The date today is 16 Bhadra 2068 according to Nepali calender and 2 September 2011 according to Gregorian Calender. This Day 16 Bhadra,it was 1 September on that day, is known as Black Day In Nepal. All Masjid areas were burning in this day 7 years ago. The story goes like this:
Wednesday September 1, 2004
16 Bhadra 2061
Protests broke out in Kathmandu on Wednesday over the killing of 12 Nepalese hostages by militants in Iraq with thousands of demonstrators setting a mosque on fire, vandalizing offices. Charging the government with not doing enough to secure the release of the hostages, the protesters stoned buildings and blocked traffic by burning tires on main roads.
"We want revenge," the demonstrators shouted as they stormed the Jame Masjid, the biggest mosque in the country located in the centre of Kathmandu, and near the Narayanhity Royal Palace.
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| Fire inside Kashmiri Jame Masjid |
Inside the Kashmiri mosque and Nepali Jame Masjid, in the centre of town, the courtyard was strewn with prayer mats, torn Quran and broken plant pots after more than 500 men stormed the both buildings. The prayer hall had been set on fire and the crescent on the mosque's dome had been bent. The Imam sat quietly in a bare room in Kashmiri Masjid, locked in from the outside. The window had been smashed.
They broke windows and set fire to carpets, furniture and parts of the mosque which was empty at the time.
Riot police used batons to push the angry protesters back from the mosque and eventually sealed it. As the protests continued, the government imposed an indefinite curfew from 2 pm to maintain law and order and to protect life and property, Kathmandu district administration office said.The curfew was imposed after 6-7 hours the riot started.
The mosque's caretaker, a Hindu, stood in the Imam's destroyed office and told how the mob had broken down the door of a room where the imam had been sheltering and pulled him out. "The more sensitive students were saying, 'Don't touch him', and the others said 'Kill him'," he said. "In the end they left him alone. He can't go outside the Masjid without being beaten. The army came two hours later to help us."
Police fired in the air and used tear gas to disperse mobs outside the Jame Masjid, about 200 meters away. Crowds had begun storming the mosque at dawn. But no police or army were present when demonstrators sacked the offices of Kantipur Publications, a leading media organisation.
Curfew Slapped After Mobs Set Kathmandu Jame Masjid Afire
The demonstrators said they wanted compensation for the families of the murdered hostages, and called for the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to resign. The government has been heavily criticised for not sending a delegation to Iraq to negotiate the hostages' release, relying instead on the Nepalese ambassadors to Qatar and Pakistan to make appeals to the captors through Iraqi clerics.
Target Against Religious Harmony
Although other institutions including media houses were attacked apparently to divert the attention, the targets set by the demonstrators were directly related to the Muslim countries where a large numbers of Nepalese are employed.
The responses from political leaders, intellectuals and common citizens have similar tones, as it seems that the mayhem and losses did not make any difference to them. It reminds Francis Hamilton’s assessment of Nepalese people.
“These mountain Hindus appear to me a deceitful and treacherous people, cruel and arrogant towards those in their power, and abjectly mean towards those from whom, they expect favor,” writes Francis Buchanan Hamilton in his book “An Account of the Kingdom of Nepal: And of the Territories Annexed to this Domain by the House of Gorkha.”
Although he had assessed Nepalese one and a half century ago, it seems that the observation made by Hamilton is perhaps correct! Nepalese are yet to make efforts to disprove Hamilton’s assessment.
Following the brutal killing of 12 innocent Nepalese hostages by Iraqi terrorist outfit on Tuesday (August 31) afternoon, the reactions of two ministers and responses of the country’s main political parties and their sister organizations hit the sentiments of the people. The portrayal of cruel killing displayed in the media - state owned and private - and their headlines gave enough fuel to make people senseless.
After the announcement of the killing by Nepalese media and confirmed by the two ministers, demonstrators organized torch rally demanding the resignation of Minister of Labor and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Although media reports showed that demonstrations were spontaneous, the nature of mob showed that it was well organized and planned.
According to Gorkhapatra, a government-owned newspaper, the mysterious gathering of youths had organized rallies at Baneshwore, Ason, Ratnapark, Putalisadak and other many important places obstructing the roads. “The angry mob demanded actions against those manpower involved in sending Nepalese to Iraq ,” wrote Gorkhaptra on September 1.
Who is Behind the Riot?
There are contradictory reports coming out regarding the riots. Some have pointed fingers towards external element behind the riot but others see it otherwise. Nepali Congress (NC) leader Girija Prasad Koirala in his recent statement with three other political parties accused the Royal Palace , Army, police and intelligence for the riot.
Analysts hold the view that such mayhem against the Nepalese interest is not possible without the backing of external element. “This is a handiwork of foreign element which does not want to see flourishing manpower industry in Nepal ,” said advocate Bal Krishna Neupane, who has filed a number of public litigation including those on famous Tanakpur and Citizenship. “Our leaders cannot open mouth against their masters so they always blame others to protect (their masters).”
“It is the determination of Nepalese people, politicians and intellectuals to work together to save their own country. As a friend, a neighboring and friendly country can materially as well as financially support to make you country self-reliant. We believe that Nepalese are capable of doing so,” said a diplomat on the condition of anonymity.
“It seems that the whole event was a stage-managed show. From destruction and mayhem to the return of normalcy, it is systematic. The houses the demonstrators hit were well defined and targeted as if the road mapping were prepared many years before. The men sent to ransack the houses were well informed,”
Still the criminals, who brought this Riot in Kathmandu in well planned manner are free and not punished by the Government. Since the Dawn on Wednesday people were attacking many Masjids in Kathmandu but the Government let them do so till 2 pm in the afternoon. Only after 2pm Government applied curfew for the security purpose. Before that time security was not concerned.
The riots of 9/1 resulted in losses of properties worth around Rs 2 billion.
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