Vehicles remained off the roads across the country, while education institutions, factories and marketplaces remained completely shut. [break]
In Kathmandu, ambulances, and press vehicles and those carrying tourists and human rights activists plied along the roads. Long queues of people were seen walking to their destinations, even as children enjoyed playing crickets and footballs on the road.
Thousands of Maoist cadres, bused in from across the country, hit the streets shouting slogans demanding dissolution of the government to pave way for a Maoist-led national government to conclude the peace process and draft a “people´s constitution”.
They had converged at 18 major places of Kathmandu, including Baneshar, Bhotahiti, Kalanki, Sundhara, Chahabil, Gangabu and Putalisadak where they staged sit-ins, recited poems, sang and danced. In the evening, they marched with torches and held corner meetings.
Trained members of Young Communist League (YCL) took the cheering crowds under control, and Maoist health volunteers were deployed for medical services. The protesters relished rice in the morning and beaten rice and grams in the afternoon.
Most Kathmanduites however stayed at home watching the demonstrations live on televisions or became sheer spectators on the roads.
Addressing the rally at Baneshwar, Maoist Vice Chairman Dr Baburam Bhattarai said the party cadres will stay on the streets unless Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal steps down to pave way for a national government for the sake of peace and constitution. “We will not bow down even if the government mobilizes army to crush us. People will not return home unless a people´s constitution is written in favor of poor, villagers, peasants and workers,” he said.
“It is time to decide who will win -- the elements sticking to status quo under the backing of foreigners or those demanding forward-looking changes in the society,” he said. He specially called on Valley denizens to hit the streets for quick desired results, and make the painful banda shorter.
The Maoist party stated that the first day of the strike was largely peaceful despite a few sporadic clashes.
Clash in Chitwan
Our correspondent Chandni Hamal reported from Chitwan that at least six persons, including two journalists, were injured when police and Maoist students clashed in Bharatpur.
Police fired 27 rounds of teargas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the Maoist students who came to Chitwan Higher Secondary School to disrupt Grade XII exams. The police also fired three rounds in the air.
ANNISU activist Ashish Devkota received a bullet to his throat and was airlifted to Kathmandu while other students have been admitted to Chitwan Medical College.
Two policemen were also injured in the incident. Police arrested two Maoist students. Journalists KP Sharma and Prawin Datta sustained injuries. Clashes continued for hours around Bharatpur army barrack and Chitwan medical college. Locals were terrified by the clashes. The exam was subsequently postponed after the clash.
Similalry, a clash occured in Palpa after the Maoists tried to vandalize a motorcycle. The situation came under control after both the police and the Maoists maintained restraint. Some policemen and banda organizers sustained minor injuries.
The police and Maoists clashed in Rani, Biratnagar. Shops were vandalized when locals protested the banda. A few people were injured in the clash. Maoists, however, said “Indian vigilante groups” attacked them.
OHCHR´s concern
The OHCHR-Nepal said it is seriously concerned about the impact of an extended strike on communities across Nepal. “Particularly concerning are reports that UCPN-M-affiliated cadres entered schools in several parts of the country and prevented exams from taking place,” reads a statement issued by the OHCHR.
According to the statement, the OHCHR monitors raised concerns with protest organizers about the large number of children present in demonstrations, some of them actively participating in enforcing the banda. Local residents also continue to complain about the practice of coercing business owners to make donations in support of the demonstrations.
“For the most part, both the security forces and demonstrators remained cool during today´s rallies and demonstrations. But it is increasingly clear that the current situation cannot hold,” the statement quoted OHCHR-Representative Richard Bennett as saying.
“Nepal´s political leadership on all sides needs to come together to find a peaceful solution to the current stalemate, and avoid an extended strike that will have a negative impact on the ability of all citizens to exercise their rights.”
Students retaliate against Maoists
Prakash Adhikary reported from Dailekh that 15 Maoists were injured in a clash with students. The students clashed with Maoists after the latter tried to disrupt Grade XII exams at the Saraswati Higher Secondary School.
The Maoists had reached the school after tearing question papers and answer sheets at the Tribhuvan Namuna Higher Secondary School.
According to Maoists´ district in-charge Thir Bahadur Karki, three of them were seriously injured and are eceiving treatment at the District Hospital. Students chased away approximately 60 Maoist supporters from the exam center.
More than 400 students then moved toward the district party office but police intervened and diverted the rally. The students reached the District Administration Office and held a mass meeting.
Maoist disrupted exams at four among seven centers in the district.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said the first day of demonstration was peaceful in the valley though violence was reported in some places outside.
It said clashes occurred in Birauta of Pokhara, Jharpatan, Rani of Biratnagar, Birgunj, Chitwan, Butwal, Dang and Dailekh.
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