The local administration lifted curfew for two hours from 8am to 10am at Tikapur in Kailali district on Monday to allow the locals to buy daily essentials from the market. Similarly, curfew hours have also been reduced in Dhangadhi, lifting it between 10am to 4pm from Monday.

Security personnel are said to have arrested 11 people on charge of being involved in Tikapur clashes on August 24 that claimed nine lives, including a two-year-old toddler.

Jit Bahadur Tharu, Brij Mohan Tharu, Rajesh Tharu, Sanatram Tharu, Rajesh Chaudhary, Kishan Tharu, Sitaldas Chaudhary were among those arrested from various places at 1am night. Locals complained that the security personnel also misbehaved with women.

The details of destruction in Tikapur are still unknown even a week after the clashes. Some houses and shops belonging to Tharu people were vandalised and torched on the following day of the clashes. Chief District Officer Mohan Chapagain said they had formed a team to collect details of the incident.

According to Chapagain, two base camps of Armed Police Force have been set up at Dhansinghpur and Hasuliya areas after evaluating the security situation in Kailali district.

Likewise, the APF security personnel have been deployed for 24-hours in Bauniya which borders the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He said they had also arranged backup forces at Narayanpur, Joshipur, Chaumala among other places.

Despite Chapagain’s claims that the security personnel had been directed not to be biased, the people from Tharu community complained that they had been bias against Tharu people.

Chapagain said he had also called lawmakers of Kailali to help maintain peace in the district. Likewise, the Tharuhat Tharuwan Struggle Committee also said that they have been careful not to disturb social harmony in the district.

Tharu leaders seek NHRC role to resolve crisis

Tharu leaders have urged the National Human Rights Commission to make efforts for all-party dialouge to seek a solution to the ongoing crisis in Tarai plains.

At a meeting with commissioners on Monday, a group of Tharu lawmakers urged the apex human rights body to play a constructive role for dialogue among all-sides.

They drew the attention of the commission towards the worsening human rights situation in the western plains, expressing serious concern about the widespread arrests in connection with Tikapur incident and hardship faced by common people due to curfew and Army mobilisation.

“NHRC could play a constructive role in dialogue both on the ground and at higher level to seek solution to the problem. We also want the commission or other independent body to probe into the incident and human rights situation in Kailali,” said Ram Janam Chaudhary of the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Loktantrik.

Besides Ram Janam Chaudhary, other Tharu lawmakers including Surendra Chaudhary, Tejlal Chaudhary, Janak Raj Chaudhary, Aman Modi

and Gopal Dahit, were present in the meeting with NHRC Chairman Anup Raj Sharma, Prakash Wasti and Govinda Sharma Poudyal.

The Tharu lawmakers said that women faced abused during protests and youths were forced to flee the village, following the Tikapur incident in which nine people, including eight security personnel and one toddler, died. They accused the local administration of lodging wrong charges against youths even as many Tharu houses were burnt down and property vandalised to jeopardise the communal harmony.

NHRC Chairman Sharma said that it was everyone’s rights to hold peaceful assembly and demonstration, to raise demands and live without fear. Expressing concerns over violent protests in the plains, Sharma emphasised on peaceful protest and security of the people.

“The commission would not make any compromise on human rights,” said Sharma. The NHRC said in a statement that it has mobilised teams to monitor the human rights situation across the country, including in Kailali.