KATHMANDU, Nepal: In a city in southwest Nepal, tensions between the Hindu and Muslim communities escalated rapidly.
However, thanks to a swift imposition of a lockdown and heightened security measures, the night passed peacefully, as reported by local officials.
The trouble began in Nepalgunj, a regional hub city, over the weekend when a Hindu boy posted a provocative status about Muslims on social media. In response, Muslims protested within the region’s main government administrator’s office building, leading to street demonstrations where tires were set ablaze, and traffic was blocked.
On Tuesday, a sizable Hindu rally took place, but it turned violent when stones and bottles were hurled at the protesters, resulting in a few minor injuries. Subsequently, an indefinite curfew was enforced in Nepalgunj since Tuesday afternoon, approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu. This curfew was initiated immediately after the Hindu protest came under attack.
A Nepal town imposes a lockdown and beefs up security to prevent clashes between Hindus and Muslimshttps://t.co/psRcvfn8tQ
— Qadeer Manda (@qadeer444) October 4, 2023
Santosh Rathore, the area’s police chief, stated that officers were actively patrolling the city, and residents were prohibited from leaving their homes or assembling in groups during the lockdown. Fortunately, there were no reports of disturbances overnight or during the morning hours of Wednesday.
Officials emphasized the need for the stay-at-home order to deter people from congregating and prevent further clashes between the two communities. Communal violence is relatively uncommon in Nepal, a country with a Hindu-majority population that transitioned to a secular state just a few years ago. In Nepalgunj, Muslims constitute approximately a third of the population, while they represent about 14% of India’s population, sharing a border with this town and experiencing a growing religious divide.
