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Bandh cripples life in Terai, eight Tamuwan districts; curfew lifted in Banepa

Normal life in the Terai and eight districts of Gandaki and Dhaulagiri zones has been paralysed Monday due to bandhs called by the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF), and the Maoist-affiliated Tamuwan Swayatta Rajya Samiti (TSWR) respectively.

MJF has called for a bandh in the Terai districts protesting against Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s decision to appoint Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar as the deputy prime minister without the party’s recommendation, while the TSWR has called the bandh in eight districts of Gandaki and Dhaulagiri zones as part of the on going protests by Maoists and its sister organisations against the President’s move to block the Maoist-led government’s decision to sack the army chief.

Bandh organisers have obstructed traffic on the east-west highway, Prithvi highway and other supporting highways and forced markets, shops and educational institutions to shut.

MJF cadres supporting Yadav have started demonstrations in various places in the Terai.

Meanwhile, the curfew imposed by the district administration of Kavre in and around Banepa after violent clashes between the locals and the activists of Maoist-affiliated Tamsaling Rastriya Mukti Morcha (TRMM) in the course of the bandh called by the latter in ten districts, Sunday, has been lifted from Monday morning.

Life is returning towards normalcy after the curfew was lifted. However, the Maoists have said they would stage a demonstration Monday afternoon in protest of the attacks in their district office yesterday.

Chief District Officer of Kavre has said the curfew would be re-imposed if the situation worsens. nepalnews.com Jun 08 09