Suggests plan to avert communal violence

Kathmandu, January 29:

A total of 211 houses and shops were damaged and property worth over Rs 78 million was destroyed and one person was killed and 26 injured in the December 25-26, 2006 Nepalgunj violence, a civil committee investigating the incident has found.

A report released today by the People’s-Level Civil Investigation Committee consisting of human rights defenders of Kathmandu and Nepalgunj said that while 14 per cent of the property destroyed belonged to the pahades, the rest belonged to the Madhesis.

The committee has urged the government to declare Kamal Giri, who was killed in police firing during the violence, a martyr. It has also urged the government to provide Rs 10 lakh to Giri’s family as compensation.

The committee has further suggested the government make a commitment to avoid bandhas (strikes) “to ensure that no communal riots are repeated”.

It has also suggested a long-term plan to avert any communal violence and maintain the age-long communal harmony.

“Every individual (be it a pahade or a Madhesi) should have the feeling of being a Nepali notwithstanding their language, culture and tradition,” the report said.

While it has suggested that the eight political parties address the demands of the Madhesi people at the earliest, the panel has asked the government to bring to book those responsible for the Nepalgunj incident.

Coordinator of the investigation commission, Salik Ram Sapkota, said that Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi), should bear the moral responsibility of the violence as it erupted due to the terai bandh called by the party. “Local leaders of the NSP(A), however, have said they would not take the moral responsibility as the riot was instigated by infiltrators,” Sapkota said.