On 26 July, Nepal witnessed some of the ugliest communal tensions in recent times. The incident has claimed over four lives so far.

A conflict broke out between the Hindu and Muslim communities over music and a religious flag-hoisting ceremony during the Bol Bam pilgrimage (an important event in the Hindu calendar) in a village in the Sunsari district in Koshi province in southern Nepal.

The police opened fire, killing three young Hindu men. Another teenager was killed four days later, also after being shot by police.

The conflict spread throughout the Koshi and Madhes province and the incident shocked the nation as it spiralled into a national crisis. Prime Minister Balendra Shah had to release a short video message calling for peace and harmony in the country.

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President Ram Chandra Paudel issued a message urging political parties, civil society organisations and citizens to maintain peace, order and national unity.

Major political parties, including the Rastriya Swatantra Party (the ruling party) and the Nepali Congress (the major opposition party), also issued statements requesting harmony in the country.

On 31 July, the prime minister held his first meeting with regional leaders to discuss the situation and possible solutions. Home Minister Sudan Gurung spent four days in the Tarai region to understand the situation and reach an agreement with the families of the deceased.

A small misunderstanding can become a major issue if it is not controlled quickly, so it is important to understand what caused the problem and how it became violent.

A dispute between Hindus and Muslims in Sunsari district in Koshi province on the night of 26 July escalated, ending with the police opening fire into the crowd. The shootings resulted in the deaths of three young Hindu men – Jay Prakash Mehta, 25, Om Prakash Mehta, 30, Rabindra Mehta, 21 – and injuries to ten others.

Four days later, Ganesh Yadav, 15, was killed by security forces following another clash in the Siraha district of Madhes province.

The unrest then spread to other Tarai districts including Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha and Parsa, which led authorities to impose curfews in those districts.

These events show that communal tension has become a serious problem in the Himalayan nation, widely known as the most peaceful country in the region. The country’s Constitution stipulates that Nepal is a multi-religious, multicultural, multi-ethnic and multilingual country.

Harbingers’ spoke to people in Kathmandu who have been observing these recent incidents. They said that sometimes people react quickly without thinking, which makes the situation worse.

“No one should be allowed to take a dividend out of violence,” he said. “The state needs to communicate. At the same time, the state needs to be sensitive and must not compromise on serious and fundamental constitutional questions and must end the vicious circle of impunity.”

While writing this article, interviewing people and researching, we understood that these incidents show that communal tension can become very dangerous if it is not controlled in time. Everyone should work together to keep peace in the country.

People should stay calm, avoid rumours, think before acting, and respect each other. This is the best way to maintain harmony in Nepal and keep society safe for everyone.