TARAI BANDA: Highways closed, vehicles vandalized

TARAI BANDA: Highways closed, vehicles vandalized
eKantipur.com, 4-Oct-07
POST REPORT

The major highways were obstructed and normal life partially affected due to separate bandas called by different agitating groups in the tarai, Thursday.

Normal life was crippled from the Mechi river in the east to Dhangadhi in the west by the general strikes called by the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP) led by Rajendra Mahato, the Federal Loktantrik National Forum (FLNF) and the Samyukta Tharu Rastriya Morcha (STRM).

Five vehicles were vandalized on the Urlabari-Damak road section during the banda called by FLNF in the eastern tarai. Bus driver Raju Lama sustained serious head injuries as protestors hurled a stone at his bus (Na 2 Kha 7534) heading east from Urlabari.

Lama is undergoing treatment in Silgudhi, India. Police detained 10 demonstrators in connection with the incident and released them later.

Meanwhile, FLNF said Thursday that they could withdraw the indefinite strike in the east if the government addressed their three-point demand.

Similarly, activists of STRM vandalized two passenger buses during their strike at Dhangadhi and Baliya in Kailali district Thursday.

Police held STMM district member Binaya Chaudhari and district chairman of Tharu Welfare Council Bhanuram Chaudhari at Dhangadhi as they were forcing the market to close. STMM resumed their protest as talks with the government failed.

The Mahato faction of NSP called its strike protesting the Election Commission's decision not to recognize them as the main party. The rest of the agitating groups are demanding federal states and a proportional electoral system among other things.

Reference
Nepal Bandh