August 25, 2015
The government’s newest proposal for the country to be divided into seven provinces, presented on Sunday, was met with fury and violence in the southern border regions of Nepal on Monday.
This follows a string of protests in recent weeks, organized by members of historically marginalized communities including the Tharu ethnic minority. The latest clash broke out when organized by the Tharuhat United Struggle Committee, held a protest to demand their own separate province.
Thousands of protesters descended on Tikapur, in Kailali district, and attacked police with axes, bricks, sickles and stones after breaching a restricted zone set up by security. Police resorted to firing to disperse the mob
Unofficial reports put the death figure at over 20 including 17 policemen, according to Hindustan Times.
Terming the clash as “pre-planned”, Home Minister Bamdev Gautam told Parliament that one police constable was killed in a particularly gruesome manner. while other protesters killed officers with spears, sickles and axes. Said Gautam, “Inspector Ram Bihari Tharu of the Armed Police Force was burnt alive.”
The Home Minister declared the area as a “riot-stricken zone” and that the army had been deployed.
More than 40 injured security personnel were taken to Tikapur hospital for treatment.
The Chief District Officer of Kailali, Raj Kumar Shrestha, said that around 10,000 people descended on the prohibited area. The authority had been clamping curfew in Kailali district for the past four days.
Tharu lawmaker, Ganga Chaudhary, who staged a torch rally in Kathmandu two weeks ago, blamed the authorities for the escalation of protests. "Tharus are a peaceful community and we have been putting our demands for an undivided Tharu province peacefully, but our voices were not heard," she told AFP. "This violence is an unfortunate consequence of the rage that has been brewing...if the government listens to Tharus, the situation could calm down," she said.
Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, addressing the parliament on Monday, urged all the agitating groups to exercise restraint in the wake of violent protests in various parts of the country. “The constitution can be amended as it is not the something carved in stone. There is enough room for change,” PM Koirala added.
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