Normal life in various far-western districts including Kailali, Kanchanpur and other districts has been paralaysed as the agitation waged demanding “undivided” far-western region entered day 18 on Monday.

Thousands of people are seen coming out into the streets daily to protest against State Restructuring Commission’s report in which parts of far-western districts such as Kailali, Kanchanpur, Banke and Bardiya have been merged with Terai federal states.

They demand that the region must be kept intact as breaking it up will only invite communal tension between various groups and ethnic communities in the region.

Meanwhile, life has been thrown out of gear due to the bandh as shops and businesses in major towns in the region remain closed, industries, educational institutions remain shut while vehicular movement has come to a grinding halt.

On Saturday, the talks team of the government and undivided far west started dialogue in the capital on Sunday. Although the government took the demands of the agitators to federate the country on the basis of identity and viability instead of ethnicity positively during the meeting, it didn’t yield any result nor the government was able to make the far-west talks team withdraw the over two weeks long bandh in the region.

In another report, 22 districts of the Terai including major towns like Birgunj of Parsa district have been affected due to strike called by Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Nepal.

The MJF enforced the strike in the Terai districts demanding a single Madhes province.

Business establishment, industries, educational institutions remain shut while both long and short route buses and other vehicular movement has been brought to a grinding halt due to the shutdown. Nepalnews.com