Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) General Secretary held in cow-slaughter scandal

26 June, Kathmandu - Police on Sunday arrested Ang Kaji Sherpa, General Secretary of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) - umbrella body of Nepal's indigenous peoples' organization who had gone to the police station to inquire about four individuals arrested earlier for cow slaughter in Kathmandu. See http://www.ekantipur.com/2011/06/26/top-story/cow-slaughter-scandal-nefin-gen-secy-sherpa-held/336333.html

Though Nepal has been declared secular republic since 2006, slaughtering cow, considered holy by Hindus (the majority populace of Nepal) and symbolized as the national animal is still outlawed. This is reminiscent of continuing dominance of Hindu values in Nepal's legal system that once codified indigenous peoples into hierarchical Hindu caste system entrenching discrimination against them. Nepal's indigenous peoples organizations' umbrella body NEFIN has demanded respectful release of Sherpa and announced of holding protests in Kathmandu and throughout the country against continuing the law through a new legislation being introduced next week. See NEFIN press releases in (Khas) Nepali language at

http://nefin.org.np/press-release/664-2011-06-24-17-45-14.html and 

http://nefin.org.np/press-release/665-2011-06-24-17-49-00.html