DHANGADI, May 1: The indefinite banda enforced by locals in the far western region demanding “undivided far-west” has severely crippled life in the region. Normal life has been thrown out of gear with transportation, health services, educational institutes completely shut down for the last five days.
Geda airport in Dhangadi has also remained padlocked for the last two days leaving hundreds of passengers stranded. The protestors have not even spared ambulances and rickshaws. [break]
A group of agitators led by Lokraj Pandey said they would not allow the airport to resume operations until their demands are fulfilled. “We will continue our protests until the parties guarantee an undivided far-western region,” Pandey said.
The agitation is also being supported by various youth groups, political parties and civil society activists. Youths affiliated to sister organizations of the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML are largely participating in the agitation. The protestors, however, have not been found carrying party flags.
According to sources, Senior NC leader Sher Bahadur Dueba, UML leader Bhim Rawal and Maoist leader Lekhraj Bhatta have strongly been supporting the locals´ agitation.
Meanwhile, our correspondent Pushparaj Joshi from Doti states the strike has equally affected hilly areas of the region. Supply of daily necessities has been affected by the strike.
“If the banda is not called off by tomorrow, people here will be deprived of even the daily necessities,” said Bhimlal Bhandari, a businessman from Piplala, Dipayal.
Similarly, hundreds of passengers from the hilly districts of the region have been stranded and are waiting for short and long-distance public vehicles to operate from Kailali and Kanchanpur.