47th Day (Situation Update) – Madhesis/Tharus form the World’s longest human chain to protest over Nepal’s new charter
Tens of thousands of people from different districts across the Tarai region led by the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) on Thursday held hands to form the “longest” human chain along the postal highway in a form of protest against the new constitution.
Locals from Tarai districts enthusiastically joined the peaceful form of protest and formed the human chain along the 1155-km-long highway by joining hands from Mechi to Mahakali, claimed Renu Yadav, central vice-chair of the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, which is one of the constituent parties of the UDMF.
People including children, youth, women and elderly from villages across the Tarai gathered along the postal highway from 1 pm to 3 pm Thursday and held hands to form the human chain, according to Republica correspondents from Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Rautahat, and Parsa.
Rajendra Mahato, chairman of the Sadhbhawa Party, which is a constieunt party of the UDMF joined the human chain in Birgunj, the headquarters of Parsa district.
“This human chain is a symbol of unity and strength of Madhesi and Tharu communities,” said Mahato. He further noted that human chain is also a show of people power against the government. Mahato claimed that around 1.5 million people from eastern to western Nepal joined the human chain.
Bal Kishor Yadav, a health worker who provided care and treatment to human chain participants in Bara and Parsa districts expressed surprise over the huge participation of people from all walks of life.
The organizers have claimed that the 1155 km long human chain formed Thursday is the longest in the world. Earlier, the longest human chain recorded in human history was formed in 2010 was 1,050 km from Bangladesh.
Source: Republica
Arrested two Madhesi front leaders freed
Joint-general Secretary of Tarai Madhesh Democratic Party Jitendra Sonal and its Bara district chair Nawal Kishore Singh were released from custody on Thursday. Earlier, they were arrested by police on charge of vandalism and torching vehicles during demonstration.
Upon hearing of a case of habeas corpus filed against the local administration, the arrested Madhesi leaders were released as per the order of the Bara district judge Bhoj Raj Sharma.
Police dismiss unclaimed bodies were of protestors
The local youths followed the mortician to the burial site at Basbitti and excavated a dozen of abandoned bodies, informed Amaresh Narayan Jha, central member of Federal Socialist Forum Nepal.
Leaders of the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) urged human rights organizations to investigate into the incident and demanded action against the administration.
However, refuting the accusation through a press release, SP Ganesh Thapa, chief of District Police Office (DPO), Dhanusha, claimed that those bodies were found abandoned at different parts of the district in the last 20 days. He further claimed that the postmortem reports and on-site statements are already with the DPO.
