Siraha, March 10 :

Sugar cane farmers in Siraha district, demanding the withdrawal of the indefinite strike called by the MJF, today staged a bicycle rally here. The farmers have been unable to sell sugar cane due to frequent strikes.

Hundreds of farmers, urging the MJF not to disrupt the supply of sugar cane to sugar mills, rallied around different markets of the district.

The Siraha Trade Committee issued a statement, urging the MJF to call off its strike. Life in Kalaiya was also affected on the fifth day of the bandh called by the MJF. The bandh continued to affect life in Nawalparasi. A report from Biratnagar said MJF activists torched two motorbikes and beat up a couple there.

The bandh affected life partially in Janakpurdham, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat and Birgunj also.

A report from Rautahat said two cadres of Maoist-affiliated Young Communist League (YCL) were injured when activists of Jwala Singh-led Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (JTMM) this evening attacked at a Maoist programme at Balerikhor of Bishrampur VDC.