UDMF to let classes resume, allow in drugs via Biratnagar

KATHMANDU, Nov 20: United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), the alliance of agitating Madhes-based parties, has decided to let schools and colleges in Madhes resume classes and allow the movement of vehicles carrying medicines and medical equipment through the Biratnagar-Jogbani checkpoint.

Although a meeting of UDMF leaders on Thursday decided to intensify their protests, it also took a decision to let schools and colleges resume their classes as well as allow the movement of cargo vehicles carrying medicines.

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Nov 19
United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF), the alliance of agitating Madhes-based parties, has decided to let schools and colleges in Madhes resume classes and allow the movement of vehicles carrying medicines and medical equipment through the Biratnagar-Jogbani checkpoint.
Although a meeting of UDMF leaders on Thursday decided to intensify their protests, it also took a decision to let schools and colleges resume their classes as well as allow the movement of cargo vehicles carrying medicines.
“Schools and colleges will be allowed to resume classes in the morning shift,” stated a press release issued after the meeting.
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), other human rights organizations and organizations of private schools and colleges had been continuously urging the agitating parties to restore an environment for resuming classes in schools and colleges in the protest-affected areas. “The closure of schools in the protest-hit areas for a long period could give rise to a situation where students from those districts would lag in every competition behind students from districts where schooling has been more regular,” NHRC had said in its monitoring report published on November 2.
Likewise, UDMF decided to open the Biratnagar-Jogbani border point for transporting medicines into the country. “We decided on humanitarian grounds to allow the movement of cargo vehicles carrying medicines, oxygen cylinders and other medical equipment to enter Nepal through the Biratnagar-Jogbani border point during daytime,” it further stated.
Medical facilities across the country have been reeling under an acute shortage of essential drugs due to the blockade at India-Nepal border checkpoints. Because of the scarcity of drugs and surgical supplies, several hospitals including Sahid Gangalal National Heart Center (SGNHC) have decided to cut down on the number of surgeries they perform.
Earlier, the Indian embassy had asked the government to provide a list of cargo vehicles carrying medicines which have been held up in Raxaul across the border for over two months.
In an email to the minister for health and population on Tuesday evening, the embassy asked to provide the license plate numbers of trucks carrying medicines so that it could help re-route the cargos to other check points.
Meanwhile, UDMF has also decided to intensify its other protest programs. The agitating group has decided to continue the closure of transport, markets and factories and obstruct border checkpoints and highways in a more intensified manner starting from Saturday.
Likewise, UDMF has decided to mark the 100th day of its protest on Monday in different locations in the Tarai, observing five minutes silence in tribute to all those who were killed.
“We have decided to further intensify the ongoing protest so as to settle the issues raised by Madhesis, indigenous communities, Tharus, Muslims, Dalits and other marginalized communities through dialogue since the government and three major political parties -- namely Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) -- are not found to be serious,” stated UDMF in its press release.

“Schools and colleges will be allowed to resume classes in the morning shift,” stated a press release issued after the meeting.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), other human rights organizations and organizations of private schools and colleges had been continuously urging the agitating parties to restore an environment for resuming classes in schools and colleges in the protest-affected areas. “The closure of schools in the protest-hit areas for a long period could give rise to a situation where students from those districts would lag in every competition behind students from districts where schooling has been more regular,” NHRC had said in its monitoring report published on November 2.

Likewise, UDMF decided to open the Biratnagar-Jogbani border point for transporting medicines into the country. “We decided on humanitarian grounds to allow the movement of cargo vehicles carrying medicines, oxygen cylinders and other medical equipment to enter Nepal through the Biratnagar-Jogbani border point during daytime,” it further stated.

Medical facilities across the country have been reeling under an acute shortage of essential drugs due to the blockade at India-Nepal border checkpoints. Because of the scarcity of drugs and surgical supplies, several hospitals including Sahid Gangalal National Heart Center (SGNHC) have decided to cut down on the number of surgeries they perform.

Earlier, the Indian embassy had asked the government to provide a list of cargo vehicles carrying medicines which have been held up in Raxaul across the border for over two months.

In an email to the minister for health and population on Tuesday evening, the embassy asked to provide the license plate numbers of trucks carrying medicines so that it could help re-route the cargos to other check points.

Meanwhile, UDMF has also decided to intensify its other protest programs. The agitating group has decided to continue the closure of transport, markets and factories and obstruct border checkpoints and highways in a more intensified manner starting from Saturday.

Likewise, UDMF has decided to mark the 100th day of its protest on Monday in different locations in the Tarai, observing five minutes silence in tribute to all those who were killed.

“We have decided to further intensify the ongoing protest so as to settle the issues raised by Madhesis, indigenous communities, Tharus, Muslims, Dalits and other marginalized communities through dialogue since the government and three major political parties -- namely Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist) -- are not found to be serious,” stated UDMF in its press release.