Nepal Maoists begin indefinite shutdown of Buddha’s birthplace

By Sudeshna Sarkar

IANS


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Kathmandu : Smarting from deaths and injuries inflicted by vigilante groups nurtured by the army during King Gyanendra's direct rule, Nepal's Maoist guerrillas Saturday began enforcing an indefinite shutdown of one of the holiest religious sites in the world, revered as the birthplace of the Buddha.

Kapilavastu district in southwest Nepal, near the Indian border, was once famed as the ancient kingdom ruled by the Shakya dynasty to which Prince Siddhartha, who later founded Buddhism, belonged.

It is regarded as one of the holiest pilgrim sites in the world, still boasting of remnants of the palace ramparts of King Shuddhodana, Siddhartha's father, the holy temple where the prince's mother Maya Devi is said to have bathed before giving birth to Siddhartha, and a host of monasteries.

The communist guerrillas, who were instrumental in having Nepal, world's only Hindu Kingdom, declared a secular state, said they were calling the closure in protest against the presence of the Nepal Army in the district and its nexus with a vigilante group that was armed by the army during the royal regime to "combat" the Maoists.

The formation of vigilante groups aggravated tension and violence and was condemned by human rights organisations.

Himalayan Broadcasting Corporation, a private radio station, said the protest was triggered after an army unit was stationed in Kapilavastu.

The unit was said to be based in the house of Mohin Khan, the chief of the Kapilavastu vigilante group.

The rebels are demanding that the army unit withdraw from the area.

The shutdown comes even as another Maoist group has enforced a 48-hour closure of seven districts since Friday.

The Tamu Liberation Front of the Maoists, demanding an autonomous Tamu state in western Nepal, have shut down Kaski, Lamjung, Tanahun, Syangja, Manang, Gorkha and Parbat, seven districts that form the Gandak region.

To add to the kingdom's woes, over 40 ethnic communities have threatened a two-day Nepal closure from Sunday.

The Nepal Adivasi Janajati Mahasangh, that enforced a countrywide shutdown earlier this month, has warned of further disruptions to press their demand for autonomy, better representation in the election and removal of national symbols that still remain non-secular.

An alarmed government Saturday began negotiations with the group to persuade them to call off the protest but no decision had been announced till now.

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