They also submitted a memorandum to the Home Ministry and the Office of the Prime Minister through the District Administration Office. [break]
Doctors in this bordering town are in panic after an underground outfit planted a bomb in the house of Dr Rajendra Prasad Sah for not providing donation as demanded by the group.
"We are compelled to take to the streets demanding peace and security in our profession and life," said Rabindra Prasad Singh, president of Nepal Medical Association (NMA), Narayani chapter. "At present, all doctors here have been terrified due to continuous threats to them," he said.
Doctors fear that they and their families would be at risk if they fail to meet the donation demands of underground armed groups and they are also reluctant to go to work owing to the threats, said Singh.
"Almost all doctors have received such threats and some have even been under extreme pressure as the groups are hunting them down on the phone with a demand for a definite amount," he added.
Doctors could not feel secure at their offices, too, as they fear that the criminals could also approach them in the disguise of patients, said Singh. "Never did the doctors had faced such a trauma before," he added.
In their memorandum, doctors cited a case in which Tarai Mukti Morcha claimed responsibility for planting the bomb at Sah´s residence.
Badal Singh, the self-proclaimed district in-charge of the group, had called on the phone using the number 9803839399 to own up the incidence. He has even threatened Sah of action for not providing Rs 1 million donation.
Sah could not participate in the rally on Monday as he was said to have been undergoing mental pressure due to the incident and the threats from the group. "He has been threatened [by the group] of his life if he came out of his home," said one of his friends.
Dr Roshan Ali, secretary of NAM, Narayani, however, said Sah failed to show up in the rally as he was suggested by the local administration to adopt measures for his security and remain home-bound.
There are around 130 doctors working in public and private hospitals and clinics in Birgunj. Many of those who have been threatened by the outfits are said to have failed to show up in the rally reportedly due to the fear.
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