Life hit on last day of east bandh

Ilam, February 2:

Normal life remained affected on the last day of the three-day-long bandh in Limbuwan, Khumbuwan and Tamangsaling areas.

Demanding ethnic autonomy and proportional representation in the constituent assembly

elections, ethnic organisations, including the Federal Democratic National Forum, had called

the bandh.

In Ilam, main bazaars remained shut and vehicular movement remained halted. The Bihibare ‘hatiya’ markets were not held in Ilam and Fikkal.

Academic institutions were shut. However, district-level SLC sent-up examinations were held.

Daily work in offices of the District Development Committee and Ilam Municipality remained halted. Bandh supporters had padlocked the offices on Wednesday.

A report from Dhankuta said shops, factories and academic institutions remained shut.

Only a few medical stores opened. Both long and short-route vehicles from Dhankuta stayed off the road.

A few ambulances, vehicles belonging to security forces and vehicles of government offices were seen plying in the Dhankuta bazaar.

Rural markets, including Hile, Sidhuwa, Pakhribas and Bhedetar, were also hit due to

the bandh.

The SLC sent-up examinations were postponed in around half-a-dozen schools, including the

Subhang-based Nilgiri Secondary School, as bandh supporters forbade conducting any academic activities during the bandh, headmaster of the Nilgiri Secondary School Agni Prasad Lamichhane said.

The distribution of citizenship certificates has also been halted at Syabrumba since yesterday due to pressure from bandh supporters, chief of the citizenship distribution team Upendra Dahal said.

In Panchthar, hotels, shops, factories and academic institutions based in district headquarters Phidim remained shut while vehicular movement came to a grinding halt. Bandh supporters vandalised three vehicles last night. The bandh affected life in Udaypur, Sunsari and Taplejung districts.