DHANGADHI, May 3: The locals of Dhangadhi demanding an undivided autonomous far west on Thursday burnt effigies of 22 lawmakers, who had earlier issued a statement against their demand.
As the banda called by the supporters of undivided far west reached its seventh day, the protestors took out a symbolic funeral procession of lawmakers, before burning their effigies in Chauraha area of Dhangadhi.
On Wednesday, a section of lawmakers representing the far west in the Constituent Assembly (CA) had batted for division of far west region into Tharuhat and Khaptad-Seti-Mahakali states.
While lawmakers including Sharat Singh Bhandari, Ram Janam Chaudhari and Malmati Rana Tharu are for the division of the far west region, other lawmakers including Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ramesh Lekhak, Lekhraj Bhatta, Bhim Rawal support an undivided far west.
Meanwhile, lawyers, journalists, human rights activists and professors representing about three dozen organizations on Thursday lambasted the government for its alleged indifference to the crisis.
Issuing a joint statement, they urged the government to be serious about the crisis fueled by yet another agitation for an autonomous Tharuhat state in the far west region.
Tharuhat Struggle Committee (TSC) has also called another strike in Kailali and Kanchanpur districts opposing the demand for undivided far west from Wednesday.
NHRC concerned over ongoing protests in far west
KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concern over the ongoing strikes in the far west region over the federal structure of the country.
Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the national human rights watchdog has urged the agitating parties to think of the problems that ordinary people face due to such strikes.
The statement said NHRC is concerned over the hardship faced by ordinary people due to the ongoing general strikes in far western region for undivided far west and other demands related to the federal structure of the country. “Though all are free to organize peaceful protests in open politics, it is equally necessary to be cautious about the effect such protests leave on daily lives of common people,” added the statement.
The NHRC has also expressed concern over the life threat issued by various groups to People´s Front Nepal Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC, who is spearheading anti-federalist movement.
Stating that everyone has the right to express their opinions freely in a democratic process, NHRC has also urged the government to identify and punish the persons issuing life threats to KC. The rights body has also urged all the political parties to settle issues of federalism through negotiations and consensus.
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