A group led by central member of Young Communist League Janak Dhami, close to the establishment faction, beat up Navin Joshi, a party cadre close to the Baidya faction. Joshi is chairman of All Nepal People´s Health Workers Association Kanchanpur. [break]
Joshi was left with serious injuries to his head, and right knee.
The Mahakali Zonal Hospital has referred him to Sewa Nursing Home in Attariya for further treatment.
Joshi was attacked while he was halting vehicles supporting the strike called by UNMIN-disqualified combatants. ANNISU-R district Vice-chairman Hari Subedi, who is close to Baidya, said Dhami along with ANNIRU-R district chairman Radha Krishna Joshi and the union´s central member Birendra Chand attacked Joshi.
Joshi, who was accompanied by some disqualified combatants, had vandalized Dhami´s motorcycle. Thereafter the group led by Dhami bashed up Joshi, said Maoist cadres close to Baidya.
“They called him to a place near bus park,” said Subedi, adding, “And then, they beat him up mercilessly.”
Maoist Kanchanpur in-charge Devidutta Pandeya, who visited Joshi in the hospital, said the attack was pre-planned. “We will decide what to do after finding out the truth,” he said.
Narendra Dhami, former Maoist combatant and Kanchanpur in-charge of “Disqualified People´s Liberation Army”, said the establishment-faction cadres orchestrated the incident to foil the agitation of disqualified combatants.
“They had plans to bash me,” he said, adding, “Since they couldn´t so, they attacked Joshi instead.”
Stating that those involved in the attack have already been identified, he threatened to take action against them.
But those alleged as being behind the attack have denied their involvement.
(Bikram Giri from Mahendranagar)
Disqualified Maoist combatants withdraw strike
KATHMANDU: The disqualified Maoist combatants withdrew the nation-wide strike after an agreement with the government.
The disqualified combatants´ struggle committee withdrew the strike after Ministry for Peace and Reconciliation agreed to sit for talks again in a week during which the committee will present a draft of rehabiliation package for the disqualified combatants.[break]
The government also agreed to release all arrested strike enforcers.
Disqualified combatants-called banda affects life
Earlier, normal life has been paralyzed across the country on Thursday due to the general strike called by UNMIN- disqualified ex-Maoist combatants, saying government and their party remained indifferent to address their concerns.
The strike has had partial effect in the capital. Though commuters were seen walking on the road to their destination in the morning due to obstruction in vehicular movement, daily life seems gradually coming to normal in the valley.
Means of both private and public transport have stayed off the road in districts including Rupandehi, Baglung, Parabat, Kaski, Palpa and Myagdi. Educational institutions, industries and marketplaces have remained closed in those district due to the strike.
In Makwanpur, the banda enforcers have vandalized a few vehicles for defying the strike, causing obstruction in traffic movement on the East-West Highway throughout the district.
Likewise, transport services have come to a halt along the Koshi Highway linking Dharan to Dhankuta due to the strike, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded on the road.
The agitating ex-PLA fighters have demanded that the tag of disqualification on them be removed, funds released by the UN in their name be issued to them and the government make alternative arrangement for their livelihood.
The ex-combatants’ struggle committee secretary Binod Thapa they had to resort to banda as their concerns were dealt with apathy.. He also warned of sterner agitation if their concerns are not addressed.
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