Rabi Lamichhane Calls All-Party Meet as Sunsari Tension Pushes Nepal’s Leaders Into Crisis Mode

Rastriya Swatantra Party chair Rabi Lamichhane has called an all-party meeting in Kathmandu as communal tension in Sunsari continues to ripple through Nepal’s political landscape. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:00 AM in the Public Accounts Committee hall at Singha Durbar, with leaders from several major parties invited to discuss the situation in Dewanganj and related national issues.

The move comes as authorities in Sunsari remain on high alert following violent clashes that left one person dead and several others injured. According to local administration updates, curfew and prohibitory orders have stayed in force in parts of Harinagar and Devgunj rural municipalities, while gatherings, rallies, and public meetings have been restricted in affected market areas.

Political leaders pulled into the response

Lamichhane’s meeting is expected to bring together prominent figures including Upendra Yadav, Mahanta Thakur, and CK Raut, reflecting the seriousness of the situation and the need for a broader political response. The invitation also signals that the crisis is no longer being treated as a purely local law-and-order issue.

Security officials and district administrators have already been meeting local stakeholders to calm tensions, but the persistence of protests and the scale of the violence have pushed national leaders to engage more directly. Officials in Sunsari have said they are trying to restore normalcy while preventing further escalation.

Why Sunsari matters beyond one district

The unrest has touched a deeper fault line in Nepali politics, where communal sensitivity, identity disputes, and local grievances can quickly evolve into national controversy. Recent statements from party leaders have made clear that the issue is being viewed through both a security lens and a political one.

Lamichhane has publicly argued that violence and confrontation cannot resolve disputes, and he has urged people not to infringe on the religious and cultural rights of other communities. That message now appears to be moving from public statement to political strategy, with the all-party meeting designed to create a shared response rather than a partisan blame game.

What happens next

If the meeting produces a common stance, it could help de-escalate the situation and give local administrators stronger political backing. If not, the Sunsari crisis may continue to deepen mistrust between communities and keep national leaders locked in reactive mode.

For now, the all-party meeting at Singha Durbar is the clearest sign yet that the Sunsari unrest has become a test of Nepal’s ability to manage communal tension through dialogue, not just security measures.