Charikot, April 21:

An ocean of people today spilled out into the streets of major towns in various districts across the country on the 16th day of the ongoing movement for democracy. In Rautahat and Ramechhap districts, agitators erased “His Majesty’s Government” from signboards of various government offices and replaced the phrase with “Nepal Government”.

In Charikot district’s headquarters Dolakha, teachers, students, legal practitioners, health workers, labourers, industrialists, businessmen, far-mers, professionals, human ri-ghts activists and political parties organised separate rallies.

CPN-UML district committee member Ishwor Chandra Pokhrel said people should not slacken the movement until restoration of total democracy. Nepal Teachers’ Union secretary Pushkar Nath Pokharel, who was injured on April 13 during the movement, also took part in the rally.

In Besisahar of Lamjung district, broom-wielding agitators took out a rally at the call of local NGOs and Ama Samuha.

Civil servants in Lamjung supported the pro-democracy movement by sporting black armbands. They also set ablaze many portraits of archaeological value at Lamjung palace.

The seven parties organised a rally in Simra, according to our Bara-based correspondent. Farmers took out a spade rally while other workers held a bicycle rally in Simra. Agitators vandalised half-a-dozen vehicles en route to Kathmandu under police escort. The parties also held a rally in Kalaiya. Sportspersons joined the rally along with human rights activists to protest police intervention in peaceful demonstrations.

In Baglung different ethnic groups, rallied under the banner of Nepal Indigenous Nationalities’ Federation and Nepal Bhasha Manka Khala, warned political parties not to reach any agreement against people’s aspirations. Thousands rallied in Myagdi also.

A report from Chitwan said 54 organisations organised a street play in Nawalparasi’s Gaidakot. The King was roundly criticised in that.

Hotel entrepreneurs in Dhadingbesi staged a massive rally in support of the movement. They were joined by political workers, teachers, government employees, women, hotel workers and legal practitioners. The Dhading bar association announced it would hold an open debate titled “Why Democracy?” at Dhadingbesi’s Nagarik Chowk tomorrow. Civil servants in Syangja threatened to organise a new round of protests if the current crisis was not resolved by this evening. The Syangja local administration has banned airing of Indian channels since yesterday.

Nearly 100,000 people rallied in Dhangadhi. In Bhairahawa, people in a rally hoisted an effigy of Home Minister Kamal Thapa on a donkey’s back and took it around the city.

In Rupandehi, protesters staged a large rally from Pushpa Lal Park to Media Chowk.

In Gaighat, employees of district-based government offices, banks and corporations stopped work. Bank employees refused to work until the restoration of democracy.

In Ramechhap, the district hospital workers halted work in all departments except the emergency department.

They also gheraoed senior public health officer Bishwo Ram Shrestha for two hours. The political parties also staged a demonstration in Manthali bazaar.

In Pyuthan, civil servants and teachers staged a demonstration in Khalanga, the district headquarters. The protest was organised by the Federation of Professionals’ Unions. For the last five days, the workers have been staging a pen-down and also sporting black armbands.

Meanwhile, the District Administration Office slapped a 24-hour deadline clarification notice on four workers, including the district chairman of Government Employees’ Organisation and jailer Ganga Mani Sharma.

In Rautahat, protesters rallied in Chandranigahapur. Central member of the CPN-UML Purushottam Poudel urged top leaders not to succumb to any regressive ploy. Bir Bahadur Waiba, central member of Janamorcha Nepal said peace and monarchy were incompatible. The agitators also vandalised the building of the district traffic police office.

A local journalist Shiv Puri said over 20,000 people participated in the rally.