Return toward normalcy does not mean there were no demonstrations in the district on Tuesday. But there were no clashes during the demonstrations and the situation was not tense.
Most shops and stalls remain closed at district headquarters Rajbiraj as the locals have been living in chaos following the death of three persons in police firings on Saturday and Sunday.
Although a large number of security personnel were deployed in Rajbiraj during the last three days, their presence was not visible on the streets, Tuesday.
Hospital services halted for third consecutive day
Services at Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital, which were halted after police thrashed doctors and other staff there on Sunday, are yet to resume. The hospital, which would usually be crowded with patients, has worn a deserted look since the last three days.
After members of civil society urged the doctors and staff to resume their services, they installed a tent on the premises of the zonal hospital to serve as an emergency ward.
Doctors and health workers in the district have been agitating against the police for the last three days, putting forth various demands, including actions against the chiefs of Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force (APF), guarantee of security, and compensation and treatment for the injured.
Local administration withdraws curfew after 3 days
With indications of a returrn to normalcy, the local administration withdrew an indefinite curfew at district headquarters Rajbiraj, Rupani and Bhardaha, Tuesday.
A meeting of the district security committee decided to withdraw the indefinite curfew effective from 3 pm, according to SP Bhim Dhakal, chief of District Police Office (DPO), Saptari.
On Monday evening, a delegation of civil society members and journalists visited SP Dhakal and leaders of the United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) and urged them to refrain from violence, informed Than Singh Bhansali, chairperson of Civil Society Saptari.
Bodies of deceased yet to be cremated
The bodies of the three persons who were killed in police firings in Saptari on Saturday and Sunday are still at the Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) in Sunsari district. The families of the deceased have yet to receive the bodies for cremation, in view of the agitating UDMF's stance on compensation and declaration of the deceased as martyrs.
On Sunday, Dilip Sah, 35, of Rajbiraj Municipality-1, who was in his second floor apartment, received a bullet in the head when police opened fire during demonstrations at district headquarters. He breathed his last on the way to Dharan for treatment. His daughter Muskan also sustained bullet injuries.
On Saturday night, two persons--Birendra Ram of Dadha VDC and Nageshwar Yadav of Chhapaki VDC--were killed in police firing along the East-West Highway in Bhardaha and Rupani respectively, when local demonstrators tried to obstruct transportation.
UDMF concerned over anarchy in demonstrations
UDMF leaders have shown serious concern over demonstrations in the district descending into anarchy. They have urged their cadres and locals to intensify the protests but refrain from violence.
"UDMF leaders have taken the anarchic tendencies seriously. They are themselves actively involved in controlling violent activities during the demonstrations," said Shailendra Prasad Yadav, a central member of Federal Socialist Forum.
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