Siraha, January 13:

Normal life in 11 districts of Terai region was badly affected today in the second day of the three-day-long Terai region bandh called by the Jantantrik Terai Mukti Morcha, led by Jay Krishna Goit.

JTMM activists set ablaze Jagadamba Paper Board Industry situated at Lahan-4 last night saying it was opened during bandh. Around 40 armed JTMM activists set the Industry on fire at 11 p.m. last night, proprietor of the industry Kamal Kishor Maru said. Damages worth of Rs 2 million was incurred in the fire, he added.

Similarly, the JTMM activists detonated bombs in six grocery shops situated at Bhagatipur Chowk along Lahan-Thadi road section of Siraha district last night.

Damages worth of around Rs 9 lakhs was incurred due to the blasts, a local, Singeshwor Yadav, told this daily over telephone.

The JTMM activists also detonated a bomb at a field in Sanhaitha-1 of Siraha last night, a local, Shree Narayan Yadav said.

The JTMM activists also detonated a bomb at Cooperative Limited situated at Siraha-7 at around 7:30 a.m. today. No damage was incurred from the blast.

Meanwhile, different district based organisations including INSEC Siraha, Public Welfare Youth Club Lahan and Human Rights Protection Network Siraha issued a joint press statement urging JTMM to call off the bandh immediately keeping in view the ongoing preparations for Constituent Assembly elections and citizenship certificate distribution.

The JTMM activists did not allow even rickshaws to ply in Siraha, Madar, Lahan and Mirchaiya today, locals said. Some vehicles coming from west were taken to their destinations with police escorting, police said.

Scores of Indian passengers coming from bordering Indian city Jaynagar for eye checkup in Sagarmatha Chaudhari Eye Hospital at Lahan, who didn’t have prior information about the bandh, were stranded in Madar of Siraha. Around 500 Indian nationals, who came in eight buses, were stranded due to the bandh, local Sunil Kumar Shah said.

Normal life in Morang, Sunsari, Sarlahi, Saptari, Udaypur, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Bara, Parsa and Rautahat districts of Terai was also crippled due to bandh.

JTMM called the bandh demanding rule of the native people over Terai, use of revenue collected from Terai for development work in Terai only and appointing only native Terai people in the army, police and administration in the Terai region.