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Nepal

Muslims displaced, Taxi drivers clash with students

by Kashish | September 2007

September 21, 2007: Ramadan, one of the most important months in the Islamic calendar, is being observed between 13 September and 12 October this year. However, ethnic riots today have forced local authorities to temporarily evacuate the entire Muslim community of Tulsipur, Dang, and relocate them in nearby security forces' camps. The measure was taken after riots targeted at the community flared in this western district yesterday, when several Muslim-owned shops were looted and their homes vandalized. One was even burnt down, and was still smoldering late this evening.

A driver checks a damaged taxi in Pulchowk.

"Tulsipur has never had any ethnic or religious tension in my memory," a long-time resident said, requesting anonymity, "But most of these rioters seem to be from nearby villages, and not our bazaar, and maybe even YCL (Young Communist League) members."

An indefinite curfew in the area has been imposed since late afternoon yesterday. However, a mob of young men defied it this morning and attempted to burn down the local mosque, forcing security forces to blank-fire and disperse the mob. Yesterday a similar mob dragged a man through the bazaar and left him there after he fell unconscious.

The cause of the riot has been understood as a ripple effect of the assassination of Mohit Khan, an influential Muslim member of the community in Kapilvastu, on Sunday. During his years as an armed leader of an anti-Maoist resistance group, Khan's younger brother was killed in an attack on his home by the Maoists. The assassination prompted immediate rampages in Kapilvastu and neighboring Butwal on the same day, resulting in deaths of civilians as well as an Armed Police Force officer. The National Human Rights Commission reported that 119 homes were burnt down and about a total of 500 homes vandalized.

Khan had recently been associated with the Madheshi Democratic Forum, and it has been reported that many rioters and instigators came from the Indian side of the border town.

While Nepalgunj, a predominantly Muslim town, has yet to feel consequences of incidents in Kapilvastu and Dang, "the Muslim community is already very edgy," a local human rights officer said.

This isn't the first major ethnic riot associated with the Nepali Muslim community in recent years. On 1 September '04, Kathmandu experienced violent attacks against its Muslims from early morning because news had arrived the day before that 11 Nepalis had been killed in Iraq by a radical Islamist group. By late morning, Nepalgunj had been brought to a stand still too and the situation remained tense in most of Nepal's urban centers in the Terai, where the Muslim community makes for a large demography. Curfew had been imposed in Kathmandu and several other volatile regions.

Today, Home Minister Krishna Sitalua has hinted that there are certain groups inciting the unrest for their vested interest. On the other hand, the CPN- Maoists, of which the YCL is a sister organization, has blamed the local authorities for letting the riots get out of hand and blamed "regressive" forces for the unrest.

Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai speaks at a mass meeting.

During a mass meeting in Khula Manch on Tuesday, the radical Communist party declared that they had left the government and was starting another people's uprising. The government's inability to agree to their demands, including declaring a republic Nepal before the elections, was cited as the reason.

"The next three weeks is a trailer and then after that you'll see the full film," Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, the senior party leader declared. The 'trailer' includes street agitation, disruption of activities by the government and the electoral commission and a public relations campaign amongst other ideas. They have also vowed to disrupt the planned Constitutional Assembly election planned for November 22.

While locals confirm the participation of YCL cadres in the Tulsipur riots yesterday, their party cadres in Kathmandu were involved in an incident of their own. Taxi drivers in the city had staged a protest against the government's inability to supply fuel, which has, for the last three months, forced all vehicle owners to wait in line for more than twelve hours to get a limited supply. Though the protesters largely consist of genuine taxi drivers, it is common knowledge that many YCL cadres have now taken up the profession in the city

Police officers move damaged taxis.

Several of them were present at one such street-blocking protest outside the Pulchowk Engineering Campus, where a student was assaulted by a taxi driver. Within seconds, a mass of such drivers were hurling bottles and bricks into the campus. The students inside, who have been historically affiliated with non-Maoist political parties, if any, retaliated with an experienced ease. By the end of the hour-long showdown, five taxis were severely damaged though no injury was reported. "We have called for more party workers," a YCL cadre had declared early on. "If you are not going to go in then let us go inside and take care of those students," his colleague later yelled at a police officer trying to diffuse the situation. The police had convinced the students to stop pelting rocks by this time despite the initial obstinacy. The college was, in fact, distributing admission forms, so many would-be students were in the premises during the clash.

