahabharata.
Into the 1960s the Nepali outer Terai was heavily forested and Malaria infested and mainly inhabited by Tharu. Other smaller groups were Yadav/Ahir, Koiri, Dhanuk, Teli, Amat, Rajbhar, Kurmi and Danuwar. . For many years the jungles acted as a buffer between Nepal and India. The eradication of Malaria and large scale clear cutting of the forests made the fertile plains attractive to migrants from the mountains and especially from the densely populated Indian side of the border. Nepalese government . Today, about half the Nepalese population lives in the Terai(madhesh). The Madheshi claim that although Nepal nominally became a democracy in 1990, historical patterns of government employment being won by Khas(originally migrated from Indian northern hills) continued to the present day. This has recently lead to demonstrations, the outbreak of violence and the establishment of political parties demanding equal rights, fair representation, greater autonomy within Nepal and even independence.
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