Far-west bandh enters seventh day

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

DHANGADHI: The agitation in the Far-west region has further intensified, with the bandh continuing into the seventh day today.

Supporters of the ‘intact Far-west campaign’ in Kailali today held a funeral procession of the 22 CA members who had issued a statement against the ongoing Far-west bandh.

With a participation that was comparatively higher than on previous days, the procession started from the Traffic Chowk and converged into corner meetings at Park Chowk and Campus Chowk where leaders of the ongoing campaign Pradip Deuba, Keshav Mishra and Lekharaj Joshi spoke.

Speaking at Campus Chowk corner meeting, Far-west Awareness Forum Chairperson Pushkar Raj Joshi warned they would not spare the CA members who had given their nod to divide the Far-west in writing.

NC Kailali Secretary Prakash Bam, in the same meeting, warned the CA not to speak against their campaign.

Thousands of people participated in a protest rally in Tikapur today in support of the Intact Far-west and against the ethnic states.

In Kanchanpur, the political parties planned mass meetings along with demonstrations to intensify the ongoing agitation seeking an intact far-west. The political parties have sought the government’s and their leaderships’ attention for keeping the Far-west region intact and ensuring the rights of the minorities and the suppressed in the region.

In Bajura too, a rally supporting the ongoing campaign was held. Otherwise rarely affected by any bandh, district headquarters Martadi was completely shut today.

In Accham, participants burnt the effigy of Maoist Achham Area No 2 CA member Sharadsingh Bhandari, who had earlier issued a statement against the ongoing campaign, at Jayagadh Bazaar.

Meanwhile, a septuagenarian of Mahendranagar has started a relay hunger strike seeking an intact Far-west from today. Seventy-five-year-old Kishansingh Gharedi of Gobariya in Bhimdatta municipality-15, Kanchanpur started the strike, expressing solidarity with the agitation against the Maoist proposal of the federal model.

Meanwhile, according to Tharuhat Tarai Party Central Vice-Chairperson Bhanuram Chaudhari, Tharus have also extended their agitation seeking a separate Tharuwan state. The Tharus did not hold any demonstration in Dhangadhi. However, the Maoists rallied seeking a Tharuwan state.

Baitadi FNCCI and political leaders called for an end to the bandh, saying life had been hit. Owing to the bandh, women who had uterine surgery at a free health camp at district public health office are now left in the lurch. They have been unable to return home and have run short of money.

Food shortage hits region

DIPAYAL: The week-long Far-west bandh has caused food scarcity in the region. With the markets closed,production and distribution of food items has come to a virtual halt. The shortage of daily necessities has particularly hit police offices, schools and hospitals, where people take food in a mess. “All police units in the region are now facing shortage of food items like rice, vegetables and fruits,” informed DSP Dilliraj Bista of the Far-west Regional Police Office. “It has been reported that the Far-west Division Headquarters of Nepali Army and the Far-west Regional Police Training Centre of Dipayal are not faring well either. Sschools have sent students from nearby places to their homes. The bandh has also caused scarcity of life-saving drugs in the region. “Patients suffering from fever and diarrhoea are the worst hit,” said Pushkar Paneru, director of the Sujanga Hospital.