The indefinite banda (general strike) called by the Tharu community in Chitwan, among other Tarai districts, is continue on Saturday with the failure of their talks with the government in Kathmandu failing to make a headway.
Activists of Tharu Kalyankarini Sabha, Tharuhat Struggle Committee and other organizations of Tarai indigenous communities came to the street early morning Saturday against the concept of entire Madhes as a single province. They are demanding that the government annul recently issued ordinance for making government services inclusive that they claimed put the indigenous people in Madhesi category.
Normal life was crippled in Chitwan as the Tharu demonstrators started disrupting vehicular movement in the district.
Meanwhile, security personnel escorted about 100 tankers carrying petrol and 12 tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas toward the capital city through Bara district, said Area Police Office in Hetauda. Local authorities in Chitwan and Bara districts had enforced curfew orders with effect from 10 pm Friday to 4 am Saturday to ensure the tankers’ safety.
Police said that during the curfew hours, they rescued over 400 other vehicles stuck along the road owing to the strike. Police in Chitwan too said they escorted over 200 vehicles during the nighttime curfew.
During the same time, 36 vehicles traveling from the western districts and 37 other tankers were safely escorted toward Kathmandu, said Inspector Prakash Malla of District Police Office, Chitwan.
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