CARNAGE IN KAPILBASTU
Ominous Indication
The violence in Kapilbastu has pointed at more dangerous portents for the days to come. A year and a half after the restoration of democracy through popular uprising, the political parties have faltered. They have failed to maintain law and order and boost the morale of the people. In the name of inclusive politics, they have been promoting caste-based, region-based and ethnicity-based politics, which is slowly but steadily dividing the people. From last year's Nepalgunj riots to recent Kapilbastu violence, their divisive politics have started to bear evil fruits. Though they declared the country secular, they are failing to maintain communal harmony. Furthermore, as they keep themselves busy politicking in the capital, their criminal negligence has threatened to add fuel to the fire stoked by anti-social elements who want to create communal and social tension. If Kapilbastu's lessons are not learnt right away, Nepal could be heading towards unpredictably disastrous course
By SANJAYA DHAKAL
Even after a week has passed since the violence erupted in Kapilbastu district, the authorities are not able to provide actual facts and data on the number of people killed, number of displaced persons and the extent of damages. Consequently, reports have been floated putting the death toll at around 30. Around 300 are said to be missing and over 150 vehicles were torched. Over 5000 people are said to have been displaced with hundreds of houses set to fire and properties worth over Rs One billion destroyed.
The security and administration, which remained paralyzed for a number of days after the violence erupted, is just now beginning to come alive. But it is too little and too late.
The delegations of civil society leaders who have visited the violence-wrecked regions in the past few days have come back with horrifying tales. As communities have been pitted against one another, the long-term implications of the violence are going to be very costly. People are beginning to lose trust among each other. Even a small incident can spark further violence.
"Even after so many days, there is no presence of the government. Another disaster will strike if displaced persons are not immediately rehabilitated," said Dr. Devendra Raj Pandey who led a team of civil society members to visit displaced persons living in Chandrauta, Sundaridanda, Magarghatta and in bordering areas.
Earlier, another team of civil society leaders had called the government to immediately dispatch special task force to bring the situation in Kapilbastu under control.
"We demand the government to immediately set up a special task force in order to control the violence that has erupted in Kapilvastu District since 16 September, to protect the lives of citizens, and to maintain communal harmony. We believe that there is a need for such a task force to immediateiy start work in the district," says the statement issued jointly from Butwal by Dr. Gauri Shankar Lal Das, Sushil Pyakurel, Kanak Dixit, and Kundan Aryal on September 20.
The civil society leaders painted a terrible picture of Kapilbastu where they said that even relief workers are not yet able to go far beyond the highway to gather details or to provide assistance.
"If the situation is not addressed effectively, the communal discord that has erupted in parts of Kapilvastu could well travel to other parts," the statement warned.
"To this day, depending on the place, individuals from one community are continuing to attack the property of members of another community. The neglect of the national government, the negligence of the district adminstration, and the inaction of the security forces has been responsible for the deteriorating state of affairs," they said.
Echoing the comments made by local affected people, the delegation said that the local administrtion is not capable of controlling the situation.
Another organization CWIN, which has been active in the field of child rights promotion, has said that at least 20 children are among those missing since the violence erupted in Kapilbastu.
It said that 100 children have been displaced. It called for immediate psychosocial treatment to the children who are horrified by what they have just passed through.
On the other hand, the umbrella body of private sector, the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has informed that private properties worth over Rs 1 billion have been lost due to the violence.
After he was gheraoed by enraged locals of Kapilbastu district in Chandrauta and Krishna Nagar on Saturday (September 22), Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula assured that he will take action against the administrators and police officials who failed to protect lives and properties. The locals were angry over the failure of administration to protect them and their properties during the week-long violence that triggered in the district last Sunday. Once he returned to the capital, Sitaula recalled the CDO of Kapilbastu district. "But the problem runs deeper than the local administration and security arrangements," say activists.
The Incident
The Kapilbastu violence was triggered on September 16 following the killing of one Mohit Khan, leader of Madhesi Loktantrik Mukti Morcha (MLMM) and a former leader of anti-Maoist resistance group, in Birpur area.
Based on rumors that gunmen on motorcycle wearing Nepali cap had shot him to death, there was a communal violence. In a mysterious manner, mobs started vandalizing shops, looting properties, setting vehicles to fire and attacking people hours after Khan's murder.
People in Krishna Nagar, Birpur and Chandrauta were caught off-guard as they were subjected to frenzied attacks. In a matter of few hours, the news traveled to nearby Butawal where mobs took to the streets and started vandalizing mosques. Although administration clamped indefinite curfew, the paralyzed security forces could not bring the situation under control.
As Kapilbastu burned, political leaders and home minister were busy in trying to prevent yet another political disaster in the capital as Maoists stepped up threats to quit the government. They actually quit the government on September 18 plunging the nation into another pit of controversy.
It was only after few days and deaths of few dozens that politicians started to realize the gravity of the problem. Swift dispatch of ministerial delegations did little to restore harmony.
On September 20, a second round of violence erupted in Jagdishpur of the district when clashes occurred in front of security personnel and rights workers. A group of people who had come in the name of helping the victims of Sunday's violence had attacked three persons kept in Jagadishpur police post and killed them. More than a week later, Kapilbastu is still in tenterhooks.
Worse, the communal tension sparked in Kapilbastu and Rupandehi districts traveled to nearby Dang where local administration responded with curfew in Lamahi and Tulsipur bazaar.
The Fall Out
The government has, as usual, formed a three-member panel to probe the violence in Kapilbastu. The panel will be led by Lokendra Mallik, judge of Appellate Court, Rajbiraj, including joint attorney general Pushpa Raj Koirala and Additional Inspector General of Police Niraj Pun. The panel has been asked to submit report in a month.
The government also decided to provide with Rs 10,000 to each of the families of people killed in the riots as immediate relief, Rs 10,000 to families whose houses have been burned down and Rs 5000 to families that have suffered minor damages. Additional Inspector Generals (AIGs) of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force have been dispatched to Kapilbastu to bring the situation under control.
But these administrative moves are not adequate to bring normalcy in the region. What is needed is a healing touch from all sections of Nepali society to defeat the rising communal discord. If this problem is not nipped while in the bud, it is sure to lead to catastrophe. In the short-term, the government and political parties have to help the displaced, provide security and maintain harmony if they want to hold November election in a smooth manner.
