Journo attacked

BIRATNAGAR: Journalist Bijay Pathak was assaulted by Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Biswas group) cadres here while he was collecting news on Saturday. His motorcycle was also damaged in the incident. The MJF (Biswas) cadres mobbed him asking why he had not reported their news and attacked him. District president of MJF (Biswas), Jay Ram Yadav, later apologised to Pathak for the incident. Pathak is also the publisher of the local Darpan weekly. The district chapter of Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Press Union regional committee, Press Chautari and Revolutionary Journalists’ Union condemned the incident and demanded action against those who attacked Pathak. In a joint statement, they warned of an agitation if action was not taken soon. Meanwhile, life was affected due to the indefinite bandh called by the Sanyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha and Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastiya Manch. — HNS

Call for talks

PHIDIM: Nine human rights organisations of Panchthar district have urged the agitating Federal Limbuwan Rajya Parishad to go for dialogue with the government. The nine rights organisations, in a joint release on Saturday, said that the common people were suffering due to the Parsihad’s continuing bandh since February 13 and urged the Parishad to give up calling bandhs and strikes and instead launch a peaceful agitation and negotiate with the government to settle all issues. — HNS

Prisoners’ demands

RASUWA: Prisoners of Rasuwa Prison have staged protests to exert pressure on the government to implement the recommendations of the Prison Reform High Level Recommendation Committee. The Prisoners’ Struggle Committee has been organising corner gathering and hunger strike in the prison for five days. The agitating prisoners have demanded general amnesty on the condition of shunning crimes. — RSS