This is a serious incident that took place yesterday in Nepalgunj and hasn’t ended yet. This is a fact that juniors are treated by many seniors very lowly and without any dignity in all security organizations including Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force. They should learn that juniors are not their slaves. If this incident is instigated by the Maoists as has been suspected because of the pro-Maoist slogans heard in the barracks then that deserves condemnation. We can only hope that this revolt will be an eye-opening for those senior officers in the security organizations. We also hope that this incident will not lead anarchy in the security organizations that demand high level of discipline and command and control but to the reforms within the organizations. Read the following news reports, the first is the latest, to learn more about the incident:
Update: 22-point pact ends Bageshwori cop standoff, hostages freed
BANKE, June 23 – The disgruntled Armed Police Force (APF) personnel of Bageshwori barracks based at Sumshergunj in Banke district today released all 17 officers taken hostage on Saturday after signing a 22-point agreement with the Home Ministry representatives.
The agitating APF police personnel released three DSP and 14 inspectors in fine condition after holding talks with the Home Ministry team.
The Home Ministry team comprising Joint Secretary Mod Raj Dotel and APF Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Narayan Pandey reached Nepalgung Sunday to negotiate with the agitating APF personnel.
Around 200 irate APF constables had launched the protest accusing their seniors of misbehaving, inflicting torture and providing them with indecent food.
They have claimed that no further incidents occurred at the battalion on Saturday, although local residents had issued a number of complaints.
The agitating APF officers had forwarded a 26-point demand letter to the home ministry on Sunday. Some of their key demands included severe action against chief of the battalion Hari Shanker Budathoki for corruption, an end to physical and mental torture and equal and decent food for all.
APF AIG Pandey conceded that the issue concerning misconduct in the battalion had occurred repeatedly, but could not be corrected due to internal weaknesses.
The Home Ministry’s joint secretary Dotel, APF AIG Narayan Pandey, Armed and Nepal Police Mid-Western Region’s DIGs and chief district official Narendra Raj Sharma were among the negotiators.
APF men release 17 senior officers
BANKE, June 23 – Armed Police Force (APF) personnel of Bageshwori Battalion based at Sumshergunj in Banke district on Monday released the battalion’s 17 officers, who were beaten up and taken hostage on Saturday.
The APF personnel released three DSP’s and 14 inspectors after a team led by Joint Secretary of Home Ministry Mod Raj Dotel reached Sumshergunj for talks.
The released hostages are all in fine condition, a source said.
Around 200 irate APF junior personnel have accused the seniors of behaving inappropriately and of providing them with indecent food.
They have claimed that no untoward incident was carried out at the battalion on Saturday.Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the talks between the representatives of the APF personnel and the government side at Bageshwori battalion in Sumshergunj.
The agitating APF officers have forwarded a 26-point demand letter for the talks.
Their demands include 11 points concerning some implementation in the Armed Police Force unit and 10 points concerning enforcement at the Bageshwori battalion, among others.
They have also demanded severe action against chief of the battalion Hari Shanker Budathoki accusing him of corruption, end of physical and mental torture in battalion and equal and decent food for all.
APF AIG Pandey conceded that the issue concerning misconduct in the battalion has occurred repeatedly, but could not be corrected due to internal weakness.Home Ministry’s joint secretary Dotel, APF AIG Narayan Pandey, Armed and Nepal Police Mid-Western Region’s DIGs and chief district official Narendra Raj Sharma are participating in the talks, which will take place in the presence of representatives from National Human Rights Commission and mediapersons.
Revolt in APF, over dozen officers captive
By J Pandey
SHAMSERGUNJ (BANKE), June 22 – Over 200 Armed Police Force (APF) personnel of Bageshwori Battalion here at Shamsergunj ‘revolted’ on Saturday night to protest against “poor ration quality and seniors officers’ ill-treatment”.
