Dang, April 22:

Furious and feeling shortchanged after King Gyanendra’s national address yesterday, people today staged fresh protests in major towns and suburban centres of the districts in the country. In massive demonstrations at all these places, they took out rallies wielding brooms, ringing bells and banging plates.

A sea of women in Dang demonstrated, demanding a constituent assembly. In Gaighat protesters scoffed at the royal address, saying it was a deception. People from all walks of life joined the demonstration.

In Lekhnath, agitators staged demos and warned leaders of the seven-party front not to make any agreement with the King neglecting the wishes and sentiments of the people. District-level leaders of the seven parties addressed the gathering after the demonstration.

A report from Syangja said, thousands demonstrated against the royal address. Alliance leaders said the agitation would continue until restoration of the dissolved House and election to a constituent assembly.

In Gorkha, activists of the seven agitating parties staged a demonstration in the district headquarters against the royal address. Protesters also tarred the face of DDC member Shankar Adhikari and led him around the city.

A report from Nepalgunj said thousands of people there demonstrated against the royal address. Demos were held in Khajura, Kohalpur and Ranjha also. Thousands of women in Taplejung protested against the royal address. The rally which included women of all ages ranging from little girls to even the elderly, is said to be the biggest staged so far in the district. In Dhankuta, thousands of people protested against the royal address. Protesters urged the alliance leaders not to forget the ultimate goals of the agitation. Meanwhile, local administration staff vowed not to carry out any financial transaction under the order of the officials appointed by the royal government.

In Pokhara, lakhs of people staged a demonstration against the royal address. People spontaneously joined a rally staged by PAPAD. Reportedly, today’s rally was the largest staged in Pokhara so far. Physicians and staff of Manipal Teaching Hospital, different Ama Samuha groups, construction entrepreneurs, former sportspersons also joined the rally. The Joint People’s Movement Committee (Kaski) also staged a rally at Chipledhunga in Pokhara. Leaders of the seven political parties addressed the rally.

In Manthali of Ramechhap district, PAPAD and the seven agitating parties staged a rally and held a mass meeting. In a show of solidarity with the ongoing movement for democracy, the Nepal Teachers’ Union (Ramechhap) held democratic conferences in 16 resource centres.

In Janakpur, various professionals including lecturers, legal practitioners, journalists, teachers, students rallied in protest. Bhairahawa saw thousands of people taking to the streets in protest against the royal address. A report from Rupandehi said one-and-a-half lakh people in Butwal staged a spontaneous demonstration against the royal address.

In Dhading, intellectuals held a public discussion on the royal address. Speaking on the occasion, chairperson of the Dhading Bar Association, Bishworaj Adhikari said the royal address had added complexity to the existing problem. Bashu Timsina of the People’s Movement Committee, Rajendra Shah of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists and Deepak Simkhada of Teachers’ Union also expressed their views. Journalists in Rajbiraj staged a demonstration to protest police brutality against three persons including two journalists there. Yesterday, at 8.30 pm police burst into the newsroom of Rajbiraj Today and beat up two journalists Shrawan Kumar Dev and Awadhesh Kumar Jha for no apparent reason. Both have sustained serious injuries in their legs. The rally, demanding press freedom, went around the city and ended as a mass meeting at Neta Chowk.

FNJ president (Saptari) Shambhu Jha, vice-president Prakash Khatiwada, chairperson of Press Chautari Suresh Acharya addressed the assembly and condemned the police action. PAPAD also flayed it.