Photos from yesterday’s protests
Himal, Pahad, Terai: Kohi Chhaina Parai CPN Maoist organized rally in Bhairahawa that stressed on communal harmony in Nepali society. Many activists associated with other political parties and general citizens took part in the rally to protest communal incidents in eastern Terai recently. Pics by Madhav Dhungana
Rally in Bhairahawa
Terai sees no respite, 1 dies in Kalaiya
KATHMANDU, Jan 28 – Unrest in terai districts continued unabated even as relative normalcy returned to the eastern towns of Biratnagar, Itahari, Inaruwa and Lahan today. One protester was killed in police firing in Kalaiya of Bara while protesters threatened and attacked journalists and human rights activists at many places. In the wake of growing violence, local administrations imposed curfew in the three terai towns of Janakpur, Kalaiya and Gaur in order to thwart any untoward incident.
One Jamir Alam, 15, was killed while as many as 12 others were injured in police firing. Alam died when police opened fire after they clashed with protesters of Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) at Devkota Chowk of Kalaiya at around 4 pm. Nepali Army helicopter brought four seriously injured and their attendants to Kathmandu for treatment late in the evening.
The berserk group later vandalized party offices of Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Nepali Congress-Democratic and some government offices at Kalaiya. On Saturday, one protester was killed in Kalaiya after police opened fire to contain violent protest. The Bara MPRF announced those killed its martyrs and demanded compensation from the government. (more)
Madheshi Peoples’ Rights Forum Activists stormed into Birgunj FM station and vandalized the office. In the photo above, people are listening to the live broadcast of the incident from the same station. Pic by Subodh Singh
Journalists, media houses attacked
BIRGUNJ, Jan 29- Demonstrators in the protests called by Madhesi People’s Rights Forum (MPRF) Sunday attacked journalists and media houses here in the town. Seeking out at every nook and cranny in the town, protesters singled out and beat up several local journalists throughout the day. They started vandalizing local media houses later in the afternoon. Several journalists left town as MPRF cadres threatened media personnel. Journalists fled the town after the cadres announced a list of certain journalists against whom action would be taken. They were still hunting for some journalists including Post correspondents.
A rally that defied curfew orders vandalized local FM station Radio Birgunj and branch office of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ). The station’s broadcast was disrupted for some hours following the attack. Some 60 to 70 protesters stormed the station, according to Dipendra Chauhan, news coordinator of the station. Protesters also vandalized four motorcycles of the FM station, some equipment of BBC Radio Nepali Service and Communication Corner.
After vandalizing Radio Birgunj, the mob was heading toward Narayani FM. However, security men deployed at the station foiled their attempts at vandalism there, according to managing director of the station Govinda Devkota. “This is a conspiracy hatched by regressive forces against the newly-established loktantra,” said Chauhan, who is also a member of Press Council, adding, “Journalists will however tackle it patiently.” Protesters had brutally beaten up photojournalist Ram Sarraf earlier in the morning. He is undergoing treatment at Narayani sub-regional hospital. Likewise, the group also beat up journalists Dhruva Sah and Bhuvan Jha.
Meanwhile, editors and publishers of seven daily newspapers have declared in unison they will not publish their editions from Tuesday in protest of the attack against journalists and media houses. They took the decision at a meeting held here on Sunday evening following the attacks. Journalists have also blamed the police forces of being mute spectators during the incidents. During the protest, irate demonstrators also burnt down a police unit at Gandak area, survey and customs offices, and vandalized some private houses.
In Bara, journalists could not go outside to cover news and take photographs of demonstrations as protesters were hunting for some journalists to take action against them. Meanwhile, issuing a statement, MPRF Sunsari chapter has urged journalists and human rights activists to cover news of the protests and monitor activities without any fear and terror. The statement issued by the district chairman also has committed not to hinder them.
Members of Mohattari district’s People’s Movement Committee and Maoists took out a rally in Jaleshwor putting forward five demands. Pics by Rabindra Upriety
Police and locals in Mohattari trying to extinguish the fire set in the distict education office by the activists of Madheshi Peoples’ Rights Forum.
A rally organized in Jhapa demanding communal harmony.
Activists of Madheshi Peoples’ Rights Forum listen to a speaker in a protest meeting in Janaandolan Chowk in Biratnagar. Pic by Bhim Ghimire
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Comments
27 responses to “Nepal Terai Tension: Protests Continue, Media Targeted”
With 8 people dead I doubt this government can hold the royal government accountable for killing 23 people or use of excessive force
Its Maoists who disrupted communal harmony and now they are holding
rally.
