KATHMANDU, July 31: Communal violence sparked by a deadly clash in Sunsari earlier this week has spread across Madhesh Province, leaving three people dead and prompting curfews and army deployment in several districts amid growing fears of escalating religious tensions.
Ganesh Yadav, 20, of Tulsipur, Siraha, was killed on Thursday after being shot in Golbazar despite an indefinite curfew imposed to contain escalating tensions, according to local authorities. Another person, Subhash Thakur, 19, of Dhanusha, sustained serious injuries.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. Siraha Police spokesperson DSP Ramesh Pal said it has yet to be established who fired the shot because of the tense situation at the scene.
The latest fatality comes four days after Om Prakash Mehta, 24, was killed during the communal violence in Kaptanganj of Devanaganj Rural Municipality-3, Sunsari, on Sunday night. Jaya Prakash Gupta, 21, who had sustained gunshot injuries in the same incident, died while undergoing treatment at Neuro Hospital in Biratnagar on Thursday, taking the overall death toll to three.
As tensions escalated, authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in Janakpur on Thursday afternoon after protests demanding action over the Sunsari incident turned increasingly confrontational.
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Demonstrators shut markets, blocked roads and raised slogans demanding the arrest of those responsible for the Sunsari violence. Some protesters also called for the restoration of Nepal as a Hindu state, the dissolution of the Muslim Commission and the resignation of the home minister.
Police used tear gas shells after protesters allegedly attempted to burn tyres, obstruct traffic and vandalize property. Two civilians were injured during the protests. Police denied allegations of excessive force, saying some injuries occurred during the ensuing stampede, while more than 20 police personnel were injured in stone-pelting.
In Parsa, the district administration imposed a prohibitory order in sensitive areas of Birgunj from Thursday evening until Friday morning, banning public gatherings of more than five people. Security has also been reinforced in Siraha, Janakpur and other sensitive locations with joint deployment of the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Nepali Army.
The unrest spread after Sunday's fatal clash between Hindu and Muslim communities in Kaptanganj, which initially erupted over the playing of a DJ during preparations for a religious procession in the month of Shrawn. Local residents, however, said the violence was preceded by a weeks-long dispute over a religious flag erected during Muharram that had remained in place after the observance ended.
The violence in Sunsari has since triggered protests across parts of the Tarai, raising concerns over growing communal tensions and the authorities' failure to defuse the dispute before it turned deadly.
The Madhesh provincial government on Thursday appealed for calm, urging the public not to give the incidents a religious or communal colour or spread rumours through social media.
In a statement, Minister for Home, Communications and Law Fakira Mahato said security agencies had been instructed to maintain law and order and warned that those involved in violence, arson, vandalism or incitement of communal hatred would face legal action. He also urged religious leaders, civil society, political parties and the media to help preserve social harmony.
Meanwhile, several Madhesh-based political parties called for an impartial investigation into the Sunsari violence, justice for the victims and restraint by state agencies while handling the sensitive situation.
In a joint statement, the parties expressed concern over the police response to the Sunsari incident and demanded that the government make public the facts surrounding the shootings through an independent and transparent investigation. They also called for adequate compensation for victims' families and free treatment for the injured.
Political leaders have likewise appealed for dialogue to prevent further escalation. CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli urged all political parties, civil society, intellectuals and religious leaders to work together to restore peace, saying violence could not resolve the country's problems.
Analysts have also warned that the latest unrest reflects deeper challenges than isolated law-and-order problems. Political commentator Chandra Kishor said the greater threat lies in the growing mistrust and religious polarisation within society, stressing the need for dialogue, impartial state intervention and efforts to preserve Madhesh's long tradition of coexistence.
Authorities have appealed to the public to comply with curfew orders, avoid rumours and cooperate with security personnel as investigations continue and efforts are made to prevent the unrest from spreading further.
