Nawalparasi/Dhangadi, August 15

Bandhs organised by various groups and parties to protest the six-province model federal set up have made life harder in the Tarai districts.

Tharuhat Joint Struggle Committee has been enforcing a general strike in the Tarai districts demanding a separate Tharuhat state for the last six days.

Likewise, Nepal Sadbhawana Party and Federal Sadbhawana Party have called a three-day general strike beginning from today in Tarai districts. Double strikes threw life out of gear in 22 Tarai districts today.

A clash broke out between agitators and police when the latter tried to escort stranded buses at Basa area in Nawalparasi to their destinations.

Four persons were injured after being hit by rubber bullets fired by police while three police personnel sustained injuries from stones pelted by the agitators. All the injured are being treated at Prithvi Chandra Hospital, Parasi.

Nawalparasi CDO Hari Prasad Mainali said police had to open fire in the air after agitating Tharuhat activists advanced toward the house of UML central leader and CA member Baijnath Chaudhary at Constituency No 4. Nawalparasi police Chief SP Nal Prasad Upadhyay said the police fired rubber bullets and some rounds of tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.

Vehicles stayed off the roads at Kawasoti, Danda, Chormara, Rahar, and Bhedabari areas. Similar was the situation in Dhangadi, Kailali. A rally was staged in Dhangadi, which converged into a corner meeting at Chauraha. Police personnel had to halt the rally at DDC Chowk fearing clash with other agitators of the intact far-west.

Tharus had staged a rally after supporters of intact far-west opened the closed markets from NN Chowk to Chauraha. A group of people riding motorbikes set a truck en route to Mahendranagar from Nepalgunj on fire at Masuriya, Kailali, yesterday night. Bandh organisers have denied they were responsible for the arson.

Likewise, the bandh called by Tharuhat has crippled daily life in Kanchanpur, Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Kapilvastu, Rupandehi and Nawalparasi, among other districts.

Long and short route buses stayed off the roads, while schools, market places, factories and businesses pulled down their shutters in these districts.

The Bandh called by Nepal Sadbhawana party and Federal Sadbhawana Party hit life hard in Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Janakpur, Siraha, Saptari, Morang and Sunsari, among other places today.

The strike was organised to protest the six-province model of federalism and the constitution drafting process.

Vehicles plying short and long routes along the East-West Highway stayed off the roads while market places, academic institutions, factories, and businesses pulled down their shutters in Kalaiya, Birgunj, Gaur, Lalbandi, Bardibas, Janakpur, Siraha, Lahan, Rajbiraj, Biratnagar and Itahari, among other places owing to the general strike.

Traders against bandh

DHANGADI: Fed up with the repeated bandhs, traders in Tikapur of Kailali staged a rally on Saturday. Hundreds of local traders took to the streets in Tikapur bazaar area to protest the frequent strikes. Trader Bal Bahadur Khadka said they had hit the streets as they were incurring hefty losses due to the strikes. “If the bandh is not lifted, we shall retaliate from tomorrow,” he warned. The traders have asked the local police administration to help lift the bandh and run their business smoothly. Tension had erupted between agitating Tharuhat activists and traders. DSP Bisworaj Khadka said timely intervention by the police had averted a clash.