Taplejung, September 2:

Life was severely hit in Taplejung and Panchthar districts today, the first day of the seven-day blockade called by the Maoists in eastern Nepal to protest the killing of six of their cadres by security forces. The blockade will be on till September 8. Long and short route vehicles remained off the roads while market places, including medical stores, remained shut even in district headquarters. With the majority of markets remaining shut farmers were the worst hit by the blockade. Locals said the Maoists sent back farmers who were trying to take their produce like milk and vegetables to the markets. With the restriction on human movement, the preparations for the upcoming festival of Teej have also been hit. Chief District Officer of Taplejung, Raj Kumar Niraula, said security forces have been deployed in main areas of markets and that no untoward incident has been reported so far.

In Hetaunda, the Mahendra Kiran Secondary School at Manahari VDC, Jyamire in Makwanpur, shut down today following a notice issued by the Maoists keep it shut from August 31 to September 7. The school shut down after the Maoists pasted a notice on the school wall for the second time ordering that the school suspend classes. The Maoists had pasted a similar notice for the first time on August 29. The meeting of the school management committee held today decided to close the school till September 7 in order to check the feeling of fear among the students. One teacher said the classes were being held even today despite the Maoist threat. The school, with 1,200 students, is the only secondary level school in Manahari, Raksirang and Kankada VDCs, considered the most remote parts of the district.