Dhangadi, August 30

Seniors and leaders of Tharuhat agitation are seeking facilitators to help ease the tense situation following the violent incident of August 23 in Tikapur of Kailali.

In the wake of the killing of eight police personnel, including SSP Laxman Neupane and one toddler, Tharu leaders and seniors had stopped showing up at public places. They have been virtually living underground. Of late, they have been looking for someone to lessen the distance between people of the hills and the Tharu community.

Tharu leaders and seniors have stressed the need to organise an-all party meeting soon to ease the tension for the sake of communal harmony and goodwill in the district. “If the DAO calls for discussion, we are ready for talks any time,” former president of Tharu Welfare Assembly Kailali Prabhat Kumar Chaudhary said, adding; “Now we have to reduce the distance through dialogue between the two communities.”

Chaudhary said that the violence had worked to increase the distance between the hilly and Tharu people. “To bring back normalcy, the DAO has to lift the curfew and initiate dialogue,” Chaudhary added.

Seniors say that since the demands put forth by supporters of the intact far west have already been achieved they should help Tharus attain their demands.

Local Tharu leaders hold bot the central leaders of both Tharuhat and hill communities responsible for widening the distance between Tharus and hilly people in the district. Tharuhat leaders from Kailali say that their demand is not for a separate Tharuhat state but for the guarantee of their rights in the statute.

Horilal Chaudhary, Federal Socialist Forum central member, said the state should safeguard the rights of the marginalised Tharu community. “Since Tharus are a backward community, the constitution has to ensure their rights,” Chaudhary added. He, however, said that Tikapur incident was tragic.

Tharu seniors in Kailali say they had not even imagined that such a tragedy would befall. “We are yet to fathom how the incident happened,” a local Tharu leader said.

Lahuram Chaudhary, who has been leading the Tharuhat/Tharuwan struggle, said the Tikapur incident was unimaginable and very tragic. “Both Tharu and hill community are terrified. Thus, DAO has to take an initiative to hold dialogue to ease the situation’, Lahuram held. He requested the DAO, rights activists and civil society to facilitate talks and discussion between the hilly and Tharu people. “I am not a follower of any party. I am just a social activist. I want the state to ensure Tharus’ rights in the statute,” Lahuram added.

Tharuhat Struggle Committee Secretary Madhav Chaudhary said the Tikapur incident had sowed suspicion in both the hilly and Tharu people, which was not unnatural. He stressed the need to hold interaction and dispel doubts prevalent among both the communities.

Nepali Congress Kailali Secretary Prakash Bam said that they were ready to hold dialogue and improve the situation. National Human Rights Commission member Sudip Pathak informed that discussion and coordination were under way to reduce tension in Tikapur.

Far-western regional administrator Sharad Raj Bista said that efforts were under way to maintain communal goodwill and harmony in the district.

Kailali curfew continues

DHANGADI: District Administration Office (DAO) Kailali continued imposing curfew in Dhangadi on Sunday as well. Kailali CDO Mohan Chapagain said curfew was clamped from 11:00am to 5:00pm. The curfew was reduced by one hour. Meanwhile, the curfew imposed in Tikapur Municipality since last Monday continues. DAO has also declared ten VDCs, including Tikapur, riot-hit areas. A large number of security personnel have been deployed to these areas.