Nawalparasi, March 14:

The Nawalparasi District Administration Office today clamped curfew in Rupailiya, Kudiya and Pratappur VDCs, following a minor dispute between the locals and agitating Tharus at Somani in Kudiya VDC-3. The curfew has been imposed from 6 pm till 5 am tomorrow to thwart possible untoward incidents.

According to Inspector Jitendra Kumar Basnet at the Beltari Area Police Office, the situation started taking a nasty turn at Somani following a minor debate between the locals and the Tharu activists this afternoon. The police had to fire three rounds of tear gas shells to take the situation under control.

The agitators also vandalised a police van and torched a motorcycle this afternoon. Nawalparasi CDO Bal Krishna Panthi said the situation in the VDCs was under control.

In Kanchanpur, the demonstrators obstructed East-West Highway throughout the day today. They also vandalised a motorbike of Ram Singh Thaguna near Bhansi on the highway this morning. Thaguna is the district correspondent of Nepal Television. “They also manhandled me,” Thaguna said. The district chapter

of Federation of Nepali

Journalists (FNJ) condemned the incident.

The indefinite Tarai bandh has also resulted in the shortage of petroleum products and cooking gas in the district. All industries and educational institutions remained closed. However, Bhimdattanagar bazaar has remained open for the past three days.

In Bara, the agitators obstructed roads in Simara, Jitpur, Chhata Pipara and Parwanipur by burning tyres. They also organised sit-ins at Jitpur and Pathlaiya. The agitators vandalised three motorcycles and an ambulance for defying the bandh.

The indefinite bandh has also affected normal life in Siraha, Saptari, Sarlahi and Rupandehi districts.

Meanwhile, the Sunsari chapter of the Tharuhat Joint Struggle Committee today

organised a huge demonstration in Duhabi. Over 25,000 people joined the demonstration, according to the organisers.

The organisers brought people from Tanamuna, Aurabani, Bhaluwa, Sonapur, Khanar and other adjoining VDCs in today’s demonstration. They also continued their demonstration in Itahari, Hasposa, Khanar, Sonapur, Jhumka, Pakali and Inaruwa. The protests severely affected normal life in the district.

The agitators vandalised four motorcycles in Hasposa, three in Jhumka, two in Itahari and one in Khanar. They have also erected tents for shelter in Tarahara. They have been taking shelter in similar tents in Khanar and Jhumka for the past 13 days.