BIRATNAGAR, Oct 13: Bidur Karki has been very anxious lately. Karki, who hails from Thulachhap VDC in Okhaldhunga district and works as a labor, is currently living in rented space in Basbari of Morang. His family has been frequently asking him to return home at the earliest. But the ongoing Terai-Madhes protests called by the agitating United Democratic Madheshi Front (UDMF), which marked the 60th day on Tuesday, have dashed all his hopes of returning home to celebrate Dashain festival.
Being the sole bread-winner for his family, he has to manage expenses for all the family. Whole family’s happiness will be dashed if he does not return home on time. “I do not see banda being called off anytime soon. How can I I return home and celebrate Dashain with my family?” he sighed.
Like him, festive mood of Dashain has failed to grip many due to the ongoing banda. They are disappointed as no sign of postponing the banda has been noticed even as the festival advances nearer with every passing day.
Lack of transportation is not the only problem preventing Karki to return home. His employer, belonging to a plastic industry, is yet to pay him off. “When we ask for payment, they turn us down citing that they also have not been able to receive payment due to the banda,” he said.
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Although Morang-Sunsari districts have recorded more financial transaction compared to Saptari-Parsa districts, industries there have not made payments to their laborers citing dip in their revenues due to the ongoing banda. “None of us have received payments. It’s getting difficult for us to get a meal in a day,” said Karki. “There is huge scarcity of cooking gas. Even if we managed to find it, we have no money to afford it,” he added.
Lok Ram Dhakal of Terhathum district has a list of the items his family has told him to purchase for Dashain. “I could have bargained with my employer for providing me extra funds this Dashain, had there no banda,” he said. “But given the prolonged banda in the area, our Dashain this year is ruined. We won’t be able to celebrate it.”
Around 40,000 people are employed in small and big industries of Morang-Sunsari Industrial Area. Most of the employees are from eastern hilly region.
“We are not able to collect revenues from markets,” said Shiva Shankar Agrawal, chairman of Morang Industries Association. “And many factories have not been able to operate to their maximum potential. There is a huge dip in their revenue due to which they have been unable to pay salaries their employees and laborers,” added Agrawal.
“At least 500 vehicles used to pass through Biratnagar roads before banda,” informed Dharma Dev Shah, general secretary of East Nepal Transportation Entrepreneurs. “The ongoing banda have brought trade and general life to a stand still.
DIG Madhav Joshi, chief of Eastern Region Police Post, Biratnagar, said that police are willing to provide security to public vehicles. “We have been escorting vehicles during the band period. If the administration manages to run vehicles targeting passengers returning their hometown, we’ll definitely provide security,” he added.
Meanwhile, the agitating parties have claimed that opening the banda for the festive seasons remained totally in the hands of the government. “We’ll hold discussion in our party and decide whether to make banda lenient for the festivals,” informed UDMF leader Laxman Lal Karna. “If the government agrees to meet our demands, we can immediately call off the banda.”
