Strike forces workers from Kathmandu, Pokhara to call it quits

Hetauda, April 24:

Blame it on the lingering general strike. Kathmandu-based Terai and Indian workers are trekking it to home. Like the storybook character Dick Whittington who trudged all the way to London because he had heard the city’s streets were paved with gold, these workers are trudging too. But unlike Whittington who left home for London, they are going home — away from Kathmandu, the city of their livelihood.

When the strike extended after the King’s address last Friday, they were compelled to take the decision to return home as staying in the capital was impossible due to skyrocketing prices of commodities.

“We have to support our families but it was difficult for us due to the general strike. So, we were compelled to leave Kathmandu,” said Aslam Choudhary, a local of Gaur.

Like Aslam, hundreds of workers reached Hetauda today after a two-day walk via the Pharping-Kulekhani-Bhimphendi road section. Some of them used bicycles too. All of them looked pooped out. “I’m thinking of going to India in search of work,” said Saiyad Ansari.

Many Pokhara-based workers left the city and decided to return home. They said they got fed up of the prolonged spells of curfew imposed there.

According to Dipak Prasad Shrestha, chairman of the Makwanpur Industrial and Commerce Union, the union has managed lodging and food for them at the Palpasa meeting home.

Meanwhile, agitators in Hetauda flew into a lather when they noticed some vehicles about to leave for Birgunj under security escort. They burnt tyres and obstructed traffic on Pashupati Nagar section of Mahendra Highway. They also tried to seize a bulldozer of the road division. After that, the vehicles were stranded at Pathlaiya.

A report from Biratnagar said five agitators were injured when security forces barton-charged them as they were vandalising the house of mayor Pralhad Prasad Shah in Biratnagar. Windowpanes of the house were damaged.

The baton charge left secretary of Morang Nepal Students’ Union Nabin Rai, Free Students’ Union member of Mahendra Morang Campus Sanjay Mandal, Satrughna Mandal, Krishna Karki and Pappu Magar injured. Prior to the police action, the agitators also vandalised the office of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Kamal Thapa) in Biratnagar-8.

The agitators have blacklisted District Development Committee (DDC) chairman Ballav Prasad Dahal, deputy chairman Shailendra Basnet and some ward chairmen, demonstrators said.

A monitoring committee has been set up in Biratnagar under the coordination of National Assembly member Ashok Koirala to make the pro-democracy movement more intense. “The committee has a responsibility to make all workers participate in the ongoing movement by halting daily work in the district-based offices,” said Jyoti Acharya, a member of the committee.

Offices of cooperatives and organisations have been padlocked at Rangeli, Urlabari, Belbari, among others places, said Bishwo Nath Rijal, another member of the committee.