Nepal blasts threaten fragile peace

A series of low intensity blasts in public transport in the past three days injured dozens and have shattered the fragile peace in Nepal. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: Mar 29, 2011, 24:10:08 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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A series of low intensity blasts in public transport in the past three days injured dozens and have shattered the fragile peace in Nepal.

The blasts in the plain districts of Terai bordering India have taken place in passenger buses. One person has been killed and 46 others injured in three blasts that started from Friday.

Police in the districts bordering India have been kept on high alert following the blasts believed to have been carried out by Terai based outfits protesting against the killing of a leader in police action.

One person was killed and 27 others injured, four of them critically, when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in a passenger bus at Butwal in Rupandehi district on Sunday.

"Nobody has claimed responsibility for the act, but we suspect the Bhagat Singh-led Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha," Republica quoted district superintendent of police Sher Bahadur Basnet.

On Saturday, six persons were injured in an IED blast inside a passenger bus in Banke district. The Janatantrik Terai Madhes Mukti Morcha had claimed responsibility for the act.

A day earlier, 12 passengers were injured when a socket bomb went off inside another bus in Rautahat district. The Terai Madhes Mukti Morcha had claimed responsibility for the blast.

On Sunday, police in Bhairahawa diffused a bomb allegedly planted by the same group suspected of carrying out the blast in Butwal.

Nepal is in the process of completing the peace process started in 2006 after end of the civil war and formulating a new constitution before the May 28 deadline expires.

But differences among and within political parties has affected both crucial tasks and there is speculation that the deadline, which was extended by a year in 2010, would get another extension.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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