Both federal structure and constituency based on population
are legitimate demands. Ignoring these will be blunder on part of
the Govt.
Of course they should protest in peaceful manner.
why do you think media is targetted? who thinks media can expose them? It seems much harder times for Nepali media is yet to come….
Girija proving himself one of the crook leader of this nation….
Madhes problem? What problem? They want to join India.. sure go join the Bihar state; who is stopping you? I have my house in Lahan. When I was a kid, the area was barren, no one lived there, hardly a few Nepales who braved the hardship. Then there were some coming from Bihar who ran Pan shops and barbar shops, then there were their Sala, Sasurals and oh mighos, I look minority in my own home now. Close the border with India, block it for good. bring 4 million Nepalse working in India back home and fill the Terai region. Thats the spirit. These so called Biharis have no nationalist feelings. Chase all of them from Kathmandu, and they will come to know the conseqence. India does not want to take them back, these are all spill overs, India is moving with high tempo. They would rather give Bihar to Nepal.
Its a turmoil to ultimately restructure the South Asia. Then We should see where is the India atoping in Mt Everest.
Its a turmoil to ultimately restructure the South Asia. Then We should see where is the India atoping in Mt Everest.
I hope you guys did not miss Prachanda’s interview with the Kantipur TV on Saturday. This guy is so disconected. He did spoke few things that he should never had spoke being a maoist leader. Now he is screwed. He called JTMM and other Terai morcha, just a handfull of people. Well Mr. Prachanda, your hand full of peope is kicking a lot of your A__
Royalists OUT
Maoists IN
Maoists OUT
Madhesis IN
Long Live Democracy in Nepal
Royalists OUT
Maoists IN
Maoists OUT
Madhesis IN
Madhesis OUT
India IN
Jana Gana Adhinayak Jai hai
Bharat Bhagya Vidhata…….
……
26 Jan 2010
In the state capital Kathmandu, Chief Minister Hridesh Tripathy unveiled the statue of Late Father of the State Gajendra Narayan Singh. Small number of indigenous people, commonly known as “Pahadis” in the state of Nepal, North West Benal and Uttaranchal were present in the ceremony. …..
Well give all the bhutanese refugees, citizenship cards and resettle them in the border areas, and introduce passport system. People who a couple of years back are getting citizenship, and well a few years down the roard, nepal will just be a state.
Nepalese refugees from Bhutan should have received their Nepalese Citizenship as soon as they arrived in Nepal. Nepalese politicians do not want to solve this problem. Camp leaders are not eager to solve this problem either. As long as refugee crises looms they can play with UN money.
As for the passport, everybody who travels out of Nepal should have passports and everybody who travels to Nepal should have passports. Visa should be bilateral issue.
I can’t believe you are comparing the Bhutanese with Nepali Madhesis. There are Nepali people who have live in the terai regions for ages. There are some Indian citizens who look alike and speak similar languages like the terai people but that does not Nepali Madhesis Indian. In that sense all the Nepali people living in the mountains and sharing culture and language with Tibet are Chinese, all the Nepali people from the far west who speak Gharwali and Kumaoni should be Indians too. Hell the only people who don’t share any culture, origin, or language with our two huge, completely encompassing, neighbours areeee ahh let me see the tourists in Nepal. Any how I prefer the Federal system proposal given by the Madheshi people much more than the Maoist ideology. It give constituents more representations and constituent representatives will be much more liable is they folly or falter. That makes it easier to remove the Royalty and keep the Maoists in check. I doubt the Maoists will win more than two federated constituencies from mid west Nepal.
Just because Bhutanese refugees speak Nepali doesn’t make them Nepali Citizens. Similarly, just because “SOME” Nepali Madhesis speak Indian dialects, doesn’t make them Indian citizens either.
Mr. Bologger
Try to be balanced in your news and moderation of comments….I see those criminals spitting venom against all madhesis…..This is simply unacceptable to me….You people has lost all your sanity to have a constructive discussion……If your voices keep on coming like this……be sure that after few months…you will have to deal with Jwala singh and Goit. All the moderate madhesi like me will have nothing to say at that time.
