Sunday, April 5, 2015

Human Rights situation in Gaur, Rauthat District


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district, the plan was to move the Land Revenue Office and Survey Office from Gaur to Chadranigahpur, a decision withdrawn on 4 April.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.


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