With the prices of vegetables going through the roof, due to continuous strike, she has been collecting snail shells for curry for the last few days."Our problems have been growing with each passing day because of the on-going strikes," said Kehiyani. "We have not been able to earn wages as there is no work."
She used to earn around Rs 500 per day, which was enough to feed her family members. "Bandas deprive us of the chance to earn money, making our life difficult."
Ward-3 and 8 of Sonapur and ward-13 of Itahari are populated by laborers. There are at least 800 households in those areas, with 90 percent of the families surviving on daily wages. The area inhabited by members of Rishidev community alone has around 200 houses, with most of them dependent on daily wages.
Shankarini Rishidev, who is also from the same village, said she has run out of the items of daily needs. As even the nearby shops have remained closed for the past many days, she said she will have nothing to cook from Wednesday if the strikes continue.
Tharuhat Joint Struggle Committee and Madhesi Morcha have been organizing banda in the Tarai districts for the last 18 days.
The series of bandas have worsened the problems of laborers who depend on daily wages for their everyday survival. The protesters have also shut down some factories operating in the areas between Khanar to Duhabi from Tuesday.
"The government and protestors should start negotiations to defuse this crisis situation," said Shiva Narayan Shah, who works in a factory in Sunsari.
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Daily wage earners feel the heat as bandas persist
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