Dhangadi, September 22

Due to continuous curfew and strikes in Kailali, locals of Dhangadi and Tikapur Municipality and other VDCs have been compelled to leave for the hilly areas and wait it out until normalcy returns.

Locals of Bhajani, Munuwa, Dhansinghpur, Joshipur, Bainiya and Durgele, among other VDCs, including Dhangadi and Tikapur Municipality have moved to the hilly areas. Some students, elderly citizens and their helpers were seen in the VDCs.

Trilok Bom, a local of Munuwa, said numerous bandhs had destroyed the daily life of people. “Almost all the villagers have moved to the hilly areas because of bandhs and curfew,” he added. He said his relatives had also called him.

It is said that almost all Kailali dwellers had come from the hilly areas of far-west hilly districts. Some of them are staying with their relatives, while others are staying on their own.

In the last 30 days, the local administration has imposed curfew in nine VDCs of Dhangadi and Tikapur City areas ever since the violence in Tikapur on August 24.

People are fed up of bandhs and curfew. “The bandhs and curfew virtually made us prisoners,” said Dipak Saudof Tikapur. He said business had also been destroyed due to the bandhs.

Businessmen said they could not import goods as transportation had come to a standstill due to the bandh.

Meanwhile, Kailali Assistant Chief District Officer Udaya Bahadur Singh said the administration was compelled to clamp curfew order. “We are ready to lift the curfew, but the situation must be normal,” he added.

The curfew was lifted from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm in Dhangadi and the curfew order has been lifted in nine VDCs and Tikapur Municipality from 5:00am to 1:00 pm.