Over a dozen injured in Dalit, non-Dalit clash in Parsa

By Shankar Acharya

PARSA, Aug 23 - Over a dozen people, including women, were injured Thursday when a clash ensued between Dalit and non-Dalit communities over the distribution of Brahma puja prasad in Sabaithawa VDC in Parsa district.

The clash erupted at nearly 8 am at Gadiyani Pokhariya village of Sabaithawa after people belonging to the Dalit community, Chamar, accused the upper caste Chaurasiya people of discriminating against them.

Some of the injured were taken to Narayani Sub-Regional Hospital in Birgunj while the rest are receiving treatment at a local health post.
According to District Police Office Inspector Rudra Narayan Jha, the two sides, under police mediation, held talks at the village which is about 15 km from the district headquarters in Birgunj.

Every year in the month of August, Brahma puja is performed in the Brahma temple situated on the outskirts of the village.
The locals believe that the puja will stop any outbreak of disease or disasters in the village.

(Submitted via email by Suman Paudel)

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15 Dalit households displaced in Saptari

Birgunj, August 23:

Sixteeen persons were injured in a clash that broke out between dalits and non-dalits in Sabaithwa VDC of Parsa district today over the “unequal distribution” of prasad.

Dalits from the Chamar community claimed that the organisers of a puja distributed very little prasad to them and instead gave the bulk of it to the non-dalit Chaurasiyas. The puja was held yesterday in Gadiyani Pokhriya of Sabaithwa-2. An altercation ensued which flared up into a clash between the Chamars and Chaurasiyas, said the Pokhriya area police office.

Mahendra Ram, Laxmi Mahra, Rabindra Mahra, Manoj Mahra, Harihar Mahra, Chandra Dev Mahra, Birendar Mahra, Anwat Mahra, Ayodhya
Prasad Barai, Chapsi Bhagat Chaurasiya and Hiralal Barai were among those injured in the clash.
Our Rajbiraj correspondent reports that 15 dalit households of Musaharitoli in Badgama-9 of Saptari district have been displaced after non-dalits beat them up. The non-dalits had expressed displeasure over the three-day-long drinking binge of some of the dalits and told them to come for dialogue over the issue, but the dalits did not turn up.

Adhilal Sada, Laxmi Sada, Sukni Devi Sada, Yugiya Devi, Ghurni Devi and several other dalits were injured after the non-dalits attacked them. Eight months pregnant Yugiya Devi was seriously injured. She has been taken to Biratnagar hospital. The dalits alleged that Ajay Yadav, Baglu Yadav and others attacked them in the presence of former VDC chairman Indra Dev Yadav.

The area police office said that the displaced dalits spent last night in the waiting room of the Kanchanpur bus terminus. Polce inspector Rajendra Parajuli said Baglu Yadav has been arrested