All citizens want to avail themselves of government services in their own
vicinity. It was, therefore, natural for the residents of Gaur to protest
against the government's decision to transfer government offices in the Terai
from southern to northern part. In Rautahat district, the plan was to move the
Land Revenue Office and Survey Office from Gaur to Chadranigahpur, a decision
withdrawn on 4 April.
The Terai districts have the potential to become rich but the reality is
that they are poor. Despite relatively better infrastructure in the Terai
districts, the business community is not doing well there. No major development
works are taking place. Government offices bring people from across the
district and that helps generate employment in the local areas. They
fear that if the government offices are transferred, their areas could dry up
further. This forms the context for recent protests, including in Gaur.
On 3 April,
members of Madhesi political parties went on hunger strike under the leadership
of Chamber of Commerce and Industries in Gaur. They also called for a bandha.
In that context, clashes erupted between demonstrators and the police following
which the police lobbed tear gas canisters. As clashes
intensified between the two sides, the police forcefully compelled the
journalists to resorted to locking themselves in the Madhes Media
Mission Office on gun point. Later police
lobbed the tear gas canisters on the shutter of Office said Ramesh Thakur and
Others locked inside.
A team of National Human Rights Commission from Janakpur office reached
Gaur on 3 April. Additional security forces from Hetauda were deployed there on
the same day. Local human rights monitors of THRD Alliance also
reached Gaur that day.
In the
evening, two protesters (Bidhyananad Yadav and Randhir Kumar Singh alias
Ranvir) were injured by police gunfire. Police also raided Jaen Kumar Rana
Magar's house (thinking that protesters were hiding in the house) at 6 pm and
beat him with their batons. He and others displayed heavy bruising on their
bodies.
THRDA monitors reached at Ward 10, Sawagadha and saw local people blocking
the road with timber roadblocks. Local people said they had blocked the road in
protest at the death of Ram Ashish Thakur on 4 April. Locals said Thakur was
run down by the police's van when the driver deliberately threw the vehicle
into reverse. But Superintendent of Armed Police Force Bidur Khadka
said Thakur was accidentally hit by the police's van when the driver tried to
turn back his vehicle.
Locals were angry with human rights activists for not speaking out against
the security officials whom the locals believed were responsible for Thakur's
death. Locals said first police used force against them and then 200-300 of
them protested against this police action and police attacked them again.
When locals threw stones at police, the police resorted to tit for tat
action by throwing stones at protestors. This showed that the police instead of
giving priority to controlling the agitation, they too resorted to retaliatory
measures against the agitators. . Chief District Officer Madan Bhujel,
Superintendent of Police Sanu Babu Thapaliya, SP of Armed Police Force Bidur
Khadka and Officers of Nepali Army were stationed at District Police Office
discussing the situation.
At the
District Hospital, there were approximately 25 people receiving treatment for
injuries, many to their head – including nose and other parts of their face.
Most of the injured had pellet and baton injuries. Some said police beat them
when they were sitting in their home
Police beat more than a dozen
people to force them to close their
shops. Police also misbehaved with the
women of Kachahari Tole, including Pinki Patel, Durga Devi Patel, Smiriti
Shrestha and Mina Shrestha. They dragged local women and girls on the street
and beat them without caring for their decency.
The doctor in charge of Gaur District Hospital, Dr Imteyaz Ahmad said
Thakur was hit by a police vehicle as police said. He said Bidhyanand Ray Yadav
and Randhir Kumar Singh sustained bullet injuries in the head and left side of
his stomach respectively. These two people were referred to Birgunj Sub Regional
Hospital for further treatment. Umal
Pandey, an employee of District Development Committee Gaur sustained pellet
injuries in both shoulders. Although the Local Administration Act, 1971 says
that the police, if required, should use teargas and if they have to fire
bullets, they should target below the knee but at least 15
Gaur victims who were hospitalized had pellet injuries in their head,
mouth, forehead, arms and shoulders. These injuries indicated that the police
had not adhered to the Local Administration Act. Most of the people who were
beaten by police, said they were taken out of their home then beaten by police.
Dr Ahmad said 91 people including eight police personnel came there for
treatment by late night on 5 April. Most of the police had sustained injuries
when stones were hurled at them. Police constable Suman Jirel, who was said to
have beaten local people in their homes, was beaten by agitators in protest
against this action.
Jaen Rana Magar said that police raided his house shouting, "who
brought you here from Bihar?” Similarly, police beat Bishnu Prasad Subedi in
his own room. This reflects the attitude of the security personnel who, like
the state, treat border residents as outsiders.
The police appeared to have used excessive force against the agitators and
villagers, including women and members of the Pahadi community.
THRD Alliance welcomes NHRC's statement on this issue and draws further attention
for the proper investigation and prosecution in this case of excessive use of
force in Gaur and asks for the immediate compensation of the victim's families.
