Tharuhat announces more protests

Dhangadi, January 2

The agitating Tharuhat/Tharuwan Joint Struggle Committee today announced the second phase of protest programmes demanding a separate Tharuhat state, including Kailali and Kanchanpur through statute amendment.

Organising a press meet in Dhangadi today, the joint struggle committee announced fresh protest programmes, including regional meet, awareness campaign, mass meeting and general strikes.

Of late, Tharuhat had formed a joint struggle committee to intensify the agitation.

Committee Coordinator Prabhat Kumar Chaudhary demanded that the statute amendment bill be tabled in the Parliament incorporating Kailali and Kanchanpur in Province No 5. Chaudhary said that they had decided to intensify the agitation as the statute amendment bill registered in the Parliament had failed to address the concerns of the Tharus.

The committee has announced general strike in Kailali and Kanchanpur districts on February 1 and 2 if their demands are not addressed by then. He warned of obstructing the civic polls if it was held without addressing Tharus’ demands.

The joint committee’s Kailali Coordinator Krishna Kumar Chaudhary complained that the government and the major parties had turned deaf ears to their concerns for a long time.

Chaudhary said that they would be forced to call a bandh if their genuine concerns were not met.