BIRATNAGAR/JHAPA, June 6: Normal life has been affected in the east due to the Kochila banda called by the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) that has started street protests immediately after being out of the government. [break]
The banda callers torched six motorcycles in Sunsari and a jeep in Morang while enforcing the banda. The protestors torched a jeep (Ba 6 Cha 8666) of Kantipur Publications ferrying around 7,000 newspapers at Thapa Chowk in Belbari-4.
Similarly, passengers stranded in Jhumka clashed with the banda enforcers raising tension in Jhumka for about an hour.
The Maoist affiliated indigenous groups and Ethnic and Regional Republican Federation have been protesting against "foreign intervention and military supremacy" by burning tires in the highway affecting lives in Morang, Sunsari and Jhapa districts. Factories in the three districts have been completely shut down.
The banda has forced the tourists traveling to Biratnagar to pay extremely high rickshaw fares to travel to hotels from airport. Similarly, many trucks carrying raw materials for the factories in the Sunsari- Morang Industrial Corridor remain stranded at the Indo-Nepal border in Jogbani while the trucks returning to India have been forcefully used in blocking the highway.
Five hurt in clash in Jhapa
Five workers of the Madhesi People´s Rights Forum (Gupta Group) were injured in a clash with Maoists in Bhadrapur during the Maoist-called banda.
MPRF cadres had attacked the Maoists when the latter tried to forcefully close a bicycle shop of Kailash Chaudhari, an MPRF worker, at Bhanu Chowk in Bhadrapur. Kasim Miyan, Jaya Kishor, Tarzan Miyan, Kailash Chaudhari and Tukit Miyan were injured in the incident. Kasim Miyan and Jaya Kishor have sustained critical injuries in the head and are being treated at Mechi Zonal Hospital.
Likewise, Gauradaha bazaar also remained tense throughout the day after local entrepreneurs defied the banda. The locals had chased away the Maoists after the latter attacked businessman Tika Shrestha. Police have arrested Chandra Karki and Kul Prasad Giri.
At least six persons were injured in a clash that ensued later in the afternoon.
Journo´s motorcycle seized
Meanwhile, the banda organizers seized a motorcycle (Ko 4 Pa 5509) of Damak-based Saptarangi FM journalist Ramesh Pokharel for defying the banda.
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