Terror grips Malangawa: clashes between two communities caused concern

KATHMANDU: Malangwa, Sarlahi’s headquarters, appears to be abandoned right now.

As of the strife between the two villages, the inhabitants are living in fear. As of the clashes between the two groups, the residents of Malangwa stayed in their homes and visited their families.

The curfew imposed in Malangwa Municipality on Thursday night at 10 p.m. has been in effect since the clash between the two groups erupted on Thursday evening while returning from immersing the Ganesha idol.

The disturbances continued on Sunday, despite the fact that it was the fourth day of the curfew. Although police have been deployed in some areas, other violent actions such as vandalism have continued.

A woman from Malangwa Municipality-4 said that when she was sleeping at night, after an armed group of about 50 people from the Muslim community came, the people of the Hindu community fled.

According to eyewitnesses, they were holding swords, machetes, and other weapons. According to an eyewitness, the armed group vandalized the homes of Ajay Thakur, Bikau Yadav, and Malangwa Municipality-3, who live in Malangwa Municipality-4.

Locals say that a group of armed men broke the door, grill and windows of the house. The group vandalized the homes of some young joining with Hindus from Malangwa, who were called from India and who were named Nasir and Noor Hasan in Ward No. 4.

Also, after the Muslim community rioted with weapons by setting fire to the straw bales, now most of the locals have left their homes and gone elsewhere, some settlements have been vacated. Although the curfew remains in place in Malangwa Municipality, pedestrians and motorcyclists are still moving in Malangwa.

Only on Sunday, a motorcycle in Ward No. 4 was set on fire. Malangwa’s condition is okay, according to DSP Dipendra Panjiar of the District Police Office Sarlahi. He further stated that unnecessary comments on this problem are being made on social media. He stated that the incident of home burning is false and advised everyone to maintain social harmony.

Nagendra Rai, the mayor of Malangwa Municipality, said that this is not a dispute between two parties, but some unruly people. He said that they are trying to solve the problem by holding a meeting between the leaders of the two parties.

Kaushal Kishor Rai, a member of the state assembly of Madhesh State, said that it was sad that the police administration remained a silent spectator after the incident. He said that the current incident was caused by some unruly people rather than the two communities and if those people were brought to justice, the situation would be normal. State Assembly member Rai also urged everyone to maintain social harmony.

After the incident, the local administration has been imposing curfew in the east of Malangwa Municipality, Jhim River, West Musaili Canal, North Police Station and South Nepal-India border area. The police have arrested Mohammad Ajmad Mikrani on the charge of stabbing the injured Rupesh Yadav.

Police arrested five people including Mohammad and are investigating. In the clash between the two sides, eight people, including the police, were injured, among whom Rupesh Yadav, a resident of Malangwa, was seriously injured. Spokesman of District Police Office Sarlahi, Dipendra Panjiyar informed that his condition is out of danger while being treated in Birgunj.

After the incident, a large number of police have been mobilized in Malangwa, the headquarters, every day. In Malangwa, locals protested against the curfew issued by the local administration on Friday. Locals also pelted stones at the district administration office in Malangwa. The police fired about 23 rounds of tear gas and fired a few rounds in the air to remove the protestors who violated the curfew.

Similarly, an all-party conference was conducted at the District Administration Office Sarlahi on Friday to normalize the conflicts between the two sides. The all-party meeting will conduct a thorough review of the incident, determine the truth, arrest the perpetrators, and take full action, identify and take action against the chaotic elements who vandalized Brahmapuri Rural Municipality, identify and compensate the person who caused the incident and caused human damage, and prevent a recurrence of this type of incident in the future. According to Chief District Officer Indradev Yadav, the parties have agreed to take their obligations seriously.