Protesters serve Tuesday ultimatum
KATHMANDU, JUL 28 -
The Buddhist community and various organisations protesting for permission to install a Buddha idol near Kakre Bihar have given the government and the political parties until Tuesday to address their concern.
The Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin) has been leading the protests since May when police in Surkhet intervened while the Buddhist community tried to put up the idol.
Organising a corner assembly in Basantapur on Saturday, Nefin representatives and various Buddhist organisations said they will hold a sit-in protest at Singha Durbar on Tuesday. The protesters said that they would come up with another round of ‘decisive’ protest if the government continued to ignore their demands.
The Nefin-backed community accused the government and political parties of imposing ‘religious dictatorship’ by curbing their rights to place the Buddha statue. The protesters have already presented their demands to Interim Election Government Chairman Khil Raj Regmi, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala.
“They were positive about addressing our demands during the meeting but it turned out to be mere assurance,” Nefin Chairman Nagendra Kumal said.
The Buddhist community accused the government and the local administration of stopping them from setting up the statue near the Kakre Bihar premises in Latikoli-8, Surkhet. Pancha Singh Rokaya Khampa, a protester from Surkhet, said the reason given by the local administration had been changing. The Buddhist community says it has taken the required permissions from the District Administration Office, the DDC, the VDC and the local political parties.
0 comments
Write Down Your Responses