Following the establishment of federal system in Nepal, provincial assemblies of each province decided the names except for Province 1. After the second provincial election held on November 20, 2022, the matter of designating the name for province 1 was brought up during the first session of the Provincial Assembly. The official name of Province 1 as “Koshi” was agreed upon by The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and Nepali Congress. However, the rest parties, including CPN (Maoist Centre), argued that the name should also reflect the province’s community’s identities. Because the required two-third majority couldn’t be present at that time, the resolution failed to pass.
Subsequently, a request to rename the province as “Koshi” was formally recorded at the 13th meeting of the first session of the Provincial Assembly on March 1, 2023, when CPN (UML) and Nepali congress achieved two-third majority. The CPN (Maoist Centre) and Rastriya Parajatantra Party (RPP) also lent their agreement at that time.
Citing that the decision lacks extensive democratic process, the pro-identity groups showed their concerns. They claimed that the name should reflect the cultural, ethnic, and historical continuity of the province. The name “ Koshi Province”, was criticized for being hurriedly implemented . Shortly after parliament approval, various ethnic groups started the protests seeking a reconsideration that incorporates the ethnic, community, linguistic, and cultural aspects of the region. Numerous people were hurt, including protesters, and police, and enormous properties were destroyed.
Bikalpa Khabar played a crucial role in documenting and disseminating information about the protest in Biratnagar, the captital city of Koshi Province. It continuously captured the footage and broadcasting live videos of the protests. The videos received significant attention, and successfully reached a large audience. This extensive coverage contributed to inform the people from all over Nepal, by offering a firsthand and real-time perspective on the demonstrations. The raw video footage showcasing the fueling protest on the streets of Biratngar on March 26, gained a lot of attention. This significant number of people who watched this recording contributed to enhancing awareness and understanding of the events, and kept them informed about the tumultuous period of Koshi Province.
On March 19, 2023, the situation in Biratnagar was escalated as demonstrators disobeyed the curfew imposed by the government. This led to injury and eventual death of Padam Limbu Lajehang. He was the central co-commander of the Limbuwan Volunteer affiliated to Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch led by Kumar Lingden. After one of their own people’s death, the agitated protesters were on the brink of confrontation with the provincial government. Proponents of renaming the province gained more support, especially in response to one of the protesters death.
The province situation came to head when the ethnic groups threatened to turn tensions into violent protests in response to Lajehang death. The looming clash appeared to be inevitable, showing more aggressive nature of the protestors. In the midst of these protests, one of the videos of Bikalpa khabar emerged as a pivotal force in averting the anticipated violent clash in Biratnagar.
Fortunately, Bikalpa Khabar video played a pivotal role in defusing the bloodbath. Bikalpa khabar footage from the protest, featuring the Late Padam Limbu Lajehang, exposed a crucial truth: Limbu was injured by a fellow protestor, not the state police. The widespread threat of a violent protest prompted Bikalpa Khabar to release the video which clearly showed the reality. The video received 322k views.
Because of this video, broader audience was kept informed about the actual truth behind this unfortunate incident. The revelation offered a sharp contrast to the initial narrative, and many acknowledge the role of Bikalpa Khabar role in swaying public opinion, by providing alternative story and preventing the escalation of the tensions.
Consequently, the protestors discovered that the tragic event was cause by the internal rather than external factor. This placed them on a shaky moral ground. On the other hand, Bikalpa’s reporting provided the facts to shift the blame away from the state police, thus preventing the potential clashes.
Despite the aforementioned revelation, Padam Limbu Lajehang was declared Martyr as a result of a compromise between the furious ethnic groups and the government.
However, Bikalpa Khabar maintained it dedication to documenting the events as they unfolded, even in the tumultuous circumstances. Continuing the much powerful coverage, Bikalpa Khabar release a raw footage of protestors while bringing Late Lajehang Limbu to Biratnagar, on April 2, 2023. It received an astounding 899k views. Similarly, on May 28, 2023 the coverage included a live video showing a demonstration in front of the Koshi Province Assembly. The video received substantial interest, accumulating 407k views. Likewise, on May 31, another live video further contributed to the discourse, gaining 134k views.
These impactful coverages of Bikalpa Khabar, most particularly revealing footage of Lajehang Limbu’s unfortunate death, played a significant role in preventing the intense conflicts, and debunking misconceptions. It’s crucial to remember that Lajehang Limbu became a focal point for the protests. His untimely death had a major impact on escalating Koshi province tensions and demonstrations. The circumstances leading up to his head injury and eventual death were critical factors that influenced the direction of the protests and raised the broader discourse about Koshi province naming controversies and regional identity.
Bikalpa Khabar contributed to a shift in public perception by presenting the contradicting evidence to the existing narratives. This transparency elucidated the circumstances behind the tragic occurrence and holding the actual offender accountable and preventi
