APF flagged growing communal divide years before Sunsari unrest

A confidential report submitted by Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF) three years ago alerted the government to organized attempts to sow religious and ethnic discord across the Tarai region. The report urged immediate political and administrative action, but officials indicate its warnings received scant attention from national leadership.

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Nepal must learn from the recent violence in Manipur, India, as well as the loss of life and property caused by ethnic, religious and linguistic conflicts in various countries, and resolve ethnic and religious disputes in a timely manner.

The document, presented to then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, advised stricter regulation of organizations operating along religious and ethnic lines. It alleged that some Muslim and Hindu groups in the Tarai were receiving support from both national and international non-governmental organizations. A senior APF officer confirmed the force had repeatedly briefed political leaders on the dangers of rising communal polarization, but their recommendations were largely disregarded.

The APF report identified increasing efforts by extremist groups to provoke conflict in the name of religion and ethnicity. It specifically warned Nepal to learn from past communal violence in South Asia, citing events in India's Manipur state as an example of how disputes could rapidly escalate. The report stressed the need to resolve ethnic and religious disputes in a timely manner to prevent widespread unrest.

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The APF continuously analyses issues that could create security challenges in the country. It is difficult to assess any issue without detailed study, so such analyses are a routine process. As for any specific report, I would need to examine it first.

To counter these threats, the report called for enhanced coordination among security agencies, local administrations, and political leaders to maintain communal harmony. APF spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Netra Bahadur Karki stated that the force routinely conducts security assessments to identify emerging threats. Former Additional Inspector General Narayan Babu Thapa corroborated that such intelligence assessments are standard practice, particularly in border districts vulnerable to communal conflict, referencing past incidents in Krishnanagar, Nepalgunj, Rautahat, and Birgunj where minor disputes acquired communal overtones.

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The APF has closely analysed incidents in places such as Krishnanagar, Nepalgunj, Rautahat and Birgunj, where relatively minor disputes later acquired communal overtones.