Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Thursday appealed for calm and harmony after three people died in communal violence in border districts, as authorities expanded curfew restrictions to more areas. In a televised address, Shah said the government would ensure a neutral and transparent investigation into the violence and hold those responsible accountable.
The unrest, which began in Sunsari district of Koshi province and later spread to parts of neighbouring Madhesh province, has led to curfews, prohibitory orders and the deployment of security forces. The government has also stepped up political and administrative measures to contain the situation and ease tensions.
The violence first broke out on Sunday night in the Kaptangunj area of Devganj rural municipality in Sunsari district when members of two communities, who were separately organising programmes, clashed over the use of loudspeakers and the display of religious flags. On Thursday, the violence spread to Golbazar market in Siraha district of Madhesh province, where a teenager died in the clashes. Officials also said one person injured in the Sunsari violence died in Koshi province.
An indefinite curfew was imposed in parts of Dhanusa, Siraha and Birgunj districts of Madhesh province on Thursday, while the curfew in Sunsari district, first imposed on Monday, remained in force. Shah said the government was looking into the incidents in Sunsari's Devganj and parts of Siraha with the "utmost seriousness and sensitivity". He said health authorities had been instructed to ensure prompt treatment for the injured. He also said the home ministry had formed an investigation committee and promised that the inquiry would be impartial and transparent. Security forces have been deployed to prevent further violence and restore normalcy, he added.
According to the Prime Minister, the home minister travelled to the affected areas to oversee the security situation, while the National Security Council reviewed the unrest and took necessary decisions. Shah said an all-party meeting had been convened in Kathmandu and dialogue was continuing to ease tensions. He also urged the public not to spread rumours, misinformation or hate speech through social media or other platforms.
In a related development, the District Administration Office of Parsa in Madhesh province issued prohibitory orders in parts of Birgunj Metropolitan City as a precaution after demonstrations by some people in response to the violence in Sunsari. The restrictions covered the area between Pratima Chowk in the east, Tilabe Bridge in the west, Gandak Chowk in the north and Shankaracharya Gate in the south of Birgunj, which borders Raxaul in Bihar. Under the orders, gatherings of five or more people were banned, and no demonstration, sit-in, public meeting or meeting was allowed. Officials said the order would remain in effect from 5 pm on Thursday till 6 am on Friday. Earlier in the day, various parts of Dhanusa, including Laxminia Hatbazaar, Belauni Road, Nagarain Municipality, Dudhmati bridge and Janakpur, were placed under curfew from 3.30 pm for an indefinite period as a precautionary measure due to communal tensions, Assistant Chief District Officer of Dhanusha Bhudev Jha said. Sunsari's Assistant Chief District Officer Poshan Lamichhane said the security situation in the district was gradually improving, but the administration had extended the curfew to 10 areas, including the East-West Highway, to control the situation.
Several lawmakers, including Basna Thapa of Nepali Congress and Oren Rai of Shram Sanskriti Party, raised the issue of growing tension in southern Nepal districts, including Sunsari, in Parliament on Thursday. President Ramchandra Paudel expressed deep concern and appealed for social, religious and communal harmony and national unity. "Goodwill, reconciliation and brotherhood are the unique features of the identity and tradition of the Nepalese people, in a country characterised by a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-racial society," President Paudel said in a statement. He also called on the agencies concerned to take stern action against the culprits through a neutral and factual investigation. Overall, the government has responded with curfews, security deployment, talks and an inquiry, as Nepal seeks to contain the violence that began in Sunsari and spread to parts of Madhesh.
--With PTI Inputs--
