MAHENDRANAGAR, Sept 3: Markets remained open but transportation was a serious problem in Mahendranagar on Thursday due to a nationwide banda called by the Joint Struggle Committee of Indigenous Nationalities, Dalits, and Muslim groups.
Only Kathmandu Valley was spared by the banda enforces for the Indrajatra festival.
Lack of transport forced some 150 people, who were returning home from India, to seek accommodation in Mahendranagar. Some India-returnees whose homes are nearby took the services of rickshaws to reach their homes, while others are stranded in the bus park itself.
“We had no information of the bands,” said Shanta Ram Chaudhary of Tikapur, Kailali, who returned from Pithauragad, India. “I am requesting the security personnel to provide safe escorting so that I can reach home,” he added.
The banda enforcers have allowed only ambulances to operate. By Thursday afternoon, they took control of half-a-dozen motorbikes whose riders defied the banda call. They have caused obstructions at various places along the East-West highway, including Bhansi, Suda, Lalpur, Jhalari and Bandi of Kanchanpur.
The agitators took out a torch rally Wednesday night.
The Struggle Committee said in a statement that Thursday´s banda is part of a month-long agitation.
Eastern Nepal completely shut
Meanwhile, our Ilam correpondent reported that the banda caused a complete shutdown of markets and transportation in Ilam, Paanchthar, Taplejung, Tehrathum, and other districts in eastern Nepal.
Long and short-route vehicles did not ply on the Mechi highway. Shops, factories and schools remained closed. But government offices and vehicles, and ambulances operated.
The Struggle Committee called the banda making demands such as ethnic federalism, and return of Nepali land encorached upon by India.
Daily operators of Ilam faced hardships from the bands as milk could not be tranported to Biratnagar. The Dairy Development Corporation had been supplying 40,000 liters of milk produced by farms in Ilam, Paanchthar, and Taplejung to Biratnagar.
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