Local leaders staged peace rallies carrying their respective party flags in Birendranagar, the district headquarters, five days after locals had launched protests.Although the parties have agreed on Surkhet district as the capital of the proposed province-5, they have failed to reach consensus on the provincial boundary.
The FNCCI Surkhet chapter had been mediating the meeting between parties since the last three days but they have yet to forge a common stance on the provincial boundary.
Meanwhile, district-level party leaders have instructed their party cadres not to participate in the protests. "Ongoing protests have resulted in loss of lives and properties. We won't own protests carried out without our leadership," said Upendra Thapa, acting chairperson of Nepali Congress, Surkhet.
On Monday, two local protestors were shot dead and 50 others injured during police action after protests against the proposed provincial boundaries turned violent in the district.
Locals have been staging protests demanding that the mid-west region should be left intact and Surkhet developed as the capital of the proposed province.
However, Jajarkot locals continued their protest with a similar demand on the fifth consecutive day on Thursday.
Local demonstrators backed by representatives of various district level organizations, journalists and business firms ignored the circular issued by political parties.
"The party has requested us to halt protest. But our protest has nothing to do with our political affiliations. We have taken the streets as residents of Jajarkot district," said Bed Raj Sinha, chairperson of Nepali Congress constituency-1.
"We will continue our protest until our demands are met," said civil society leader Rajendra Bikram Shah. Business organizations in Jajarkot have also been backing the five-day-long protest. "We are ready to shut down our businesses and take to the streets," said Kaman Bahadur Khadka, FNCCI president of Jajarkot. He reiterated that the strike will continue until their demands are addressed.
Demanding for Tharuhat
An indefinite strike called by the Tharuhat Struggle Committee continued in Banke and Bardiya districts continued for the third consecutive day on Thursday. They are agitating against separation of Kailai and Kanchanpur from Tharuhat and their inclusion in province-6, according to our Dhangadhi correspondent Dil Bahadur Chhatyal.
Two ambulances vandalized in Kohalpur-2
Agitating locals vandalized two ambulances along the East-West Highway, according to the District Police Office (DPO) Banke. "The ambulances were without any patients," said DSP Tika Bahadur KC.
Protesters also vandalized half a dozen motorbikes in the district. Thursday's banda in Banke saw participation of more locals.
In Bardiya, Tharu affiliated organizations have also continued their protests for the third consecutive day Thursday. They are demanding autonomous Tharuhat province comprising 10 districts from Chitwan to Kanchanpur.
Demand for undivided Karnali
Local protestors continued their indefinite strike for the fifth consecutive day in Mugu and Jumla districts. They have been demanding a separate Karnali province.
Unions of teachers and laborers and people from the Dalit community took to the streets in Mugu headquarters Gamgadhi as market, educational institutes and government offices remained shut, according to Republica district correspondent Suman Malla.
Top leaders of CPN-UML and Nepali Congress have requested their cadres to call off protests.
Similar, demonstrations continued in Jumla demanding Karnali province with special rights.
Bhanu Bhakta Baral, vice-chairperson of Kalikot chapter of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) stressed the need for undivided Karnali with special rights.
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