Miscellaneous
Protests against federal model claims 23 lives so far
The protests that began in the country after the major parties agreed to federate the country into six-provinces, and later into seven provinces, have claimed 23 lives till Tuesday.The protests that began in the country after the major parties agreed to federate the country into six-provinces, and later into seven provinces, have claimed 23 lives till Tuesday.
According to Nepal Police Spokesperson Kamal Singh Bam, eight members of security agencies (six from Nepal Police and two from Armed Police Force) including a high-ranking Nepal Police official have been killed in the violent protests.
Similarly, 14 protestors and one child have been killed in anti-demarcation protests in TeraiMadhes, mid-western districts and Karnali region. Around 190 security personnel and 195 protestors are injured. While most of them are being treated at local hospitals some have been brought to Kathmandu for further treatment.
Kailali and Birgunj have the highest number of protest casualties. Nine people, including a Senior Superintendent of Police and a child, have died in Kailali while five protestors lost their lives in Birgunj. The number of casualties due to the protests is high in Tarai regions while a lower number of deaths have been reported in Hilly region.
The protests erupted after major parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik (MJF-L)—on August decided to go for six provinces.
The six states model erupted a series of violent clashes in Mid Western region, mainly in Jumla district of Karnali zone and Surkhet district of Bheri zone after which the major parties decided to adopt the seven-state model. Following the new seven-state agreement, protests in these regions subsided. However, protests, generally violent, are still underway in western, mid and eastern part of Madhes region.
The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha, an alliance of Madhes-based political parties, has announced indefinite strike in Madhes from August 18 against the proposed seven-state model. Madhesi and other minority groups of the Madhes region have joined the protests fearing the new constitution will marginalize them and not ensure their rights. The strike, meanwhile, is still on and severely crippled normal life in the region.
Despite escalating violence in the region, the attempts for talks between the government and the agitating Madhesi and Tharu parties/ groups have gone futile. The informal talks between the government side and agitating leaders have not been fruitful so far. Two letters have been sent by PM Sushil Koirala urging the Madhesi leaders to sit on dialogue tables but preconditions set by the Madhes leaders have derailed the formal negotiation bid.
Leaders of opposition party UCPN (Maoist) on Tuesday evening urged Prime Minister Sushil Koirala to start formal negotiation without any further delay. Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Vice Chairman Baburam Bhattarai have said constitution should be promulgated only after resolving the genuine and political demands of Madhesi parties and Tharu organisations. "A political solution must be sought for the protests. Using force to suppress the protests is not a way of resolving it," Dahal and Bhattarai told Koirala.
Calls for a political solution to the crisis are being raised from within the ruling Nepali Congress party. NC Central Working Committee meeting on Tuesday decided to resolve protests through political means. "Nepali Congress urges the agitating parties and groups to sit for dialogue by ending their strike and bandh," the party said.
Opposition UCPN (Maoist) party also decided to hold informal talks with agitating Madhesi and Tarai parties organizations urging them to facilitate the ongoing constitution drafting process by calling off their protests programmes. "We are approaching the leaders of agitating parties and groups for the talks," said UCPN (Maoist) Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha after a meeting of party's top leaders.