DHANGADI/BIRGUNJ,  August 10

General strikes called by various parties and groups have hit life hard at many places in the far-west and districts of the plains.

Bandh and protest have been going on for the past two weeks in Kailali district demanding a Hindu state. Vehicles stayed off the roads, while market places pulled down their shutters on Monday in the district.

The agitation seeking intact far-west has halted after their demand was fulfilled. However, Tharuhat Tarai party enforced a bandh in the district on Monday.

Tharu organisations have expressed their solidarity with the agitation. They demanded that Kailali and Kanchanpur be split from province 6 to be incorporated into a separate Tharuhat Pradesh.

Those people seeking Hindu state too have given continuity to their bandh adding to the woes of locals.

Hindu state Struggle Committee Coordinator Hari Regmi warned that they would not withdraw their agitation unless their demand was addressed.

Tharuhat Tarai Party’s leader Bhanuram Chaudhary warned that they would continue with their bandh unless Kailali and Kanchanpur were included in a separate Tharuhat state.

Bandh and agitation by various parties and groups have confused commoners about bandh organisers and their motives.

Local trader Ghanshayam Joshi expressed ignorance about who exactly had called the bandh. Bandh and agitation without prior information had given a hard time to locals and traders.

Life was thrown out of gear in Parsa and Bara districts due to a bandh called by Hindu State Struggle Committee, Parsa, on Monday. The struggle committee enforced a general strike demanding Hindu state.

Markets and shops pulled down their shutters from early morning in Birgunj, while vehicles stayed off the roads. Bandh organisers obstructed the movement of rickshaw, tempo and other vehicles. Agitators burned tyres and staged demonstration at different chowks of Birgunj.

Many areas, including Kalaiya and Jitpur in Bara’s also bore the brunt of the bandh. Market places and shops stayed closed in Kalaiya and Jitpur. Both short and long route vehicles stayed off the road. Bandh enforces vandalised two trucks in Parsa, according to Parsa police.

Hindu State Struggle Committee Parsa spokesperson Ranjit Sah said that they had allowed smooth movement of vehicles of press, diplomatic mission and fire engines. Sah said that they had put forward a charter of demands including Hindu state and ban on conversion.

A large number of security personnel were deployed to avert untoward incidents, said Prasa DAO.

Meanwhile, Dhanusha district shutdown called by Joint Democratic Madhesi Morcha hit life hard in Dhanusha.

The morcha had enforced district closure to protest the four major parties’ decision to federate the country into six provinces with boundaries.

Morcha cadres had descended on the streets and shouted slogan against the six-province model in Janakpur and other areas. They obstructed the roads and burned tyres.

Vehicular movement was obstructed due to the bandh. Market places and shops pulled down their shutters. Educational institutes, factories, industries and private offices too remained closed.