KATHMANDU: The one-day bandh of the Bagmati Zone called by the Rastriya Jana Morcha (RJM) to protest federalism had a partial effect today in the Kathmandu Valley, with essential services functioning moderately.

Scuffles broke out between bandh organisers and the police in some places but no casualty was reported. According to the police, they briefly detained a dozen demonstrators, including a CA member Shanta Bahadur Nepali, and released them later.

The situation was potentially troublesome at one point when the cadres of Newa Autonomous State Joint Struggle Committee, comprising the UCPN- Maoist, Nepali Congress and the CPN- UML, took out a motorcycle rally in a bid to foil the bandh.

In another incident, the RJM cadres fanned themselves out on the streets and vandalised more than 30 vehicles, including two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The incident occurred at Putalisadak, Kumaripati, Dilli Bazaar, Balaju and Bhaktapur.

They also set ablaze a bus with registration number (Ba 1 Ka 4650) ferrying the employees of Hotel Soaltee Casino at Bafal. The enraged demonstrators, however, let the passengers out of the bus before setting it on fire.

Educational institutions, industrial enterprises, private offices, markets and business centres shut down from dawn till dusk due to the bandh. Public vehicles stayed off the road for fear of reprisal. However, motorcycles and some taxis plied along their regular routes.

The bandh organisers, however, let the ambulances, media and tourist vehicles ply freely. Nevertheless, the common people bore the insidious effects of the bandh. Thousands, whose lives depend on daily wages and had to travel to work site, were left high and dry as public transport stayed off the road.

Around 5,000 riot police personnel were mobilised to prevent any untoward incident. The bandh ended with a corner meet at Shanti Batika at about 4 pm.

RJM is the sole party in the Constituent Assembly, opposing the concept of federalism. Arguing that the federal structure will disintegrate the country, the party demands that the government and the political parties revoke such a decision.

Valley Newars defy bandh

KATHMANDU: The Newa Autonomous State Joint Struggle Committee today defied the Valley bandh called by the Rastriya Jana Morcha against federalism.

Bandh organisers were forced to withdraw the bandh in the afternoon following increasing resistance from the public and a motorcycle rally organised by the Newa struggle committee. The struggle committee that comprises 10 Newar organisations affiliated to various political parties, including the UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the Nepa Rastriya Party, had declared the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding districts as Newa Autonomous State from the Dasharath Stadium on December 26.

According to Naresh Bir Shakya, vice-chairman of the Nepal Rastriya Party, the motorcycle rally started from Basantapur after they reached there from Kirtipur and Tokha.

The rally went through thoroughfares in the inner parts of the cities and converged in Patan.

"The rally was organised after a sudden decision taken by Newa leaders and in a very short notice," said one of the organisers.

The participants of the rally carried flags of the Newa Autonomous State unveiled during the declaration ceremony and distributed leaflets of the state.

Shakya, meanwhile, said the committee is preparing for more programmes to strengthen the Newa Autonomous State.