The Informal Sector Service Centre (Insec) has reported an increase in the number of incidents of human rights violation in 2015.

While hailing the new constitution as the biggest achievement of the year, the Insec’s Human Rights Year Book, 2016, released on Friday, has noted Madhes movement as one of the major incidents that saw gross violations of human rights. During the stir that lasted almost five months Insec recorded 49 deaths, of which 34 people, including five children, were killed by the state. Thirteen people, including 10 policemen and one child, were killed by non-state actors.

“The political parties resort to violence to fulfil their demands,” said Subhod Raj Pyakurel, Insec chairperson. “They should cultivate a culture of respecting human rights to reduce the incidents or rights violation.” There was also no let up in incidents of domestic violence against women and children as well. The organisation registered 259 incidents of rape and 135 attempted rape in 2015. At least 51 women became victims of witchcraft-related violence , 62 of sexual abuses and 2,707 women were subjected to domestic violence.

Insec has questioned the practices of reconciliation at local level, which basically lead to compromise between the perpetrators and the victims, where the latter rarely get justice. “The reconciliation avoids legal prosecution of perpetrators,” according to the report.

Shova BK, wife of APF ASI Thaman BK, who was lynched by protesters in Mahottari, and Abades Patel, father of four-year-old Chandan Patel of Rupandehi, who was shot dead by security personnel, were also honoured.