The disgruntled group also beat up APF battalion chief, Superintendent of Police (SP) Harishankar Budhathoki, and other senior officers, including three DSPs and took over a dozen senior personnel captive. Budhathoki was taken to Kathmandu for treatment on Sunday.
Agitating APF men have also padlocked the main gate and captured all communication sets and telephones inside the battalion. They also turned back two vehicles, in which senior APF officers from Banke and Surkhet had arrived by pelting stones at them on Sunday morning.
“We couldn’t go inside as they were chanting slogans,” said Raj Kumar Rana, APF Deputy Inspector General of Surkhet. “I don’t know how many are captive and injured inside.”
When a group of human rights activists and journalists attempted to get inside, agitating APF personnel stopped them at the gate itself. They said they were preparing their “agenda” to hold talks in the presence of APF chief, Home Ministry officials and others.
Although 500 of the total 700 APF personnel are reportedly not joining the protests, it could not be confirmed independently as no information could be gathered about the situation inside.
Protesting APF personnel even came out of the battalion and allegedly terrorized locals, saying that the latter had hidden some senior APF officers at their houses on Saturday night.
“A large group of APF security men came here suddenly and also hit me on my head,” said a local Devkanta Thapaliya. “Many other locals were also chased away.”
Eyewitnesses also claimed that they heard pro-Maoist slogans inside the battalion. When contacted, an injured SP Budhathoki, however, said APF personnel attacked him when he intervened in a dispute that ensued after a head constable beat up a drunken constable. “This is a supporter of (former home minister) Khum Bahadur (Khadka); beat him up!” he quoted protesting APF men as saying.
Regional office of National Human Rights Commission here said they had received complaints from the rank and file of APF men asking that various issues including ration, salary, torture and other forms of misbehavior by senior APF officers be probed. Meanwhile, APF Additional Inspector General, Narayan Pandey, and joint secretary at Home Ministry, Modraj Dotel, arrived here at Nepalgunj to take stock of the situation. They are busy holding talks with other security officials in the district over the issue.
United We Blog 
Comments
16 responses to “Revolt in Armed Police Force of Nepal”
The country is heading towarch chaos……
Its not just our country …but the whole world is going towards chaos.. and if we really examine we have less chaos than in india..where every day a female is getting raped and similar other incidents all around the world… its time to be positive for nepal…..the future is bright…we just need someone like prachanda or gyanendra to rule the country…a dictator be it in the form of king or any communist leader is what nepal needs… then there will be peace and prosperity in the country…
There does seem to be something very wrong with our culture and society. I assume the senior officers of the Bageshwori Battalion were involved in corrupt practices in supplying rations to the juniors and that they did not treat the juniors with the minimum respect that all humans deserve. On the other side the juniors also revolted in a rather brutal manner by beating up the officers and the surrounding villagers. Perhaps they could have addressed the issue in a different manner?
Can you see the common thread ? -students rioting violently. Transport entrepreneurs throwing stones and blocking traffic. Petroleum dealers padlocking NOC depots. Ministers locking up govt. officials in toilets.
Why do Nepali people need to resort to the most harmful way while addressing their demands? And why does the govt. only pay attention to their problems when it get’s seriously out of hand. Why does the govt. not take the necessary steps in time to avoid such problems?
Right now it feels really shameful to be a Nepali. I really don’t think we can call ourselves civilized when we behave in such an incivilized manner. Look we’re in the 21st century and we’re still throwing stones to fufill our self centred needs.
What ridiculous statements made by UWB ! I quote : “This is a fact that juniors are treated by many seniors very lowly and without any dignity in all security organizations including Nepali Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force. They should learn that juniors are not their slaves.” . So for the moment, UWB say that it is right to rebel. But just after, here come this sentence : “If this incident is instigated by the Maoists as has been suspected because of the pro-Maoist slogans heard in the barracks then that deserves condemnation.” .
What does it means ?! That people have right to rebel against injustice but not if you are maoist !!!! What is this non-sense ? Would have it been better if it was instigated by NC or UML, UWB ?
