General strike affects life

PHIDIM, August 13

Life in the eastern hilly districts was affected due to the general strike called by Federal Limbuwan Party Nepal, which has sought the naming of Province 1 as Limbuwan Pradesh.

Besides the demand that the nine districts east of the Arun River be declared a Limbuwan state in honour of their historic background, the party has also sought guarantee of proportional electoral system and secularism in the upcoming statute.

While marketplaces, business establishments and educational institutions remained shut due to the bandh, vehicular movement also came to a halt in the eastern districts of Panchthar, Ilam and Taplejung among other districts.

In Panchthar, though a few institutions and businesses were open in the early hours of the day in district headquarters Phidim, they were forced to down their shutters later by bandh enforcers.

Emergency vehicles including ambulances and hearse, however, operated as usual. No violence was reported during the bandh.