Maoist-chakkajam throws life out of gear

Himalayan News Service

Rautahat, January 9:

The Maoist-called indefinite chakkajam in the districts of Rautahat, Bara and Parsa beginning today threw public life into haywire here.

The Maoists had called for the strike to protest the torching of their leaders’ houses by the security forces posing as the Madheshi Tigers’ cadres.

A statement released by the Maoists’ Rautahat district committee said the chakkajamwould continue until a probe is conducted on the matter.

Thousands of travellers were stranded in Chandranigahpur because the Maoists had felled trees and placed bombs at several places between the forest areas of Lamaha, some eight kilometres from Chandranigahpur to Dhansar.

Meanwhile, the Maoists released seven passenger buses that they had captured at 11.30 am from Lamaha forest. The passengers, heading for Kathmandu from eastern region were released at 2 pm in the presence of two media persons. The Maoists sources claimed the action was taken for interrogation for violating the call for chakkajam. Some of the buses went back to the eastern Nepal.

The chakkajam affected the supply of sugarcane to the Sri Ram Sugar Mills (SRSM) today. Saroj Sharma, the administrative officer of the SRSM said there would be serious impact as the transportation strike was an indefinite one.