By Riffat Kausar
Snn News Finland
Nepal Hindu-Muslim clashes in the southern Sunsari district have left three people dead and triggered curfews across multiple districts, prompting Prime Minister Balendra Shah to make his first major public address since taking office in March.
The violence began Sunday in a Sunsari village near the Indian border after a dispute between Hindu and Muslim residents over loud music and religious flags during a Hindu procession, officials said, and police opened fire to disperse the crowd, killing two men.
A third man died Thursday during a protest in nearby Siraha district despite a curfew already being in place.
What Triggered the Nepal Hindu-Muslim Clashes
The unrest traces back to a disagreement over loudspeaker use.
Hindu devotees taking part in a Kanwar Yatra procession were passing through a Muslim-majority area when a dispute broke out over the volume of their sound system. That confrontation escalated quickly into the wider violence that followed.
Three men lost their lives in the unrest: Ganesh Yadav, Om Prakash Mehta, and Jay Prakash Mehta.
Roughly two dozen other people were injured in the unrest. Sunsari district borders India’s Bihar state, an area with a history of communal friction over religious processions passing through mixed neighborhoods
Nepal Hindu-Muslim Clashes Prompt Curfews and Troop Deployment
Authorities have imposed curfews in parts of Siraha, Sunsari, and Dhanusa districts, and Nepal Police are working alongside unified security forces to prevent vandalism and arson and to contain further communal tension.
The Armed Police Force and Nepal Army were deployed to maintain order, and authorities reportedly used air surveillance to monitor sensitive areas.
A protest against the killings later drew crowds in Janakpurdham, where demonstrators blocked roads and burned effigies of the prime minister and home minister.
Government Response and Calls for Calm
Prime Minister Shah broke a long public silence to address the unrest directly. He urged citizens to act responsibly and help “remove the clouds of unrest,” according to his office.
President Ramchandra Paudel also expressed concern and appealed for social, religious, and ethnic harmony, while Shah promised a transparent investigation, medical care for the injured, and action against those spreading hate and misinformation.
Police defended their handling of the crisis. Police spokesman Abi Narayan Kafle told AFP that officers had been kept on alert to protect public property while trying to avoid conflict through minimal use of force.
Key Facts
- Nepal Hindu-Muslim clashes began July 26 in Sunsari district after a dispute over loudspeakers during a Hindu procession.
- Three people died two from police gunfire dispersing the crowd, one during a later protest in Siraha.
- Curfews are in effect across Sunsari, Siraha, and Dhanusa districts.
- PM Balendra Shah and President Ramchandra Paudel have both appealed for calm and promised an investigation.
- Nepal Army and Armed Police Force were deployed, with air surveillance used to monitor the area.
- Nepal Hindu-Muslim
FAQs:
What caused the Nepal Hindu-Muslim clashes in Sunsari?
A dispute over a loudspeaker and religious flags during a Hindu Kanwar Yatra procession through a Muslim-majority area escalated into violence.
How many people died?
Three people died two killed when police fired to disperse a crowd, and a third during a later protest in Siraha district.
Are curfews still in place?
Yes, curfews remain in effect in parts of Sunsari, Siraha, and Dhanusa districts as of this report.
What has the Nepal government said?
PM Balendra Shah has appealed for unity and promised a transparent investigation; President Paudel has urged religious and ethnic harmony.
Has anyone been arrested?
No arrests have been publicly announced by Nepal Police as of this report.
Wider Context: Religious Tensions in Nepal’s Terai Region
Nepal Hindu-Muslim make up about 80 percent of Nepal’s population, while the country’s southern plains have sizeable Muslim communities.
The Sunsari clashes are among the most serious incidents of communal violence in the region in recent years, occurring in a border belt where religious processions and loudspeaker use have periodically sparked tension.
As of this report, no group has claimed responsibility for organizing the violence, and Nepal Police have not announced arrests. Investigators have not yet released a full account of the sequence of events beyond officials’ initial statements.
he Nepal Hindu-Muslim tensions in Sunsari trace back to a loudspeaker dispute during a Kanwar Yatra procession passing through a Muslim-majority area, before escalating into wider unrest that left three men dead Ganesh Yadav, Om Prakash Mehta, and Jay Prakash Mehta.
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