Again, of course violence is used to get heard by the power because as you say Kiratji the governement doesn’t listen otherwise and don’t take the necessary measures in order to change the situation.
the incident is the eyeopening incident for all the senior officer who always make the slave and react like the low graded infiriations for the junior armed police. it is against the monopoly they urge and the step against the undemocratic practise inside the police post. such feudalistic and anarchist attempt practise inside the police force by the upper class police personeel should be condemned and my deep high wishes to those lower level police daju vai.peoples war and janaandoaln is not only to born the ash over to eradicate the monarchy of nepal but also to end the feudalistic aspirations remain in the society.
HEYYYY.one beautiful incident. the police inspector sher bahadur adhikari is being beaten by the junior. he is from baglung. he is the one who blame me as a maoist in the peoples war time. now he is being thrashed and hassed by the junior army official. thanks to all them. he is the one who gaves me tortutre all the time when i am the student at prestigious st.xaviers campus.
Junior officers are treated very badly in the army. Besides taking vulgar abuses from senior officers these junior officers do the house works, work in the garden, carry shoping bags for their wives and school bags for their kids. They get to eat left over foods. They are treated worst than slaves. No wonder they are mad. This is the wake up call for all the senior officers in the Army and Police as well.
This incident replicates the situation that is currently happening in our country.
Everyone seems to be revolting now a days, the transporters association, the petroleum delears association… and who is in the bottom of this is the general public who has to deal with all the hassels of daily life. Not to forget the general public also includes the workers of tranporters’ association petroleum dealers.
I witnessed only one change– for once UWB was not blaming monarchy for this incident– now, this is a major shift in Nepalese politics. Till now the terrorists and the corrupt thugs had been engaging the entire country’s time on whether or not there should be monarchy diverting attention from the shortcomings and the misgivings of the so the very ireesponsible called seven party mafia thugs..now the focus is on them and they are stuggling very badly. But did the people epect any differently? Probably not!
back to stupid stuff… how can you be SURE that this is FACT? chill out man.. sickening you guys are.. to get carried away at the drop of a hat..
This is very bad situation. Are we moving closer to anarchy?/? Whatever may be the situation, army/ armed police should never revolt. Things like revolt never fits into there culture. Tomorrow some RNA personnels may initiate a revolt. If this repeate again what will happen to the country??
In my openion, it was complete absurd for these guys to revolt. If they had used there head properly they would have got more appropriate way to convey there grevances to there superiors.
This short of act demands strong disciplinary action from the authority such that these people would not think to initiate another revolt.
Ram Prasad
RECYCLE ALL OF COURSE IT IS A MESS no money nobody likes police anyway
Becareful Girija and UML followers thug money-suckers ….the revolt might take action against them as well….
Just to change the topic a little bit here…
Wagle ji, did I miss a blog about your bunjee jumping story or is there a story down the road here pretty soon…?
Excerpt:
“I’ll never jump again,” said Dinesh Wagle, a Nepali journalist and blogger. “The whole experience was so scary that I’m still afraid to even think about it.”
Not to be a jerk about it, but I’d probably feel the same way. I thought it’d be neat to share the experience you had over there.
Nepal is a replica of zimbabwe, we’re not just close to anarchy but amidst anarchism. In countries like these deplomacy isn’t the option. Who knows their deplomatic remedies might have failed and finally resorted to violence, the only cure thats available. This revolt certainly transmits tremor of some richter scale…
Mailadaju,
Here is the link:
Bungy Jumping In Nepal: Incredible Experience
Thanks, DW.
I didn’t realize it was a while back. I saw an article by your colleague, Deepak Adhikari, who’s in Pittsburgh with the Post Gazette and from his article I assumed that the jump was fairly recent (my apologies)
Anyhow, thanks and FYI: I love those Karnali article series (it gets your mind out of the hopeless political scene)
Keep up the good work.