Ah plug ur hole Rakesh. Stop talking like a Maoist, at least they had a force. It is harder to raise a substantial paramilitary force out for Nepali Madhesis because they have much more to lose that maoists from the mountains who which has a higher rate of poverty and especially delinquency, check UNDP statistics on why mountain Nepal is harder to develop than Terai Nepal. If there is a conflict, most of the forces with Goit and Jwala will actually be Indian, which will not have complete or at all Loyalty of the Nepali Madhesis. Hence it will be a disaster. Plus anyone can their blog their shitz out, so can you, and i am. This is a phase Nepal needed to go through, its all sifting. Like when you sift rice all the dirt and unwanted things come out so that they can be picked out. Nepal is going through a same process, all the problem need to be addressed now because tomorrow it will be not be heard so carefully.
Going through the articles, i am a “phade” living in madesh, and to let you know there is hardly any hard feelings among the various communities in terai. I think the media has to some extent blown up the issue. The common person on the street is indifferent to whether there is central rule or federal rule. Everone in madesh belevies that citizenship should not be given to non-nationals but it the vote politics that is spoling the whole show in terai.
culture
Moot ko nyano ma ramau…malai kehi bhannu chhaina. UNDP ka aru pani dhera statis tics chhan……don’t put yourself in a phase of selective ignorance.
Wagle sucks. Kantipur sucks. And so does most of the Sold-out, so-called media in Nepal.
I mean, you gangsters, do you even know that we have got more education, more money, more power and more enthusiasm than your terrorist mind can even think of.
Try to divide Nepalis and we will get the blood out of you.
Think again bastards, think again.
The big question raised by Terai unrest is whether a term “Nepali” defines ethnicity or nationals of a country Nepal. An open question is Nepali as an ethnicity definition is unclear. Definition of “Nepali” as a nationals of Nepal is clear.
I come from Yadav caste and off course from Teari. Numberwise, Yadavs are over 5% of Nepal population and is arguably Terai largest community. Demographic distribution of Yadavs in different states of India is also similar to that of Nepal. They are tamil in Tamilnadu, bihari in Bihar, Bengali in Bengal and so on. Likewise, Yadav are Nepali in Nepal. I don’t consider Mr. Rana or Mr. Koirala (historically who came from somewhere of present India) as any better Nepali than myself. There is no need to prove my nationalism to so called ethnic Nepali’s, if they are Mr. Koirala or Mr. Rana.
It is true that several castes including Yadav have been branded as less patriotic and not provided with elite governmental positions by the past governments and monarchs. This was done for political reasons. At present, we are in time of change and mistakes of the past must not be repeated.
Personally, I don’t believe there is any need to define Nepali as an ethnic community. Therefore, solution of Terai lies in defining Nepalese nationalism.
Baje Shyam Prasad
Good comments Baje Shyam . Very nice comments. Nepalis are those who belong to Nepal – geographically, culturally, from their heart and position. But this does not mean Nepal needs to give free citizenship to anyone and everyone.
All outstanding issues must be solved with talks. But the problem is that SPAM has sown the seeds of violence in Nepal and is just reaping the (dirty) fruits of what it sowed. The SPAM terrorists must be brought to task.
SPAM is NOT a representative of Nepalis and hence it does not have any right whatsoever to take any sort of decision. Be all and end all of it.
Bijay prasad kamalpur , simraungadh
hi madhesi,
Congratulation to you all madhesi. i am very happy to inform. About our madhesi has got their all requirement. please give vote and also choose best person. please dont take any types of money to give vote. if you will take money. Sure you will choose wrong person. So please choose best ruler. best of luck. bye
Bijay prasad, kamalpur , simraungadh
hi madhesi,
Congratulation to you all madhesi. i am very happy to inform. About our madhesi has got their all requirement. please give vote and also choose best person. please dont take any types of money to give vote. if you will take money. Sure you will choose wrong person. So please choose best ruler. best of luck. bye
Best of luck to all of our madheshi friends, we pray for your success.
I just want to say that the country will be responsible for the future act and decision of MADHESHI.
Even the country men didnt take lession from history, they must have good knowledge about history and change.
Revolution and change is the natural way and when it start no one can stop that.
Now the revolution of medhesh has started, no one can stop it to be autonomus.
MA NEPALI KO CHORO HOON
DONT TRY TO DIVIDE OUR COUNTRY IN THE NAME OF MADHESHI AND PAHADI.MADHEHESIS ARE PURE NEPALI THEY ARE HAVING GUTS TO SAVE SOVEREIGNITY OF COUNTRY.FOR YOUR KIND INFORMATION YADAV RULED COUNTRY FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE DYNASTIES AND HISTORY IS REPEATING TOO BECAUSE SON OF NEPALI MADHESI IS HEAD OF COUN TRY