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Eastern districts reel under Maoist strike

Normal life in various parts of the eastern region has been crippled for the second consecutive day due to another shutdown strike called by a Maoist affiliated sister organisation on Wednesday.

The Limbuwan Mukti Morcha, an ethnic outfit affiliated to Unified CPN (Maoist), shut down local markets, factories, offices, educational institutions, and transportations in Illam, Taplejung, Terhathum, Dhankuta and Panchthar protesting the rejection of the party's Sankalpa Prastab - a motion beseeching President to withdraw his move - in Parliament.

They said they will continue with their strike if a discussion on the motion is not revived in the parliament.

Vehicles remained off the roads in these districts fearing reprisals from protestors.

Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa districts were also affected due to the strike in the hilly districts. Our district correspondents said that markets in the district remained partially opened while only few vehicles plied in the road.

But thousands of passengers were stranded in East-West Highway passing through these districts because of the strike. The buses coming from Kathmandu and other parts of west Nepal were stuck in Biratnagar, Dharan and Itahari fearing attacks from Limbuvan cadres.

Police said they will provide escorting to the passenger buses so that they can reach to their destination safely.

On Tuesday,the Maoist-affiliated Kirat Mukti Morcha had called general strike in six eastern districts - Bhojpur, Sankhuwasabha, Udaypur, Khotang, Solukhumbu and Okhaldhunga - protesting the president's move to reinstate Chief of Army Staff Rookmangud Katawal.

While leading the coalition government earlier, Maoists had tabled the proposal to end all kinds of strikes until the country gets a new constitution.
However, the proposal was rejected by other parties. nepalnews.com June 10 09