The National Human Rights Commission Nepal has appealed to members of the society to maintain social harmony in light of the unrest in Dharan.

Issuing a press release on Saturday, the commission expressed its concern about the situation unfolding in the sub-metropolitan while further adding that the constitutional body was seriously monitoring the situation there.

“The attention of the National Human Rights Commission has been drawn to the prohibitory order enforced by the district administrative office in Dharan Sub-Metropolitan, and the situation that has arisen,” reads the statement of the rights body.

Recalling that the constitution has stated Nepal as a country with multiethnic, multilingual, multireligious, multicultural characteristics and in geographical diversities the NHRC has urged one and all to maintain social harmony in the sub-metropolitan.

“Hence, the commission appeals to all stakeholders to act constitutionally and exercise restraint and remain united,” it states.

The commission has urged the stakeholders to resolve the differences through dialogues.

Earlier, three former mayors and a deputy mayor of Dharan issued a joint appeal expressing their concern that religious and cultural disputes in the sub-metropolis may disrupt social harmony. Former mayors Kumar Bahadur Karki, Tilak Rai and Manoj Kumar Menyangbo and former deputy mayor Min Kumar Subba have appealed for social harmony.