Students stay on guard, prepared to re-engage if needed

Back in western Nepal, it is not yet clear when the Muslim residents of Tulsipur can go back home from the camp. The National Human Rights Commission estimates that about 3,000 people have been displaced from Kapilvastu alone. And now, transportation company owners and drivers have threatened a general strike in the region if they are not compensated for the damages done to their vehicles during and since Sunday.

Update:

Kantipur Report

DANG, Sept 22 - The District Administration Office, Dang clamped curfew in Lamahi bazaar and Tulsipur of Dang from 10 am Saturday.

Urging locals to exercise restraint and maintain communal harmony, the district administration prolonged curfew in a bid to avert any untoward incident.

Curfew that was clamped since Thursday was relaxed for two hours this morning.

Comments

September 22nd, 2007

1 | dukulathak:

Nothing but very very sad news. When can we begin to hear good news from Nepal. At this time of juncture, I dont even know what good news gonna be like. Dont know who to blame, what to believe and what can I do from my end. Such a confusion, chaos and disillusioned life we Nepalis living in.

September 22nd, 2007

2 | hi:

What about the Hindus burnt alive, sererrated to death and rapedand killed in Kapilvastu? Don’t be biased. You should not forget about plight and suffering of people in Kapilvastu while writing anything about this issue. If Muslims in Tulsipur or Ghorahi or Lamahi need justice, Hindus in kapilvastu equally need it. Actually Hindus in Kapilvastu need it more because they sufferred for doing nothing wrong. It was Muslims who first turned communal by mass killing Hindus for none of their fault.

Whereever it may have happened, Kapilvastu or Dang, these communal riots can never be justified. Maoist thugs invited carnage across eastern Terai through Lahan incident and they invited Kapilvastu carnage by killing Moin Khan. But why did Muslims target Hindus for the crimes of Maoists? Why did they lost the sense? And why the fucking Hindus in tulsipur attack Muslims there for nothing? It’s all sad, hopeless and frustrating.

September 24th, 2007

3 | dowehavegovt.:

This is historically useless govt. in Nepal. This govt. should be removed immediately to stop further worst disaster. This crazy Shitaula still not ashamed of his misrule ? or we should throw him out from Nepal…

September 25th, 2007

4 | Salik:

When news already came out within 24 hours of the Kapilvastu violence, we expected that the government would also play its role at the earliest. But it took nearly a week to respond and call a cabinet meet. This is Nepal- and this is our democracy. Maoists are a people’s party? A party that has promoted divisions among ordinary Nepalese in name of caste, ethnicity and now, religion.
But I tell you- we don’t hate each other. People understand the value of tolerance.
It’s just that we have corrupt politicians and bad polity. But they say- everywhere it’s just the same.Is it really so? The wound of September 1 is still afresh, and now Kapilvastu incident will certainly create a fertile ground for more radicals and extremists in the country.
See, a prime minister of a secular country is going to attend a religious festival (Indrajatra) today. You know Girija is Hindu, don’t you?

February 26th, 2008

5 | Rajesh Kumar:

The madheshis did very wrong who kill the moid khan we dont know but why paying the punishment pahadees why there houses were burnt why pahadees murdered by madeheshis. nepali people (pahadees) already very poor they cant fight with anyone so i prayer to god please save my kapilvastu and also request to madheshis orgnisations please dont divide nepal in different parts nepal is peaceful country so keep it as it is thanks.

March 3rd, 2008

6 | Alok Thapa:

I think nepal is now will make as afghanistan because administration system is very useless of kapilvastu.the local police and apf was waiting for order from kathmandu when pahadees were dying when our houses burnt and all the pahadees was displaced. that was totaly mistake of kapilvastu’s administration system.

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