Sarlahi, April 23 :

Life in the Chure Bhawar region was affected today on the first day of the indefinite bandh called by the Chure Bhwar Pradesh Ekata Samaj. The government has called the Samaj for talks, asking the latter to withdraw its protest programmes. The Samaj, however, has put forth three conditions to sit for talks.

Central member of the Samaj Ishwor Karki urged the government to fulfil the Samaj’s demands as a precondition for talks. Activists of the Samaj are demanding a separate state in the Chure Bhawar region.

Business centres and industries of the region remained closed while vehicles stayed off the roads due to the bandh. Activists of the Samaj even barred vehicles belonging to the Nepal Red Cross Society, human rights organisations and journalists from plying. A report from Siraha said no long-route vehicle plied in the district. The bandh also affected life in Lahan, Mirchaiya, Bandipur, Golbazaar and Dhangadhi VDCs of Siraha. Academic institutions, business centres remained totally closed in these areas while vehicles remained off the road.

Meanwhile, expressing solidarity with the Samaj’s agitation the Terai Chure Bhawar Sanghiya Pradeshik Morcha Nepal brought traffic to a halt at Zero Mile of Dhangadhi VDC in Siraha. Calling for the cancellation of the proposed constituencies, the Morcha demanded constituencies be determined afresh. Some Morcha men also vandalised a bus bearing an Indian plate number. The vehicle was carrying eye patients from Janakpur to the Lahan Eye Hospital.

Stating that the bus defied the bandh, masked Morcha activists vandalised the bus (UP 50-3178) in the Kasaha road section at Dhangadhi VDC. Sugarcane farmers said that sugarcane supply was affected due to the bandh. In protest, they placed obstructions at various points on the Siraha-Chauharwa road section of Chauharwa and at Ghurmi chowk of the Chauharwa-Mirchaiya road section.

A report from Bara said life in the northern part of the district was affected. Only a few vehicles plied on the Nijgarh-Chandranigahapur and Nijgarh-Pathlaiya road sections of the Mahendra Highway. Very few shops opened in Nijgarh bazaar while academic institutions remained open.

In Rautahat, Chandranigahapur bazaar remained closed. Vehicles did not ply on the Mahendra and Birendra Highways passing through the district. No untoward incident was reported during the bandh, said the Chandranigahapur area police office.

Govt plea to call off bandh

Kathmandu: The government on Monday issued a call to Chure Bhabar Ekata Samaj (CBES) to call off its general strike and sit for talks for a peaceful solution of the problems it has raised. The call was issued by Ministry of Home, coinciding with the second day of the general strike announced by the CBES. The demands pressed by CBES include withdrawal of homicide charges slapped by the police on nine of its workers, giving the status of martyrs to all those people from the hills who have died in Tarai unrest and probe into Gaur and other killings. — HNS