PHIDIM: General strike called by the Federation of Indigenous Nationalities along with other political parties has affected normal life in Panchthar district on Sunday. Market places, industries and educational institutions have remained closed due to the bandh. Vehicular movements have been also been halted. The general strike has left thousands of travellers stranded on their way. District Chairman of the Federation of Indigenous Nationalities Birkha Bahadur Waiba informed that the bandh was called to ensure identity-based federalism, secularism and fully proportional election system in the new constitution. Cadres of the Federation of Indigenous Nationalities, the Federal Limbuwan Party and the Federal Socialist Forum have been staging demonstration since this morning to make the strike successful. However, no untoward incidents have been reported yet.